From the very first listen of Stuck In The Same Glue by Riddleskins, I found myself both intrigued and compelled to hear more. Drawing inspiration from a trip to Stonehenge and Glastonbury for the Summer Solstice, as well as from formative years spent growing up in Malvern, the track weaves together a unique blend of influences. The ethereal, almost spoken-word style vocals cut cleanly through the hypnotic instrumentation, lending the song an otherworldly, almost incantatory quality.
In Riddleskin’s own words, “Stuck in the Same Glue paints a picture of a person determinedly attempting to escape the clutches of a partner who is obsessive, suffocating, and stuck in the past”. The track also takes inspiration “from dreams, nature, former experience of psychosis, and the sense of hope and renewal that drives us all forward”. The amount of nuance conveyed within something that, on the surface, feels stripped back is striking — a testament to the ingenuity threaded throughout.
Delving further into the lyrics, the title phrase surfaces in the melodic respite of the chorus: “I retreat from you in the knowledge we’re two separate broken hearts stuck in the same glue”. Here, harmonies and layered backing vocals subtly shift the mood away from the industrial sparseness of the verses, offering a poignant contrast that underscores the darker themes at play.
Fittingly, the track circles back to where it began — with whispered words fading into silence. And, almost instinctively, I find myself reaching to press replay, eager to fall under its spell once more.
By: Emilie Westcott