It’s a bittersweet moment on the site today as we share a couple of new tunes from a band we’ve featured a few times before and said had the ‘potential to be your new favourite synth-pop band’. Alas ‘had’ is the operative word here because every silver lining has a cloud and after three years, Newcastle four-piece Blanks Maps have called it a day. They played their last gig on Wednesday evening (and by all accounts tore the house down) then quietly slipped “Thousands” and “Madridista” out into the world as a farewell offering.
It’s a great goodbye as well. Unsurprisingly, under the circumstances, both tracks are less euphoric, less ‘throw your arms wide and cry out in delight’ than their predecessors but they are still both rather lovely. “Thousands” is gently defiant, head held high in understated pride within cascading rhythms and bold melodies, almost as if it is saying ‘we may be down, but this isn’t the end’. We hope that’s true.
As far as we know, ‘Madridista’ is a term commonly used to describe fans and followers of Real Madrid FC but within the second of Blank Maps’ two goodbye tunes, we found no mention of Cristiano Ronaldo, Galcticos or their obsessive quest for a tenth European title. Despite this, it would make an awesome soundtrack to an end of year review video, the gradual build echoing the anticipation of a new season as the stadium fills and the players step out. Then the action, swift flashes of skill mirror flashes of synth lines and beats, tackles crunch and shots rain in as the pace quickens and guitars twinkle like toes controlling the ball. The slower moments are a backdrop to anguish, to self doubt and disappointment before it all kicks back in as adversity is overcome and victory is achieved.
Or it could just be a love song to the city itself, we don’t know. What we do know is that we will miss Blank Maps and wish them all luck in their future endeavours.
Alphabet Bands 
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