Our obsession with mUmbo seems to grow with every listen. We have covered a slew of their previous releases, so when we heard that the talented creators had just released, Red Balloons, we were curious to say the least, and couldn’t wait to share our experience.
Establishing the mood with a bright and intricate guitar melody, mUmbo open Red Balloons with a rising energy and metaphorical prose, sung eloquently by vocalist, Emma Semple.
The opus expands with masterful instrumentation to take us on an immersive and thought-provoking adventure through the imaginative and philosophical minds of the creators.
Speaking on the message of Red Balloons, mUmbo confess, “Amongst other things, the song is about holding onto hope and optimism in the face of frequent struggle and discouragement, which is so often the artistic life.”
We love the symbolism, and the accompanying soundscape feels aligned to the concept of the piece. As a reminder, mUmbo is comprised of Doug MacGowan on electric and acoustic guitars, as well as bass, Emma Semple on vocals, viola and violin, whilst Antonio Dale plays drums and percussion.
mUmbo cite influences including Cocteau Twins, Mazzy Star, Goldfrapp, Ry Cooder, Mark Knopfler, Johnny Marr, and Billie Holiday, which we can absolutely feel come through with their energy, although there is no doubt that the talented trio are manifesting a sound of their own.
They tell us, “Every band is looking for it’s own sound and something that sets it apart. With this single we feel that we’re closer than we’ve ever been to realising our own authentic sound.”
We have added Red Balloons to our New Music Spotlight playlist as well as our brand new TIMELESS playlist, whilst we watch the song’s cinematic music video by film-maker Kelli Watson, and continue to stream the band’s wider discography!