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Mike Collins

Rooftop Screamers Rip the Mask Off Manipulation with ‘My Sanity’

Gaslighting isn’t a new affliction, but Rooftop Screamers extended the conversation around the sociopathic phenomenon by throwing a searing light on its suffocating grip in their latest pop-rock earworm, My Sanity. With the haunting vocals of Randy McStine—best known for his work with Porcupine Tree—spilling across a backdrop of 80s-tinged synths, the track takes a razor-sharp dive into the turmoil of emotional manipulation and the reclamation of self-worth.

Mike Collins, the driving force behind Rooftop Screamers, penned My Sanity as an unflinching account of breaking free from a toxic dynamic. The lyrics don’t just skim the surface—they cut through the noise, articulating the psychological warfare of being gaslit before surging into an anthemic declaration of liberation.

Mark Plati, whose studio credentials include working with David Bowie and The Cure, ensures the production is as striking as the subject matter, layering sweeping synths over infectiously anthemic guitar work to build an atmosphere that feels both cinematically urgent, resulting in a track that nestles into the psyche as much as it does the soul.

The nostalgic synth textures could have been lifted straight from a John Carpenter score, while the soaring choruses inject the kind of raw, unshackled energy that gives My Sanity its gut-punching impact. Those who’ve ever fought to reclaim their own sense of reality will find a bittersweet sense of vindication in the euphoric release.

My Sanity is now available to stream on all major platforms, including Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Rooftop Screamers & Randy McStine – Souvenirs: A Mesmeric Prog-Pop-Rock Keepsake of Nostalgia and Emotion

In Souvenirs, Rooftop Screamers, the passion project of Mike Collins, pulled from his well of diverse musical influences and delivered a sonic experience that echoes through the past and present. With Randy McStine (Porcupine Tree) and Mark Plati (David Bowie) lending their talents, the track captures the bitter-sweetness of nostalgic reflection to transmit an affecting ode to the beauty of mementoes and the sorrow of losing touch with people who have shaped your soul.

The choral pop-rock energy of the song, tinged with prog-rock guitar motifs, rises and falls like waves of memories rushing through the psyche. Shimmering 80s chords lift the track into an almost celestial realm, while the melancholic lyrics drag you back to Earth with a gravity that’s hard to shake. You’ll find yourself torn between the elation of the instrumentals and the heaviness of the message which we can all relate to. We’ve all been there as protagonists in the universally resonant vignette after loving in losing, whether that person is no longer with us, or we’ve just shifted with different tides.

Every Rooftop Screamers release reveals a new avenue of Collins’ ingenuity, and Souvenirs is no different. Much like every other triumph in his discography, you’re still led to the same emotionally scintillating destination with the single that hits just as hard as the Christmas song that always knows which evocative triggers to pull. There really is no overstating the impact of this stellar slice of proggy 80s pop rock.

Souvenirs was officially released on October 11; stream the single on Spotify now.

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Review by Amelia Vandergast