The silence in Polaroid
Stopping before the chorus
Most songs build into the chorus. Polaroid stops. Right before each chorus the whole band just cuts out.
Here's how the song is laid out: intro, verse, prechorus, chorus, verse, prechorus, pause, chorus, solo. Both prechoruses are silence. The second time there's an extra pause on top of it, so the last chorus comes in after the longest gap in the song.
Why it works
The verse ends on a downhill run, E to D to C# to B, that never really resolves. So instead of resolving it, we cut it off. You're left hanging for a second, and the chorus fills the hole.
A drum fill tells you exactly when the chorus is coming. Silence doesn't. The room goes quiet for a beat, and the chorus hits harder when it comes back.
The last chorus is where it pays off, since it follows the biggest gap. Then the solo takes it home on the verse chords.
The chords are in Polaroid chords. Or play Polaroid and listen for the gap, then come catch it at one of our shows.
We're Stoke Club, an indie surf rock band from Newport Beach, Southern California. All our songs and upcoming shows are at stokeclubband.com.