Hear Me Out — Colorblind
I am a complete sucker for music that evokes feelings and emotions. Growing up, that was Linkin Park. The angst, loneliness, and outright frustration of life not going your way was beautifully captured with the instrumentals of the band accompanied with Chester’s bittersweet voice.
I wouldn’t call myself a fan. I was just attracted to how the band was able to bring out my innermost uncomfortable emotions and allowed me to express it. As cringe as it is, I would sing along to the lyrics, beat an invisible drum or play a chord on my invisible guitar while making a pained face.
So when I heard Tanner Petulla, aka Getter, released Colorblind, it was deja vu.
I was accustomed to Getter’s whacky dubstep and bass behemoth trap songs but this song…this song was different. I should have seen it coming when he collaborated with Ghostmane on Bury Me. It is sinister. Heavy dark tones instill fear into the listener that makes them worry for their life. It doesn’t help that Ghostmane’s rapping and his vocals are manipulated ever so carefully to double down on the horror theme. Thankfully, to Getter’s humor, there are various snippets of Lil pump’s Flex Like Ouu sprinkled in the song to have a moss pit party aspect.
But there is nothing playful in Colorblind. It is downright the rawest song I have heard. It surpassed everything I knew about music. If listening to Linkin Park allowed me to express my emotions, Colorblind German suplexed me into the deepest corners of my mind, picked me up and thrashed me around until I broke every bone, covered me in blood from head to toe, then choked slammed me even further into areas of my head I didn’t know existed.
Within the first seconds, it builds an ominous mood like Bury Me. The deep bass line is introduced and then the vocals. Hearing Tanner recite the painful first verse encapsulates you in pain, agony, and awaken hidden demons. The build up compounds on the already disturbing atmosphere but when the bass drops, it’s just pure insanity. I started to release pent up anger and frustration by violently head banging to the bass and every time Tanner yelled “Aye!”
After the climax, the song centers you again but retains the moody mood. What comes next is the strangest transition I have ever experienced. The song turns metal with disgusting guitar riffs, drum lines causing your heart to race, and Tanner screaming the second verse as if it was his last words.
I replayed this song over and over again until I can recite the lyrics word for word so I could scream with Tanner. I would punch the air with my hands on beat with the bass and with the drums. I found myself doing the same things I used to do when I listened to Linkin Park, but it was on a whole different level.
I later discovered that this song was made during his lowest point in life. He was abusing narcotics, dealing with depression, suffering from severe anxiety, and felt like everything around him was crumbling down. He re-accounts the expressions and shock of nearby artists and producers who heard him record his gut wrenching lyrics. All of it was channeled into the most human song he has ever made.
I imagined what it would be like if I played this song in the car when I’m carpooling with friends. I could not. I just understood this song isn’t like that. I believe some songs are just better to be heard individually and this is the perfect example. This song should be heard by yourself to truly feel everything Tanner gives. It’s like viewing a painting in a museum: You can hear other people’s viewpoints and their portrayals but it ultimately comes down to you and your own conclusion with what the painter is trying to convey.
And that’s what I want to do for you.
This song is not pretty and I know it’s not an easy song to listen to. Regardless, I want you to give it a full listen. I can talk about Colorblind forever but what I say wouldn’t make sense if you didn’t listen for yourself. If you were able to take anything from this song, if you were able to get a genuine reaction, that’s all that matters.
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I’m Darenz Durana and I’m on a pretentious quest of finding songs that aren’t just meant to be heard, but to be listened. I want to discover the most of what talented producers can produce, and what singers, rappers, and MC’s have to offer. I want to research barriers that were broken and see how close we are on breaking new ones. I want to find sounds that are tried and tested but also find new contemporary ones that will set the standard.
I want you to join me to on this journey. I want you to Hear Me Out.
