Bastille: The Future is Now

Dan Smith, frontman and principal songwriter for the British-born band Bastille, had an image in his mind—someone is sitting on the sofa. The room is dark. This person is wearing a virtual reality headset and, with it, in their mind, they are soaring over the whole world doing whatever they please. Smith knows how beautiful this is. How freeing for the person wearing the technology. But with this vision comes the question: how much of this is healthy?  

When Smith wonders about this idea, he does so with a sense of openness and nuance. His is not a perspective decreeing that people should not use virtual reality or stare into their cellphones. In fact, Smith loves the idea of escapism—it’s a common theme in his life and work. However, he also knows that it’s fair to wonder, as we barrel toward our technology-laced futures, what is worth paying attention to?  

These questions and more arise on Bastille’s latest album, the 13-track Give Me the Future, which dropped in the first week of February. The epic LP, which dives deep into questions of time, technology, and the value of human relationships, offers its listeners as many questions as it does answers, all while myriad voice tracks, big rhythms, and catchy melodies toy with your ears.