Chromatics: "Shadow"
At a time when “surprise” albums, over-hyped release dates, and guerrilla marketing campaigns verge on ubiquitous, it’s refreshing to watch Chromatics play the long game. A clairvoyant couldn’t tell you when Dear Tommy will actually arrive: we’re nine months removed from when it was announced to hit “in time for Valentine’s Day,” after which we were treated to a handful of glittering singles supposedly tied to a spring release. And then there was silence from Johnny Jewel & Co. The elusiveness has been both appropriate and frustrating as his soundtrack and commercial work has emerged steadily. Chromatics’ music has long been beholden to feelings of loss, distance, mystery, alienation, and lovesick romance—so perhaps the Dear Tommy lead-up is just preparing us emotionally for what’s to come.
Or maybe the timing just hasn’t been right. Jewel has said that he likes his albums to “arrive in the season that suits each one best,” and now he’s unveiled “Shadow”, a shortened version of the song that will open the last quarter of Dear Tommy. Call it wishful thinking, but “Shadow” seems to align this long-awaited LP with wintertime—or rather that short cusp between fall and winter, when the light drizzle and chill in the air aren’t too frigid to bear.
Ruth Radelet illustrates another of her veiled cinematic narratives: “And now you’re just a stranger’s dream/ I took your picture from the frame/ And though you’re nothing like you seem/ Your shadow fell like last night’s rain.” You can almost hear her breath hanging in the air as she sings over the patter of brittle drums, crystalline synth, and soft strings like spare holiday music. But “Shadow” is no Christmas miracle. This is a song about disillusionment, survival, and having the strength to move on. That Chromatics convey as much with such a muted palette and unassuming lyrics speaks to their understanding of pop music; that we might all take it in during the colder seasons speaks to their understanding of us.
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