Friday, October 1, 2021

Halloween Song: The Laureates - “Creatures”


The Laureates, sort of hiding.

I started this blog in August, 2009 and a few months later, embarked on a mission to honor a different Halloween song each day of October. Pulling off such an ambitious task was much easier back then because I was unemployed. Over the years, I tried to do a few Halloween song posts each October, with varying success. This year, I aim to offer an extensive collection of vintage posts and spooky songs I haven’t covered before. Let’s kick things off with something new.


When the Chicago-based band The Laureates returned in 2017 after a six-year hiatus, they sounded more powerful than ever. Their 12-track album with the hesitant title And Then Not Even Then  was filled with energetic, guitar-driven arrangements and catchy melodies. In my February 13, 2018 review, I noted that The Laureates “still fancy melding 1960s pop with cutting-edge alt rock circa the ‘80s and ‘90s.”


Opening with a riff similar to R.E.M.’s “Driver 8,” the song “Creatures” pulls us into a foreboding existence. Lead vocalist Chad Preston suggests our best chance of survival is to keep running. “Whatever you do, pray that you’ll never be found.” It’s not clear who the predators are, but they must be severely dealt with in the event of a confrontation. “Fight, fight like I would,” Preston advises. “Punch, punch, punch until there’s blood.” As I’ve noted on other Halloween song profiles, sometimes the deepest panic involves not knowing what’s lurking in the dark.

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