Bastille Proves That Sometimes Madness Pays Off

Wisely calibrated intensity marks the return of the British band you know to be Bastille with what to these ears is one of their strongest efforts to date. "World Gone Mad" pulls out all of the melodramatic stops but because it's not crammed down our throats the effectiveness resounds in spades. Vocalist Dan Smith serves as our guide through the urban carnage using his beautiful pipes as kind of a beacon in uncertain times. He has the talent to cut through the muck which makes us all the wiser for it. "World Gone Mad" starts off in an acoustic vein, sneaking up on us like a cat burglar in the dead of night. The beat sways along confidently as Mr. Smith elaborates on how our collective journey didn't get us to the destination we were hoping for. Essentially the mad world has been divided into two halves, one half not even inclined to care how society's fabric is unraveling. Will Farquarson's acoustic guitar makes Dan's caustic commentary go down smoother. At the 1:30 mark, Chris "Woody" Wood enters the fray on drums. Again, nothing overly flashy to throw in, simply efficient timekeeping that lends gravitas to this outing. "World Gone Mad" stays in the same warm color wheel color throughout and so while the messages may be relentless the beat lends you a hand through the maze. Kyle Simmons ably lends his guitar to the mix and again the power of the song benefits. Can't even begin to do justice to the earwig inducing chorus. Though it may be one of the absolute last rock efforts of 2017, Bastille saved its best for last. The video also ratchets up the drama level to a noticeable degree. A stage has been set and we're glued to our seats watching the drama unfold. "World Gone Mad" doesn't overstay its welcome, clocking in on the north side of 3 minutes 37 seconds. You want that in your rugged troubadours, tell us something and be quick about it. The song lays itself out in three different parts: First comes acoustic followed by the second verse's drum kicking into gear. At the climax Bastille goes all symphonic convergence on us. It's a masterstroke of genius. Bastille doesn't know how to make a boring song. "A World Gone Mad" deserves mention in the pantheon of Bastille classics.