Genius, easy to follow, and thought-provoking words.
‘Place Your Bets‘ is the first single release from The Frowns since their 2022 demo ‘Pass Away‘. The Frowns are an unsigned indie-rock band based in Glasgow. Each member of the four-piece come from either Glasgow or Newcastle but they all equally have the same love for alternative music. The Frowns are formed by Lloyd Jackson on vocals and guitar, Matty McKinnon also on guitar, bassist Louis French, and drummer Ronan Walker.
This track is one that has been released at the perfect time. With festival and outdoor gig season starting, this is a song that is very refreshing. It is one that I can definitely hear fans singing along to, whether the lyrics resonate with them or not. If you are a fan of bands like The Strokes and the Stone Roses, then you’ll love The Frowns and their music. ‘Place Your Bets‘ tells an all too familiar tale of trying to live up to expectations set upon us. It does so with a memorable melody, pulling the listener in. They are then met with the reassuring sentiment that lots of us have experienced a similar situation.
I especially love the phrase “we’re who we like to be” which captures perfectly the feeling of creating a persona that we actually like. However, who we’d want/like to be unfortunately isn’t always practical or possible. This is followed by “place your bets on me“. These words imply betting on/challenging the duration and success of the persona. Following on from the concept of creating a desirable version of ourselves, this sometimes leads to extreme versions. We can become full of ourselves, “I’m too humble for my heart to break“, or think we’re better than others.
However, this track also uses the words “look at me I turned out great” to paint a positive perspective. This lyric confirms that we can still become who we dream to be without meeting set expectations. There is additionally an element of potential reflection within the words. “Pull yourself together for heaven’s sake” could be a person saying this to themselves, or even stating this to someone else.
The Frowns have constructed this track in a genius way. They have mastered the ability to create lyrics that are not only easy to follow, but are also thought provoking. The versatile wording of some of the lyrics allows the song to fit the personal experiences of the listener as well as retain the band’s original intended meaning.