There's something mysterious about "David's Eyes," the latest single from Imaginary People. It's one of those songs that lingers, like a spectral whisper imprinted in your memory. And with this new release, the New York indie rock collective offers up more than just a song. It's a colorful story cloaked in tenebrous melodies and emotional grime.
"David's Eyes" was inspired by one such odd experience frontman Dylan Von Wagner had in Central Park, eyes in the dark, a name whispered, and a disappearing figure. It's a harrowing thing, and that harrowing thing is turned into something that is cinematically rich, both in tension and a raw kind of beauty you don't shake so easily. Whether the visitor was a ghost or something altogether different, the end result is a track that beautifully captures that uncanny mixture of fear, fascination and contemplation.
The band stays close to their indie rock DNA, but this is not just any alt-rock jam. Mark Roth's guitar lines glisten and weave like city lights in the distance, and Justin Repasky's keys float with ghostlight delicacy. The drumming of Kolby Wade feels vital, pulsating with nervous energy, and Bryan Percivall's bass and synth work constructs a low, haunting undercurrent that grounds the song in its emotional heft. The mood on "David's Eyes" reaffirms the heavier themes at the heart of Alibi, the band's third full-length record. "David's Eyes" is a haunting metaphorical ghost story for a country struggling to define itself. There's a perversely calming sadness to the track, the kind that reminds you that you're not the only one navigating the dark.
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