‘The Game’ is the catchy fourth single released from the ARIA award winning album by End of Fashion. Coming in at under three minutes, it’s a rock pop onslaught of energy and excitement. If you’re a fan though, ‘The Game’ will seem anything but new as the album was actually released back in August 2005.
Lyrically, ‘The Game’ is about relationships, and ill-fated ones at that. Singer songwriter Justin Burford urges in the chorus /There’s something wrong here/ I need to play the game again/. He suggests that his friends don’t disclose everything to their partners (“you ask no questions, I’ll tell no secrets”), and that he is unsure of “which way to point my kiss”.
It’s a relevant enough topic for some, and more mature than other End of Fashion lyrics. Writing about girls is a topic that Burford has proven to be successful at, however I think it would be interesting to see him move outside this comfort zone on future recordings.
Musically, End of Fashion sound strong on this track, exhibiting all the elements that have made them a competent band. Burford snarls in his delivery, and the guitars and bass lock in to a fast driving rhythm. There’s some interesting synth beats introduced towards the end, but they are quickly cut short by a thunderous vocal roar. Rapid fire drumming closes the song, plus zappy computer sound effects to reinforce the ‘game’ theme, which also highlight a slick production element that you won’t find in the live show. But its live where this song sounds best.
Also on this release is a ‘lounge’ version of ‘The Game’, which is slowed down and twice as long. Proving a bands’ versatility is one thing, but to include a piano based version of this song just sounds cheesy. The final track is a live acoustic version of the song ‘In Denial’, also found on the album. This is a stripped back, interesting version, making it a worthy addition to the release. Commendable for sure, but I hope ‘The Game’ is the last single off the album, so that End of Fashion can start pulling together their new material.
