Moon Walker’s ‘Light Burns Out’ Fizzes With Flamboyance and Funky Guitars

Following their satirical second single, ‘The TV Made Me Do It,' Moon Walker further demonstrates their versatility on the groovy glam rock tune, ‘Light Burns Out.' 

The duo, consisting of lead singer and guitarist Harry Springer and drummer Sean McCarthy, originally played in The Midnight Club (in which they are still active) before forming Moon Walker in 2020.

‘Light Burns Out’ sees the Los Angeles duo continue to carve out a distinct musical identity: one where retro glam and psychedelic rock lies at the heart. 

Combining the theatrics of The Last Shadow Puppets with the style and swagger of David Bowie, it is easy to see why Moon Walker has attracted such a buzz.

Introduced by a bluesy guitar riff, and succeeded by a spectrum of shimmering synths, ‘Light Burns Out’ encapsulates the band’s penchant for plucking inspiration from a variety of genres. Springer’s voice effortlessly soars from smooth and soulful to a raspy rock vocal, not dissimilar to Cage The Elephant’s Matt Shultz, as he ponders “Now that the clocks are turning back / Why don’t we turn them back to ‘52?”

The track seems to be concerned with finding community in collective struggle, as Springer sings, “When the light burns out / All the stars can get to coming out." But Moon Walker still muses on the political, with Springer exclaiming, “Elect the puppet master you’d most like to let control you," suggesting a sense of frustration. In an outro of “La-la, la-la”, Springer yowls in between like a seasoned rock star. It’s a song you could imagine being played as the main set closer before an encore: brilliantly bombastic and brimming with energy.

In a self-directed music video, the duo sits back-to-back in a room surrounded by televisions. Springer is the embodiment of charisma, dressed in golden flares and pointy white heeled boots, throwing himself right into the music. He sways his arms along to the outro, exuding confidence, whilst McCarthy can be seen sporting gelled hair and checkerboard trousers, masterfully maintaining the steady drumbeat.

With ‘Light Burns Out,' Moon Walker continues to craft a wonderfully weird musical landscape filled with all the flamboyance and funky guitars one could wish for.

Sarah Taylor

@tayl0rsarah

Image: Moon Walker ‘Light Burns Out’ Official Single Artwork