Bats

In the warmth of a light summer dusk, my father-in-law and I bonded over our shared love for barbecue while he waxed lyrical about star-gazing. As he pointed out the brightest celestial bodies in the sky, our conversation eventually turned to music, and I couldn’t help but notice our differing tastes, particularly in prog-rock. While his generation leaned towards the classic 70s sound, my appreciation spanned the genre’s ever-evolving landscape. This contrast sparked an idea; it was time to introduce him to the math-rock stylings of Bats, an Irish band that had captured my attention.

With the barbecue sizzling and anticipation building, I eagerly played some of Bats’ tracks, featuring their signature trio of guitars and scientifically inspired lyrics. My hope was that their unique fusion of music and astronomy might bridge the generational gap between us.

But alas, the experiment didn’t go as planned. Just a few tracks in, as I excitedly highlighted the lyrics, my father-in-law flatly declared, “No, I don’t like it. Just turn it off.” 🤷‍♂️

And so, with a mix of disappointment and determination, I resumed my solo journey through the vast cosmos of music, eager to explore the boundaries of sound and share my discoveries with anyone willing to listen. Perhaps I will fare differently with you, dear reader.

Track Highlights

We have been unable to identify
The particle seen in the image below
We have conceded that iron is present
And research is needed to solve all the clues
Meeting and greeting
Required is your presence
The funding will come
And we all can resume

There is one complaint some could have about the music of Bats, and that is the often formulaic nature of their songs. But that doesn’t mean it isn’t effective, and this track exemplifies the formula:

• Looping guitar riff, sequentially built upon by the rest of the band
• Scientific and historically important lyrics
• Manic yelling
• Driving rhythms

This was my first taste of their brand of math-rock, kicking off their first full length release, and it was instant love.

Lyric work here is elegant yet absolutely brutal!

What effect could something so distant have on my birth?
Oh the arrogance
We would do well to accept that the universe wasn’t
Built for our benefit

I wasn’t going to include this track initially, as the screams are pretty extreme and I don’t want to dissuade anyone from giving the band a go… But once again, the lyrics are center stage. Thomas Midgley Jr. has infamously gone down in history as not only the creator of leaded gasoline, but also chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs). Bats have mixed his legacy with a good dose of heavy metal (pun intended) like a hobbyist chemist just curious as to what could happen (again, pun intended). Here is an excerpt from the Wikipedia article on Midgley:

Environmental historian J. R. McNeill opined that Midgley “had more adverse impact on the atmosphere than any other single organism in Earth’s history”, and Bill Bryson remarked that Midgley possessed “an instinct for the regrettable that was almost uncanny”. Fred Pearce, writing for New Scientist, described Midgley as a “one-man environmental disaster.”

Jump in

If you like what you hear, and want to explore some more outside of the discography on Spotify, here are similar artists, similar sounds, other side-projects, and more.

The Dollop podcast - Inventor Thomas Midgley

Very funny history lesson of Thomas Midgley, from two comedians.

Bats Wikipedia page

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