I spend my Winter evenings walking up and down narrow streets, my dog dragging her nose across the frosted tarmac. Every now and then I peer through living room windows, forcing the person inside to unknowingly share a moment of their life with me. Usually it’s the TV’s blue light that attracts me, sometimes a piece of art, sometimes the eyes of dead relatives staring back at me.
Our life is often unknowingly shared with others. Our conversations overhead, our bedrooms looked into by people riding the top deck of the bus, our cars observed by a passenger in the adjacent lane. Body Type’s Annabel Blackman spent hours watching TV with her neighbour, though they were unaware they had company.
They’re probably unaware too that they’re now the subject matter of her Sydney-based band’s latest single “Free To Air” – the first taste from their next release ‘EP2’. “It’s about an old neighbor whose life seemed to play out entirely in his lounge room in front of the TV, which he blasted day and night. My bedroom faced looking into his lounge room, so it was almost like we were waking up and watching the morning news together or having a TV dinner after work…it was definitely not that romantic in reality though” Blackman explains.
It’s a perfect slice of indie pop, with a chorus that’s as headline grabbing as the breaking news that used to sound from her neighbour’s TV. While the subject is serious it’s counterbalanced with playful moments, Blackman ends each chorus by singing “ad break/heartbreak”. Soon the guitars soften and Blackman’s voice trails off into nothingness. All that’s left is the black screen staring right back at you.
