Chords of Indigo are punching above their weight with ‘Labyrinth’, their first 2024 single. A dynamic piece of rock music that checks so many boxes, ending up soulful, artful, challenging, rich, and intimate. A true stunner.
Chords of Indigo is an artist based in Manchester, and his sound would be difficult to categorize based only on his latest shape-shifting composition ‘Labyrinth’, a dynamic and varied song that is chock full of immense musicality by Chords of Indigo mastermind Lee Hornsby.
With a rich vocal presence that’s full of motion, ‘Labyrinth’ first struck me with its Tool-like atmosphere, courtesy of Hornsby’s tell-tale delivery of the words, sounding impressionistic, characterful, and visceral. The music is also extremely bountiful with ranges, from the hushed acoustic rhythm on the verses, to the contrasting overdriven choruses, and from the galloping 6/8 strums that shift to riff-centered mayhem. It all feels lively and engrossing. ‘Labyrinth’ is an exquisitely written piece of rock music that equally calls to mind the manic darkness of Tool, and the heartful vulnerability of Travis in a calculated and balanced musical meal.
Lyrically complex too, ‘Labyrinth’ handles themes of obsessiveness, strewn over a backdrop of mystery borrowed from House of Leaves, the debut novel from American author Mark Z. Danielewski. On every angle, ‘Labyrinth’ is a stunning creation that’s equally complex and weighty, lighthearted, and easy to love, and with such a lush, warm mix, it is a song that leaves no boxes unchecked.
