Bastille’s New Album Wild World Reviewed & Ranked

Track 1: “Good Grief”, 3:26

As a first track, I don’t hate it. Especially with that vocal intro, “So, what would you little maniacs like to do first?” As a first track, “Good Grief” doesn’t set things up terribly, but I still think the song is the weakest of the entire album. Radio friendly, perhaps, but generic all the same.

What it does do, is give us this sense of a story unfolding. If “Good Grief” is the story of grief and loss (albeit upbeat and “dancing at a funeral”-esque), the rest of the album is the unraveling of a wild world and those who inhabit it, and only in the context of the entire album does that come through.

"“What’s gonna be left of the world if you’re not in it? What’s gonna be left of the world, oh”"

In terms of poppy “I miss you” songs, “Good Grief” does a decent job of giving us the feels. The lyrics, although repetitive and simple, still give us an interesting image of a guy mourning the loss of someone he loves, wondering what the world will be like without that person in it.

Musically, the bass line is fun and I love the xylophone-sounding instrument playing in the background. You can especially hear it, syncopated against the rest of the band, during the verses.

Next: Snakes