Skip to content

Falling On My Sword

Robert Rackley
Robert Rackley
1 min read

In honor of Tops’ new album Bury The Key being released yesterday, I’m featuring one of the tracks, “Falling On My Sword,” as the Saturday Night Video this week.

“Falling On My Sword” is my favorite among the early singles from this LP and probably the one that most closely matches the 70’s prog rock-inspired cover art. It’s a bit of a left turn for Tops. Based on their previous work, you would think anything born of a seventies influence would be more in line with late-decade disco (and the remainder of the album features some of that).

The tempo on this song will mess with your sense of equilibrium. It speeds up and down mindless of whether or not you are packing your Dramamine. The fuzzed out guitars bring a level of sludge previously unheard in the indie pop band’s music and the bassline sounds like being chased by a demon.

Tops - Falling On My Sword (YouTube)

• • •

I don’t harbor many regrets in my life, but there are a few shows that I wish I had attended. When Tops played locally with Men I Trust a couple of years ago, I missed it due to my frustration with Ticketmaster and their service charge shenanigans. I refused to purchase tickets simply on principle. I’m so glad I get another chance to see the band.1


I still have to get out to see Men I Trust at some point. What a split bill. ↩︎

NoiseSaturday Night Video

Robert Rackley

Mere Christian, aspiring minimalist, inveterate notetaker, budget audiophile and paper airplane mechanic. Self-publishing since 1994.


Related Posts

Members Public

You Could Do Anything

Shelly Ridenour penned an article for Qobuz on the stellar alternative albums from 1991. One observation that I found particularly poignant from having grown up during this period was around the change that Nirvana’s Nevermind brought to mainstream music with regard to gender dynamics. Within a couple of months,

You Could Do Anything
Members Public

Portland Town

One of my greatest joys in 2026 has been the release of new material by British riot twee band Heavenly. I’ll admit I approached the release of this year’s brilliantly named Highway to Heavenly LP with a certain amount of skepticism. After decades of radio silence, it’s

Members Public

Hurts Like Hell

Charlotte Cornfield is the latest musician to put out something via Durham, NC’s Merge Records. Hurts Like Hell is also the first long player by the Canadian singer/songwriter since becoming a mother. The title track, “Hurts Like Hell,” wallows in a remembered sentimentality with the advantage of looking