'When Everything is Lost', embrace the void
- madams
- Oct 20, 2023
- 3 min read

(credits to Stephen Dawson on Unsplash)
I hold my head up, straight spine
And pray we’ll be just fine
These lyrics have been with me for months now. Amid times of great uncertainty and unpredictability, how can we maintain faith when our circumstances feel beyond our jurisdiction? London-hailing four-piece Palace doesn’t attempt to answer this question, but their latest EP Part I - When Everything Was Lost, offers a level of comfort and solidarity that goes beyond anything they’ve done before.
The four-piece released their enchanting indie-rock EP back in July, the first of two instalments, kickstarting an exciting new era for the band. I’ve had it on repeat, finding comfort in the four songs as we transition to downpour days here in the UK.
Each of the tracks carries familiar dreamy, cinematic guitar tones, accompanied by the contemplative lyrics that longtime fans know and love. This time, though, the poignancy of their words reaches deeper, invoking nostalgia for a time that never existed. Frontman Leo Wyndham sings of redwoods and longing for agelessness in the title track, and of ‘days that gave us so much pleasure’ in ‘Inside My Chest’. Wyndham and the band have never shied away from the theme of loss, but the melancholy that is infused in this EP feels new and evermore reflective. The subtle undertones of hope and optimism are not lost on listeners, however.
Leo Wyndham has shared some inspiration behind the EP: “‘When Everything Was Lost’ is about the immense strength and power of female energy and feeling a profound and overwhelming sense of awe in that. It’s about looking at someone you love from a distance going through something hugely significant, and seeing them handle it in a way a man never could.”
Wounds that never heal
Irreplaceable, the void, that mothers feel
The EP kind of reminds me of Coldplay’s Parachutes, which explores similar themes against a backdrop of reflective guitar tones and endearingly innocent melodies. In Part I - When Everything Was Lost, Palace explores healing a broken relationship while attempting to find a sense of self. Characteristically, this is explored through a sprinkle of religious motifs; ‘All We’ve Ever Wanted’ speaks of a man levitating, hinting at the ascension to signify the narrator’s longing for meaning in their life.
They say a loss makes you realise
But I don’t live my best life
Even while the four songs feel sombre and wistful, there is no denying that, at their core, their narrator is hopeful. Or, at least, they are trying to be. The hook ‘It’s all we’ve ever wanted’ in the opening track expresses a powerful desire to be hopeful during times of fear and suffering. The end of ‘Inside My Chest’ also promises a better future, through the reverb-filled, repeated refrain ‘It’s getting brighter’.
Recalling the lyrics that I opened with, I think that whether or not you believe in a higher power, faith in its most abstract terms can be all you need to carry you forward. There will be many times when you lack control of the circumstances that surround you, but music serves as a powerful reminder of a global community. As they’ve always done - Palace’s latest endeavour provides the kind of art that both allows room for melancholia and embraces catharsis. They remind us that the only way to heal is to acknowledge and accept your suffering; only then can you begin to grow.
Keep your eyes peeled for Palace's follow-up EP, ‘Part II - Nightmares and Ice Cream’, to be released on 5th December. Their teaser single ‘Rabid Dog’, is out now on all major streaming platforms.
by Lina Adams
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