Hallucinophonics‘ new single “Born on a Train” absorbs with a haunting, art-rock folk meditation on inherited restlessness — expanding beautifully from ghostly folk into a rousing rock timelessness. Wistful acoustics, layered strings, and expanding vocals trace a metaphorical journey of identity and alienation, blending introspective lyricism with expansive, psychedelic textures.
The production is immediately haunting, weaving forlorn acoustic trickling amidst chilling vocals with artful metaphorical prowess. “Born on a train, I die on a train, traveling through my veins like heroin,” they let out, comparing their blood to a “freight train” and soul to a “slow train wandering.” A dash of spine-tingling woodwinds enters thereafter, as depictions of a family — all different vehicles — come into town, out of gas, and searching for a place to replenish.
Just before the one-minute turn hits, the track expands into a more layered, rock appeal — where steady percussion, strings, and ascending vocal emotion combine with invigorating qualities. “Don’t you try to talk me down, I’m on a train,” they beckon there, then shifting back into the narrative-laden verses, sorrowful in recounting “I once had a lover, she left me alone.” “Born on a Train” is a resonating, emotively gripping display of gorgeous songwriting from Hallucinophonics.
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
We discovered this release via MusoSoup.
