Last Full Measure speaks to injustice “The Truth,” first new song in five years

It’s been a long five years since Philly modern rock band Last Full Measure released its 2015 EP Divide. In the thick of election season, the Philly band returned to make a statement with its new single “The Truth,” along with an accompanying video. All proceeds from its sales will be donated to the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund.

The band spoke about the “The Truth” on their Instagram, pointing to Donald Trump’s rhetoric as the cause of bigotry: “The cruelest parts of our nation have been exposed and invigorated by a man who does everything he can to obliterate objective truth.”

A slow drum and glimmering lead guitar set the sonic mood for “The Truth.” Its visuals depict moments from American history like segregation in the Jim Crow era and clips from present-day of confederate flags and people in cages at the border, conveying a lack of deviance from prejudice, injustice and discrimination. Guitar melodies float between a sense of gloominess but shift as the chorus picks up in sound and emphasizes the perpetuation of these attitudes through ignorance, “The second he thought it / they already bought it / ignorance never strays.” 

At its close, a strong guitar solo plays up the frustration of the current climate before returning to its initial melody. This section of the video shows the antithesis of hate symbols, with collective mourning for lives lost due to police brutality and Black Lives Matter protests. It ends with a chilling clip from a viral video of a white teenage girl standing between shielded police and a Black teenage boy, a display of solidarity but an avowal to the cruelty referenced in the track.

All proceeds from “The Truth” go towards the Philadelphia Community Bail Fund and is available to purchase here.