REVIEW: Census Promulgate the topic of sexual assault through their single "Sunbeam"
Census, a modern progressive rock band from Arkansas, released their newest single “Sunbeam” on August 14th. With their hard-hitting rhythmic patterns and momentous message behind the track, we can see Census sweeping the music scene with flying colors. This up and coming band is one that we definitely recommend adding to your daily mix.
“Sunbeam” is reminiscent of early 2000’s pop-punk with a sound similar to Underoath, Sleeping with Sirens, and especially Forever by The Amity Affliction. Sunbeam begins with a solo melodic guitar, and eventually meets with the charming voice of the lead singer; creating an eerie yet blue atmosphere where he begins to tell her story.
The vocal styling consists of both pop punk and metal which perfectly combines together to create a unique sound for Census.Next, we’re hit with the drop, where all the instrumental elements clash flawlessly. As the drums are pounded, the bass guitar and rhythm guitar are strummed in unison, while the electric guitar and vocals are on their own wavelength but still are fluid with the rest of the track.
The track then simmers back down, and Ben (vocals) continues to talk in 3rd person but puts emphasis on the feelings of the main character that’s in the story, then picks back up once we’re met with the chorus again. The bridge before the last chorus the music slows down again, and he sings about how despicable the antagonist of the story is.Finally, we’re met with a final strum of the guitar, and bang of the drum, then it slowly fades out. As the song begins to dwindle away, you are left with your jaw-dropped in astonishment.
This track’s purpose is to bring awareness to sexual assault by creating a storyline using both the dialogue of a sexual assault survivor (“How can I love if I hate myself?) and the band’s thought on the predator (“I hope it’s always there in the back of your brain, that you’re a piece of shit with just yourself to blame”) This single also leaves an import message for victims of sexual assault and reassuring them that even though the feeling of loneliness and dread may feel like its looming over their head, know that they’re not alone, and that the have the power to redefine and redirect their lives.
You can hear this message at the end where it says “...knowing that there's someone else out there going through the same thing I did, I want them to know that this isn't the end, that they're not defined by it and that the light will come”
Now more than ever we need bands to use their platforms to talk about sexual assault, especially as It’s a huge problem in the music industry. It’s rare we see bands incorporate and able to expand on the thoughts and feelings of victims in these types of situations as well as Census did.
From the hidden messages behind their songs to the expeditious melodies, we can tell that Census is a band on the rise to the next level. The meaning behind “Sunbeam” has really tugged on our heart strings and has hit close to home. We are very proud of Census for using their platforms to speak on an extremely important issue, we are also entirely grateful that we get to feature them on Punkaganda, as we strive to create a safe place for everyone.
We cannot wait to see what else they have hidden up their sleeves, we know it will not disappoint. If you are dying for new music, we highly recommend checking out Census.
