B-Side Guys

Certain relationships require complete severance rather than gradual distance. On “Burn the Bridges,” Brighton’s SANSOM transforms this act of necessary destruction into a cathartic anthem where architectural metaphors become emotional exorcism, delivering a track that captures both desperation and resolution with unflinching accuracy.

From the opening lines about giving someone access to a “fragmented mind” with its nested “folders” of anxiety, SANSOM establishes both vulnerability and the modern compartmentalization of emotional states. This digital-age imagery creates immediate contemporary resonance while the driving instrumentation—guitars that manage to sound simultaneously controlled and barely contained—establishes the constant tension referenced in the track’s promotional materials.

What distinguishes “Burn the Bridges” from standard breakup fare is its unflinching examination of mutual toxicity. When SANSOM sings about being sent “to the abattoir” by someone who “goes for the heart,” he acknowledges relationship dynamics where both parties inflict and receive damage. This emotional complexity manifests musically through production choices that balance raw performance with calculated precision, creating spaces where frustration and revelation coexist in uneasy harmony.

The chorus—with its repeated demand to “Burn the bridges down”—functions as both declaration of intent and admission of necessity. SANSOM’s delivery conveys both liberation and regret, particularly as he follows this pyromaniacal imagery with the confession “I can’t breathe with you in the room.” This juxtaposition of destruction and suffocation creates remarkable emotional tension, suggesting how ending relationships often requires eliminating retreat options to move forward.

Particularly effective is the track’s self-aware middle section, where SANSOM characterizes himself as “just a boy in the sweet-shop” who “wants it all,” before acknowledging his astrological indecisiveness as a Libra. This unexpected moment of lightness amid emotional heaviness reveals both humor and insight, demonstrating awareness of his own contribution to the relationship’s dysfunction while maintaining the song’s emotional momentum.

SANSOM’s vocal performance throughout embodies the song’s thematic duality—control versus chaos, attachment versus independence—with delivery that shifts between restrained verses and explosive choruses. This dynamic approach reflects his experience performing at prestigious festivals like Glastonbury and Isle of Wight, where connecting with large audiences requires both intimacy and projection.

As his first release under the streamlined moniker SANSOM (formerly Edward Sansom), “Burn the Bridges” successfully establishes a distinctive artistic identity that honors cited influences like Queens of the Stone Age and Arctic Monkeys without merely imitating them. Producer Alex Gordon captures the raw energy of SANSOM’s live performances while creating textural depth that rewards repeated listening.

“Burn the Bridges” ultimately suggests that sometimes the most constructive act is deliberate destruction—creating light by burning what once connected us to someone else. In transforming this painful realization into anthemic rock, SANSOM has created something both personally cathartic and universally resonant.