Grinning like a Jackal/Cry Baby Cry (Beatles Cover)

Eric Quillington steps up to the front of the stage, having long since gotten used to being the center of attention. A small studio audience, with eyes focused almost solely on him, sat waiting for the upcoming performance. The singular focus on the frontman, rather than the band as a whole, had long been one of the more unfair facts of Infinite’s life. And, yet, it was unavoidable; despite being just as vital to the unit as a whole, Greg Oldson and Matt Roberts had always been placed on the back-burner when compared to their enigmatic leader. 

Slight unease is boiling beneath his bluff of confidence, as Infinite would soon be debuting a new song in its entirety. While it had always been a commonly accepted fact that artists found it difficult to follow-up on an acclaimed album, Eric hadn’t realized the full extent of that fact until he started experiencing it firsthand. By no means was he saddened by this prospect, as his entire adult life had been spent getting to this position, but it did leave him ever so slightly nervous about the future. Infinite could only ride on the coat-tails of ‘Insomnia’ for so long. Sooner or later, the trio would be faced with the task of forging ahead. And, in the mind of the band’s leader, there’s no time like the present.

After smiling at the audience, and giving a slight bow of greetings, Eric begins the opening guitar riff to their song. It’s one of chords, with a folksy influence in the playing. After the wildly experimental soundscapes of their previous album, it’s something of a shock to hear the band performing something so simple. Still, in keeping with the tradition of Infinite, something doesn’t quite feel right. A recurring theme of their music has always been a chord of unease lying just underneath seemingly peaceful tunes, and the band seem to be on the verge of perfecting that idea. Something seems ready to break through the tranquil feeling.  Eric’s vocals add onto this quite well; the cynicism that he often puts into his darker songs is on display here, to the point that he seems one step away from simply spitting out the words.

"Peace and quiet, yet I’m so tired
In case I feel empty, there’s always another award to be won
It’s such an irritating prospect to sing about your own self
And it’s such a frightening prospect to sing about nothing

Relaxed vibes drift on soundlessly
If I ever need attention, then I’ll pretend I’m dissatisfied
Writing with a gold pen, I’m scared of sounding pretentious 
When I can’t sing about the sky, I’m stuck singing about the ground"

As is to be expected from Infinite, a change in both mood and tempo soon takes place. Just as the aggressive undertones to the song seem to be on the verge of dominating it entirely, they melt away. The cynical singing is replaced by a peaceful, if melancholy, duet by Eric and Greg. Although the two have never been known to get along well together, there has always been a noted symmetry between them while performing music. This is exemplified perfectly by the duet of their two voices during the final verse of the song; the soft, spectral voice of the band’s frontman contrasting against the deeper, muttered delivery by the drummer.

The lyrics of Infinite have long been characterized as an outside observation of events, with the described occurrences only rarely happening to the narrator. This song had been a break away from that, and the next three lines drive home that fact ever further. Eric himself seems slightly off-guard at this uncharacteristic display of personal emotion through lyrics, as a brief hint of sadness is present in his eyes, before being replaced by his more-typical collected and calm appearance. 

“Turn on the bright lights, and no one’s going to think you’ll be all alone tonight
Three windows for one soul to look out, two hands to close the blinds
Just turn on the bright lights, and no one’s going to think you’re all alone in that little house”

Sharp cuts of distorted guitar are pushed through, shifting the song once again. A brief improvised solo takes place between the three, quickly melting into chaos. Just as quickly as this violent section had begun, it soon ends. The soft, unfiltered strumming from earlier makes a return, but is now playing the melody to a different tune. Singing a brief excerpt from a song by the most revered band to have graced the planet, Eric seems to have adopted the lyric as a mantra to expel the self-destructive thoughts represented during the beginning of the performance. After the aggressive lyrics from earlier, this final line is one tinged with a longing for a return to an era of life without pessimism or anger.

“Can you take me back where I came from, can you take me back?”

Once the line is sung for a final time, the song ends. Mass cheers erupt from those in attendance, with the loudest, naturally, coming from the band’s fans. Infinite seems to be moving into new directions, and it delighted them to be there for this special occasion. Still, the show wasn’t entirely about the experimental trio, and it would be selfish of them to soak up praise for too long. After several moments smiling and waving, Infinite walk offstage, happy with the response to their new material.