Alternative pop British band Bastille does not shy away from obscure references. In fact, the band thrives on them. Take their first album Bad Blood, for instance. Songs such as “Icarus,” “Daniel in the Den,” “Weight of Living, Pt. 1,” and “Laura Palmer” all allude towards another work, whether of mythological fiction or the lead singer Dan Smith’s favorite TV show.
On October 25, 2024, the band released their fifth studio album “&” (Ampersand). Though sonically different than its four predecessors, “&” (Ampersand) exhibits the epitome of what makes Bastille as underrated as they are. Each of the fourteen tracks on the album takes the perspective of an individual, whether from a famed historical story or a personal experience. Now, sit back as we explore each song and travel through the lives of “&” (Ampersand).
1. “Intro & Narrators”
The first song of the album is perhaps the most literal of the fourteen. In “Intro & Narrators,” the lyrics introduce the listener to the idea that the main characters in any story don’t ask for that position—it is rather a role that is thrust upon them unknowingly as if the characters are sentient beings. By closing the song out with the lyrics, “Never lay your trust in the narrator,” the listener is warned by the testament that one cannot trust the sole perspective heard on any story, both real and fictional.
2. “Eve & Paradise Lost”
Another rather obvious title, track two tackles the classic creation story of Adam and Eve, this time, from the perspective of Eve. The scapegoat for what Christians refer to as “Original Sin,” Eve recounts the moment she ate the forbidden fruit and thus had her and Adam cast out of the Garden of Eden. Though Eve is the one to have taken first pick, this song highlights the hypocrisy that Adam shares none of the blame despite having eaten the fruit as well.
3. “Emily & Her Penthouse in the Sky”
Song three, perhaps more obscurely, is about writer and poet Emily Dickinson told through the perspective of her younger sister, Lavinia. Dickinson only gained notoriety for her works after her death, hence the song’s utilization of “penthouse in the sky” as a metaphor for heaven or something akin to it. The song further emphasizes how Dickinson actually behaved during her life, as opposed to what people speculate about her.
4. “Blue Sky & The Painter”
“Blue Sky & The Painter” is one of the few songs on “&” (Ampersand) that lacks any names, making its inspiration elusive. The song, however, is about the Norwegian painter Edvard Munch and his struggle with depression. The “blue sky” refers to Munch finally seeing light in life after a long period of darkness. The lyrics, “Would I be who I am without this sadness in me?” more explicitly refers to the way Munch has commented that his art wouldn’t be what it is if his mind worked differently.
5. “Leonard & Marianne”
Written from the perspective of Canadian singer-songwriter and poet Leonard Cohen, “Leonard & Marianne” tells the story of Leonard’s relationship with Marianne Ihlen years after their separation. The song even mentions specific, public aspects of their relationship, such as the fact that the two met on the Greek island of Hydra.
6. “Marie & Polonium”
Song number six on the album explores the life of Marie Curie, the famed Polish physicist. Throughout the song, there are parallels between her work with radioactivity and deeper themes of the human condition, such as love. For example, the lyric, “So love deeper, even if it kills you,” refers specifically to Curie’s tragic death from radiation poisoning caused by her extensive research.
7. “Red Wine & Wilde”
About “Red Wine & Wilde,” frontman and songwriter Dan Smith, in an interview with Apple Music, explained,
“I was reading about Oscar Wilde’s life and his relationship with Bosie Douglas, his on-off partner in his later years, which became quite toxic. Wilde was a leading force for being who he was in a time when it was illegal to be gay, he refused to bow down to regressive societal pressures but he was also complicated because he had a family and children and lived an artist’s life. It’s a big story, and I wanted to zoom in on a night between Wilde and Bosie to capture the complexity of their relationship in a snapshot.”
8. “Seasons & Narcissus”
“Seasons & Narcissus” touches on the ancient Greek myth of Narcissus falling in love with his own reflection. The song in question is written like a traditional love song, with lyrics such as “Is this real love I’m falling in? Keep falling in / Is this real love? I think it is, do you think it is?” emphasizing this aspect, while lyrics such as, “Your reflection’s all I want,” expose the true nature of the song.
9. “Drawbridge & The Baroness”
Rather than based on a story, “Drawbridge & The Baroness” is based on a philosophical dilemma called the drawbridge exercise. In the exercise, a Baroness disobeys her husband’s request not to leave the castle while he is away on business. The Baroness, having grown lonely without her husband, lowers the drawbridge and visits her lover in the countryside. The outcome of her decision is an interesting debate on power and responsibility.
10. “The Soprano & Midnight Wonderings”
The only song on the album with a feature, track ten doesn’t tell a fictional story, but rather a personal story of BIM, the added vocalist.
11. “Essie & Paul”
Paul and Eslanda Robeson were husband and wife and civil rights activists, of whom “Essie & Paul” is about. Smith said, “They had a complex relationship and I wanted to capture the compromises of long-term love on this song, as well as giving a musical nod to ‘Eleanor Rigby’ [by The Beatles] with the track being only strings and vocals.”
12. “Mademoiselle & The Nunnery Blaze”
“Mademoiselle & The Nunnery Blaze” recounts a story of a French opera singer from the 17th century, Julie d’Aubigny, in her point of view. In a dramatic love tale, d’Aubigny broke her girlfriend out of a nunnery by burning it down. The song elaborates, “They locked you up in a holy place / I joined you anyway, let’s burn it down in flames / ‘Cause all my crimes get forgiven by / The king and all Versailles for this voice of mine.”
13. “Zheng Yi Sao & Questions For Her”
Zheng Yi Sao was a famed Chinese female pirate, to whom the speaker of the song questions the hurdles she faced. Perhaps the most profound question asked, though, is how the most successful pirate in history could be erased and simply referred to as the wife of her husband. The song asks, “How did you find grace / Under pressure, all that pressure? / How did you step away / From your empire? Did it just get tired?”
14. “Telegraph Road 1977 & 2024”
The last song on the album was actually one of the first songs that Smith ever wrote. He wrote “Telegraph Road” when he was a teenager and has added a verse at the end to bring it full circle to the present. This is where 1977 & 2024 comes from. It was inspired by a poem written by Smith’s father when he and Smith’s mother were traveling to the United States and even features the voice of Smith’s mother in the chorus.
“&” (Ampersand) once again shows the prowess of Bastille’s lyrical and musical genius. With its songs that transcend history, it is sure to be an album to withstand time.
