SINGLE REVIEW: I Tend the Light – A Pitiful Applause

Before anything else, credit where it’s due: the band say ‘A Pitiful Applause’ is influenced by the video game Disco Elysium and a reworking of a lullaby/dream sequence from the 1955 film Night of the Hunter. I’ve never encountered either, so I’ll take their word for it — but even without that context, the track stands as an 8-minute, 44-second epic that takes you on a genuinely unusual journey.

It opens with a creepy spoken monologue, a slow-burn introduction that immediately sets a sense of unease before everything blasts into a full, guitar-driven sound. It’s robust, powerful, and unexpectedly radiant, with guitars that shimmer and expand as the track gains momentum. The vocals arrive with an effervescent softness straight out of 90s indie — think Shop Assistants or The Flatmates — twee, innocent, and glowing against the darker backdrop. Beneath them, hidden deep in the undergrowth, there seem to be other vocals too: indistinct, shadowy, adding texture without ever fully revealing themselves.

The drums carve a notable path, angular and uptempo, guiding the track through its shifting landscapes. The extended instrumental early on is captivating, a swirl of movement that pulls you further into its world. Then the tempo drops into something more sinister as another spoken monologue returns — creepy, impactful, curious, intriguing — with the instrumentation weaving below it like something crawling under floorboards.

From here, the track drifts into noise-rock and wall-of-sound territory. Even once the spoken word fades, its presence lingers in the background, ghostlike, while the band ramp everything back up into a cathartic instrumental blast. There’s a progressive feel to this section, crashing, absorbing, drenched in reverb, and stretching itself across the latter portion of the track.

And here’s where my honesty kicks in: while the musicianship is complex and impressively crafted, the huge extended outro did lose me a little. It’s simply not my personal preference — it felt like it went on a bit, and I found myself wanting more of those sparkling indie elements that the early parts deliver so well.

But that doesn’t take away from what the band have created. ‘A Pitiful Applause’ is undeniably multifaceted — blending indie and post-rock with shimmering twee-pop edges, progressive syncopation, and the artistic flair of the spoken monologue sections. It’s ambitious, unique, and clearly built with great care. Even if the final stretch wasn’t entirely my thing, the journey as a whole is striking, memorable, and unlike anything else in its orbit.

A bold, clever piece — and a testament to I Tend the Light’s willingness to push boundaries and commit to their vision.