With elements of classical, pop-punk, prog and electronic music, Suit of Lights — the solo moniker of Joe Darone — manages to tackle a bit of everything in less than two minutes on the new single “Tug of War.”
“We can all see how toxic our public discourse and weaponized identity politics have become. ‘Tug of War’ is a plea for sanity,” Darnone says of the track, which makes its debut today on Highway 81 Revisited.
The song is part of “Hide and Seek,” the fifth Suit of Lights album due Aug. 28. It will follow the project’s self-titled debut (2005), Bacteria (2009), Shine on Forever (2012) and Break Open the Head (2016).
Darone has been performing since the late 1980s when he helped found pop-punk band The Fiendz. Later, he was a member of The Rosenbergs, power-poppers who toured with Echo & The Bunnymen and Tom Tom Club. He shifted his focus to Suit of Lights in 2003, taking the name of the traditional bullfighting costume, Traje de Luces.
The project previously featured contributions by Trevor Dunn (Mr. Bungle), Steve Pedulla (Thursday) and Jamie Egan (Catch 22, Streetlight Manifesto).
From the upcoming album’s opening track, “Tag,” to the closer, “Ring of Roses,” Darone uses children’s games to explore some existential themes.
“In the title track, I name the protagonist ‘The Great Pretender,’ better known as ‘God’, who is playing hide and seek forever and ever,” Darone explains.
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