Here’s a radical (traditional) idea for the most un-radical (slang) of times: What if our phones inspired some good? And what if they caused movement and motion and activity, and didn’t force us to slouch down in the fetal position doomscrolling until we mentally shuffle off this emotional coil?
As the screen hypnotizes us to sleep and blurs the line between being awake and at rest, Plum take inspiration from a dream to embrace togetherness in an age of solitary social confinement. And like most revolutionary measures, it eventually leads to the dance floor.
The Chicago band this week unleashes “Bodies in Motion,” a quirky and kinetic fit of classic post-punk propulsion and no wave detachment, and the energy it may cause across the underground is fueled by an upside-down reality where our phones, as well as anything else that relays an electronic frequency, foster a new sense of togetherness.
Call it yes wave.
“The lyrics stem from a dream I had; I woke up in the middle of the night and immediately expanded it into a short story,” says vocalist and guitarist Jeff Kelley says. “The idea is that a frequency starts being broadcast from every electronic device all over the world that causes people to dance uncontrollably. No one knows who started it, but it’s clear that it was more powerful than intended and it took over the whole world and plunged it into a dance-apocalypse. The chorus is written as three independent melodies that overlap and intertwine—my voice, Heather [Perry’s] voice, and my guitar line all combine into a chaotic contrapuntal texture.”
“Bodies in Motion” serves as the title track to Plum’s forthcoming sophomore album, out August 21.