A recent track from Midwest project Settling Houses, “Oh My God! Babylon!” pairs heady lyricism and a melodic rock unfolding with emotive impact.
Gliding acoustics, snappy drums, and sporadic electric guitar work complement an initial vocal introspection. “So I speak the way she speaks, but she don’t speak the way I speak,” the vocals let out, capturing a sense of disconnect. The project frames the lyricism around the multi-faceted Babylon concept. “I think we might all be who we are because of whoever we call Babylon,” they explain. Babylon, in this context, goes beyond just a biblical symbol of empire or corruption — seemingly representing the figure who first defined the world for us, and who taught us how to fit inside it.
They continue: “My Babylon described the world to me. They explained how I should place myself inside of it. It was easy to trust them — I didn’t know better. I worshipped her because she was always right. Babylon had simple answers to difficult questions. But all Babylons fall one day. This is a song about standing in the rubble afterward.”
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
