New Song of the Week – “One and the Same” by FUTURE THEORY

A little over a month ago, I featured British alternative psychedelic rock band Future Theory when I reviewed their marvelous single “Hang Your Hat”. I’ve been following this talented group since early 2017, and their incredible musicianship has never failed to blow me away on every one of their releases. I’ve written about them numerous times over the years (you can read some of my reviews by clicking on the links under ‘Related’ at the end of this post), and am happy to feature them yet again so soon, as I love their latest single “One and the Same“, which I’ve chosen as my New Song of the Week.

Blending elements of alternative and progressive rock, psychedelia, grunge, shoegaze and funk, Future Theory creates music characterized by lavish, complex instrumentation, intelligent lyrics and mesmerizing vocals. Like many bands, the Lincolnshire-based foursome has experienced some changes in lineup over time, and now consists of Max Sander on rhythm guitar and vocals, Chris Moore on lead guitar, Jacob Brookes on bass and Tom Paton on drums, although as with “Hang Your Hat”, former band members Rex Helley played bass and Rohan Parrett played drums on “One and the Same”. The track was recorded at 2fly Studios by Alan Smith, mixed and produced by Koncide (aka Chris Hengmith), Max and Chris, and mastered by Yves Altana and Chris Ree.

“One and the Same” is magnificent, and quite possibly one of their best songs yet. It starts off slowly and rather introspectively with shimmery strummed guitars, accompanied by gentle bass and crisp drumbeats as Max sings in his distinctive sultry croon that I love so much. Around 45 seconds, the music erupts in the first chorus into a glorious cinematic soundscape, highlighted by a glittery cascade of chiming guitars and fiercely crashing cymbals, instantly covering me with goosebumps. The music calms back down for the second verse, only to return to an even more dramatic crescendo in the final chorus, with Max’s vocals now more impassioned than ever, before the song ends in a trail of reverby distortion.

The official video, produced by Lewis Carter of 3Link Media, is as breathtaking as the song, with beautiful footage of marine life and outer space, combined with images of the band performing, overlain by kaleidoscopic explosions of color.