B-Side Guys

Thunder Bay’s Craig Delin, recording as Shared Image, crafts a poignant time capsule with “Sights and Sounds,” the closing track from his latest album “Sins R Us.” Written last but resonating like a first thought, the song excavates the gulf between physical presence and digital performance with surprising tenderness.

The track’s opening lines immediately establish its emotional archaeology: “The sights and sounds that you love to see and hear/The friendly faces all around from far and near.” Delin’s delivery carries the weight of someone who remembers when proximity wasn’t measured in pixels, while the instrumentation builds a bridge between emo vulnerability and indie rock punch.

What’s particularly striking is how the song’s structure mirrors its thematic concerns. The verses feel warm and analog, while the choruses surge with a digital-age anxiety. When Delin sings “Pretend it’s 1993 and we shall succeed,” it’s not mere nostalgia but a recognition of what’s been lost in our rush toward virtual connection.

The production maintains a delicate balance between rawness and polish, creating space for both celebration and critique. The “pretty epic ending” promised in Delin’s notes delivers not just in volume but in emotional resonance, like a analog heart beating inside a digital body.

The repeated plea to “Trace these lines on me/And crush our uncertainty” becomes more urgent with each iteration. It’s a clever lyrical device that speaks to both physical touch and the lines of code that increasingly mediate our interactions. The juxtaposition of “human contact” with screens and lies creates a tension that powers the entire track.

By the time we reach the devastating final lines – “A piece of the puzzle is missing/My smile is broken” – Delin has constructed a complete emotional narrative. The song’s progression from communal celebration to personal disconnection feels both inevitable and heartbreaking.

That this track was written last for “Sins R Us” feels significant – it’s as if all the album’s themes needed to percolate before distilling into this perfect crystallization of modern alienation. The “emo feel” Delin mentions isn’t just about sound; it’s about honoring emotional authenticity in an increasingly artificial world.

“Sights and Sounds” succeeds because it refuses to simply condemn or celebrate. Instead, it occupies the complex middle ground where most of us live – simultaneously yearning for connection while hiding behind screens, seeking authenticity while playing our roles. In Shared Image’s hands, this contradiction becomes both confession and call to action.

The result is something rare in contemporary indie rock – a song that tackles technology’s impact on human connection without resorting to easy answers or hollow nostalgia. Delin has created a mirror that reflects both what we’ve lost and what we might still save.