In the Summer of 2012, the Liverpool music scene lost yet another band. Battleships were going places, their fresh and alternative vibes lead them in directions they never expected, whether it be playing live on BBC Radio 6 or appearing in Q Magazine. Four lads with big dreams worked their way around every well known venue in the city, the crowds growing vastly every weekend. However, their fast moving careers and amplifying fan base came to a hindrance when the band split up suddenly, leaving behind a final, some would consider a goodbye single for the lovesick fans.
Mirrors is a true representation of what Battleships were always about; straight up, guitar driven rock. If you could wind all four of the songs from their previous E.P together, Mirrors would be it. Jordan's melodic riffs and hooks give the song a Twin Atlantic aura, alongside Dan's grungy bass lines and fleshy drums from Tom, there is something quite Biffy Clyro circa Opposites about this song. According to BBC Radio 6, Battleships specialised in 'confident widescreen rock'.
To the fans, what seemed like a surprisingly quick split, had been arising for at least a couple of months. Towards the end of Battleships' journey, lead vocalist Greg Murphy had received a lot of negative feedback about his vocals, and was constantly being told he 'wasn't good enough'. Through the heartfelt lyrics of this song, we see how Greg revealed how he really felt, and that the pressure to be perfect in this industry was all too much for him. Such lyrics include 'for one week I'll grind my teeth, that's just who I used to be. For one whole week I'll try to convince myself I'll survive' and 'it's in your face, you're swallowing your pride'.
It is incredibly unfortunate that someone should be made to feel this way about doing something that they 'love', however what's worse it that the fans will never know whether this was something Greg was struggling with before it was brought to light. Had his love for performing began to fade before he was receiving criticism he wasn't ready for? There is something quite Kurt Cobain about this, in the sense that Cobain was facing a struggle and given a lot of responsibility that he wasn't ready for, and no one knew any different until it was too late.
Overall, this single is an outstanding song, rated 5* by many. When releasing the song, Battleships left a message, saying 'cheers for the memories!', and how thankful they were. With all of that in mind, I believe you have not truly read this review until you have heard the song; http://youtu.be/A7m1t6BdQvg
'Solid alternative rock that mainstream guitar music needs' - DIY
'Confident widescreen rock. Battleships are ones to watch' - BBC Radio 6
'Big riffs and very impressive tunes' - Q Magazine
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