ARMOURS close the cycle of their debut EP with Allegiance, a song about watching someone live at an unsustainable intensity, burning the candle at both ends until the inevitable collapse. Its perspective is complicated by understanding, sympathy and even envy, while the sadness of witnessing self-destruction remains impossible to escape.
The Stockholm trio keep their darkness intact, but Allegiance also feels like one of their more accessible moments. Somewhere in the distance, an eighties Bowie-like sensibility flickers through the melody and arrangement, bringing a subtle pop instinct to the song without softening its overall weight.
ZR