We were over the moon when we recently got a chance to listen to the new single “Secondhand Smoke” from Guatemalan Shoegazers Failing Exploration “ (Spoiler Alert ,this track is outstanding)

You can listen to “Secondhand Smoke” on Spotify Here and on Apple Music Here

The last two years Failing Exploration have gone through a transformation of sorts ,

with vocalist/guitarist Jose del Carmen and lead guitarist Marks Valdez, shedding their formulaic and derivative Nu-Metal and Post-Grunge inspired sound for a more atmospheric and melancholic Shoegaze and Post-Rock-tinged Alternative Rock sound for their debut “album”, The Broken Fingers Blues. Expanding not in members but in songwriting and experimentation, The Broken Fingers Blues can be best summed up as a concept album about a young, working-class man, trying his best not to break down in the face of the hopelessness, uncertainty and despair that was brought on by an escalating pandemic and a bipolar disorder that was by that point, untreated and spiraling out of control.

The album was then broken down, and each of its songs became individual singles, with their latest track, “Secondhand Smoke”—the album’s 7^thinstallment— being released today (Friday February 10^th, 2023. )

“Secondhand Smoke” tells a very quick but harrowing story. Set in late 2020, when things couldn’t seem to get any worse because of the escalating COVID-19 pandemic and its resulting lockdowns, Jose goes out to his balcony late at night to have a cigarette, a few seconds later he sees his downstairs neighbor do the same. They briefly exchange glances, then, without uttering a single word, they go back to mindlessly scrolling through their phones. Jose then realizes this is the most meaningful social interaction he’s had in months, and suddenly, the loneliness, the uncertainty, the economic hardships, the memory of everyone he knew that had been lost to the virus became all too real… And like a sociopath, the first thing he does is to write a song about it.

Failing Exploration are master architects in delicate orchestration of sound, they do a magnificent job of balancing melodic sounds of spectacular beauty coupled with perfectly placed burst of sonic energy .

Along with always expert musicianship, what also stuck with us with “Secondhand Smoke” was the pristine flawless vocals . The track at time has this spiritual/cinematic quality that gives “Secondhand Smoke “ another dimension.

You can check out the visuals for “Secondhand Smoke below .

We advise you at the conclusion of this article you find the perfect listening spot and get lost in “Secondhand Smoke , from Failing Exploration. You will be glad you did .