Tired Cossack releases his hazy new single ‘Lilac Pain’

Tired Cossack, aka Stephen Halas, following his 2021 debut album ‘Hocus Pocus’, has released a new single ‘Lilac Pain’. 

Since he began in 2020, the solo artist from Winnipeg, Canada has established a keen sense of style that draws inspiration from post-punk artists like Sonic Youth. Bleak and intense soundscapes characterise his work and continue with his new 80s-esque single. At the same time, a notable country twang proves Halas is not afraid to play with genre. Refusing to be pinned down, Halas is known to deploy folkloric imagery which acts as a nod to his childhood growing up in a Ukrainian household.

Now, with his new release ‘Lilac Pain’ a sense of longing looms and lays the foundation for Halas’ vocals which drip with melancholy. With a resemblance to the infamous Nick Cave of The Birthday Party, his mellow baritone is a spiritual force and a fitting vessel to carry the emotional weight of this single. When Halas sings “Floatin’ fucked like a fly in my coffee” there is the unsettling idea that love and pain are two sides of the same coin. The track then ends on a bittersweet note - “We’re so lucky”.      

Tired Cossack deploys a simple melody with a driving, heavy groove. Like a lot of his past work, shoegaze, synth-like guitar are a staple and creates here a haze that blankets the track. In this way ‘Lilac Pain’ feels like being transported into a daydream where listeners can reminisce about the highs and lows of past relationships.          

Maebh Springbett

@xmaebhx

Image: Official ‘Lilac Pain’ Single Cover