Heralding from the vibrant scenes of the Netherlands, alt rock infused emotive punk rock band Bayline presents their debut album “I Choose Love,” a manifesto of melodic defiance and introspection released under the banners of Suburban Records and Flight 13. This ensemble delivers a collection that encapsulates the very essence of punk spirit, interlaced with the raw grit of rock and the soul-searching melodies of emo.
The album, now resonating through the airwaves since its November 24th unveiling, offers a tapestry of sounds that reflect on societal narratives both current and historic, while simultaneously diving into the personal battles with anxiety and depression.
The tracks range from the fervent pace of “Dead End Life,” a poignant take on the refugee crisis in the Netherlands, to the rhythmic invocation of “Speaking In Tongues,” which echoes the struggles of sexual identity in a world still bound by prejudice.
“I Choose Love” comes as the thematic bloodline that courses through the album’s veins. It is a conscious choice to seek light amidst darkness, to find hope where despair looms. This sonic journey through the album invites listeners to experience the anger and energy of hardcore roots in tracks like “Black Masks,” while also immersing them in the more experimental and meditative interludes marked by “I.,” “CHOOSE.,” and “LOVE.”
With their singles receiving nods and airtime from influential platforms, including Kink’s characterization of the band as “…punk rock with a dirty emo touch,” Bayline has resonated with a broad spectrum of rock aficionados.
The band’s ability to weave powerful narratives through their music is evident. From the dance-inducing grooves of “A Crow Left Of the Murder” to the haunting reflections of “Ignore The Devil,” Bayline’s debut is a clarion call to choose love over fear, compassion over indifference.
As we dive into the full track-by-track commentary from the band, which promises to delve deeper into the heart of each song, it’s clear that Bayline has struck a chord that will reverberate far beyond their local scene. Listen belw and see the full track by track rundown below.
Dead End Life
We really love the double guitars at the beginning. They gave us the feeling this song needed to be the first one on the album. It also got a big chorus and huge breakdown outro. Lyrically the song is about the situation in the Netherlands where refugees have to wait too long to get the news if they can stay in our country. This can take years giving the refugee the feeling they are living a dead end life and feeling deprived of their hopes and dreams to live a life without fear.
Speaking In Tongues
This one is a more angry song. We came from a hardcore band and musically you can hear that influence. It’s a fast and loud song but it wouldn’t be us if we didn’t put in some sweet melodic stuff. Also the vocals bring harmony in the verses. Lyrically it’s about a person who is still afraid to come out with their sexual preference. People try to talk to them like it’s a demon or sickness inside their head that is making them think that way about people of the same sex. It’s not! Everyone can be who they want to be and choose whomever they wish to love.
I.
We had this guitar part that really set a certain mood. And the drummer also loves dance music so he created a beat and samples accompanying the guitars. This is the first of the three interludes we have on the album
Elephant
This is one of the first songs we wrote as a band. It’s got more of the punk vibe and although songs that were written later on have a bit of a different style you can still hear it’s us and we wanted to show a diverse album. Lyrically the song is about the elephant in the room obviously. And the tension it creates while people fear to address what’s really going on.
A Crow Left Of the Murder
Put on your dancing shoes! This is a rocking song that is perfect to get you dancing. We love the groove in this song. It’s more a feelgood song so also lyrically it’s a more positive song talking about choosing your own path.
Black Masks
We always try and challenge ourselves and with this one we were a bit hesitant to put it on the album, cause it’s a more experimental song. Musically the song gives a haunting kinda vibe. It was difficult to find the proper subject for the lyrics. We felt it needed a subject that compliments the vibe it has musically. We chose a heavy subject and another song about refugees, but this time it’s about the push backs that are happening in Europe. In the middle part we chose to add samples of news talking about these push backs to even emphasize the subject even more.
CHOOSE.
This is the second interlude on the album and it has the same part as the first one, but added an extra layer with new melodies.
A Little Learning Is A Dangerous Thing
This song is also an odd one out. The drums and guitars seem off at times but it’s not. It’s just a weird count. We really like the dynamics in this song and that it ends really powerful. Lyrically it’s about people acting like they know everything about a subject and proudly talk about it. Inside they know they’re wrong, but too headstrong to admit.
Lost Connection
We love the lead part in the chorus and wanted to do something more with it. Our producer played it on his keyboard just to get the melody in his head. We were like: “That’s it! Add the piano part to the song.” In the bridge you can also hear the piano part and it’s just a hint in there but it really adds a great layer to the song. Lyrically the song is about people that are so obsessed with their phone they lost the real connection with their friend or loved one.
Trophy Heads
This is an old song (for us) we already had this idea with a previous band. We really liked the bassline and the chorus, but the older version missed something. We realized we needed to speed up the bassline and that gave the song so much more drive. Lyrically it’s about trophy hunting but written through the eyes of the animal.
Ignore The Devil
This is an important and more personal song to us. The magic happens in the bridge where we take it back and slowly build up to the last chorus/outro. The melody of the last two lines in the outro were formed in the studio. Me and the producer love ourselves some Deftones so we went for it and gave the song a bit of a haunting ending that fits really well. This outburst is also a cry for help of some sort. Yelling to yourself to ignore the devil within. With the devil we mean the threat of depression creeping in your brain.
Sound The Alarm
Sound the Alarm was one of the last songs we wrote for the record. Also the vocal lines were the last ones we wrote. This song really shows what we as a band like. It has a lot of melody and a powerful chorus all packed in a dynamic song. Lyrically the song is about the abuse of power. You still hear and see (mostly) men taking advantage of women using their stature.
LOVE.
This is the last interlude and builds from the previous ones adding new guitar layers and vocal samples that sums up what the record is about. A perfect way to end the album.
