Last week, Cardiff-based outfit Los Campesinos! released a free song entitled “Tiptoe Through the True Bits.” It was part of the recording sessions for their latest album Hello Sadness, but was ultimately left out because it didn’t quite fit with the rest of the songs. Based on the press release, the song “acts as an appropriate bookend to what happens with Hello Sadness, both musically and personally.”
One of the main reasons that “Tiptoe Through the True Bits” was excluded is because it slowed down the rest of the album. But that doesn’t take away from the beauty of the track. The track opens with vocalist Gareth Paisey over a simple guitar riff and subtle cymbals. About a minute-a-half-in, the track begins to bloom as a horn section makes an appearance to pick up the pace as the rest of the band joins in. On the last verse, Gareth is joined by his sister Kim, who provides a soft and soothing voice that harmonizes very nicely with her brother’s. Lyrically, Gareth writes about a broken relationship that occurred before he left for Spain to record Hello Sadness. As usual, he manages to translate his raw emotions and honesty into words so articulately that they come off very poetic:
“If your skin feels softer, I’ve no argument to make, the weight of such apologies caused stronger men to ache If his kisses draw the bad out, I can’t have a complaint as they hit your tongue like sedatives while I lay wide awake”
Los Campesinos! will head back into the studio in early 2013 in hopes of releasing another album later on that year. The best thing about them is that they tend to give out unreleased material to their fans, so be on the look out for that. But for now, you can head over to their website and download “Tiptoe Through the True Bits” to tide you over.
