Night Riots – Loyal to the Game

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The recently released single by Night Riots is a synth-laden and sonically expansive song called “Loyal to the Game.” The track comes from the band’s sophomore album New State of Mind that will be officially released on July 26th via Sumerian Records. The track is ripped right from the wheelhouse of electronica-styled bands such as The Neighbourhood and No Devotion, with mostly favorable results.

The singles that have been released to this point have been a bit brighter than the typically brooding and darker-toned styles known to Night Riots. For example, “Colour Morning” was one of the first new songs released from the new record that showcased a cautiously optimistic side of the band when Travis Hawley sings, “Goddamn what a beautiful world/Limitless/Oh, like we were kids.” When the artwork for New State of Mind was revealed a few weeks ago, the world that Night Riots were describing on the track above came more into focus.

On “Loyal to the Game,” Hawley is as mesmerizing as ever with his signature croon and emotive vocal delivery. The darker-toned synthesizers courtesy of Matt DePauw fit the visual imagery well from the newly-released music video. Nick Fotinakes (guitar) creates some excellent, well-placed riffs throughout the song, and allows for plenty of space for the rest of the band to bring their talents to the forefront. The lyrical content expands upon the themes of the other singles of looking for a purpose in both the world and in relationships in general. The song opens with Hawley singing, “She moves in her own way/Loyal to the game/She got me way up, way up/Can’t touch us at all.”

As the song unfolds, the band experiments with new sounds, vocal effects, and some guitar/bass loops to make for a solidly engaging choice of a single. The band sounds as confident as ever on “Loyal to the Game,” and makes me that more excited to see how the rest of New State of Mind will come into focus later this month. By embracing both their darker-toned past work and brighter edges of their newer material, Night Riots have simultaneously set themselves up for sustained success with their current audience while still allowing for newer fans to come along for the ride.

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