Moon Duo - Fallout

Moon Duo's new single Fallout might not be at the top of the charts, one week on from its July 4th release date, but that doesn't mean so much these days. Downloads have changed everything, with songs like Aloe Blacc's I Need A Dollar and Adele's Someone Like You sticking around in the Top 40 for weeks, and weeks, and weeks.

It's the age of the slow burner, so it would be great to see Fallout make its way up the rankings over the weeks to come - Moon Duo's album Mazes already has its place in the Popsiculture CD collection so we'll be keeping an eye on this one.

You can do your bit to get Fallout to its well deserved place in the UK singles chart by heading over to iTunes for a sneaky download - at over five and a half minutes long, it's definitely value for money.

What to expect

Fallout, like much of Mazes, is an unapologetic, adrenaline-fuelled journey through sound where the atmospheric, echoing vocals act almost as an extra instrument, rather than staking their claim to centre stage.

Imagine the great forerunners of atmospheric rock - and I'm talking (again) about people like Hawkwind here - brought up to date and given a kick up the arse, and you're on the right lines towards Moon Duo's catchy and deceptively upbeat performance style.

This heritage carries over into the video for the track, which is decidedly (but deliberately) lo-fi - you can check it out below.


The Verdict

I like to judge songs based on whether they'd work on the soundtrack to The Girl Next Door. It's a truly epic soundtrack, with everything from Queen and David Bowie to Echo and the Bunnymen and The Who. And it's part of what sets that film apart from all the other teen movies released year on year.

Fallout would nestle perfectly in amongst the Filter and Methods of Mayhem tracks - but it would be harsh to consign it to a 'could-have been' status as I may be seeming to do.

Rather, I mean to say that it has the pedigree to achieve great things. A pivotal moment in a movie, a live show to remember forever, or just the soundtrack to a great night in with friends. Give it a chance, stick it on your Hi-Fi, or iPod, or whatever else you use to play music, and let your ears make a new friend in Moon Duo.

Final Score: 86%