The premiere of “Scars and Burdens” by Nothing but Real is a new single that feels like the guys have unmasked for just a moment in time through sound. The French group, which specializes in interesting mishmashes of prog rock, metal, pop, and electro with striking aspirations, continues to tunnel into its sci-fi universe here with a cut that runs on emotional heft and atmospheric disquiet.
“Scars and Burdens” progresses like a confession from behind a barricaded heart, fake smiles, rehearsed roles, and emotional walls that have been up for too long. But woven through that barricade is a quiet, determined touch of hope. The piece builds on that duality, conveying the tension of holding everything in and the swift release when a first yawn opens wide.
The song is a dark, gloom-suffused ambient rock ballad, brooding and slow-burning. Its linguistic duality provides a striking texture, one that speaks to the more profound ambivalence at the heart of this song’s atmosphere. Nothing but Real employs its filmmaker’s instincts so that the experience of hearing it feels like a scene, nocturnal, introspective, and characterized by the kind of emotional gravity fit for drama or a redemption arc.
The band doesn’t depict the character so much as let his shadow dirty up the emotional palette of the track.