TRACK REVIEW: Jessie Ware - Soul Control

TRACK REVIEW:

  

Jessie Ware

PHOTO CREDIT: Samantha Casolari

Soul Control

 

9.7/10

 

 

The track, Soul Control, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEPwIcHqg8o

GENRES:

Disco/Pop

ORIGIN:

London, U.K.

The album, What’s Your Pleasure?, is available here:

https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/jessie-ware/what-s-your-pleasure

RELEASE DATE:

26th June, 2020

PRODUCERS:

Benji B/James Ford/Joseph Mount/Matthew Tavares

LABELS:

PMR/Friends Keep Secrets/Interscope

TRACKLISTING:

Spotlight

What’s Your Pleasure?

Ooh La La

Soul Control

Save a Kiss

Adore You

In Your Eyes

Step Into My Life

Read My Lips

Mirage (Don't Stop)

The Kill

Remember Where You Are

__________

SO many great albums…

PHOTO CREDIT: Carlijn Jacobs

have come out the past few weeks, and it is hard to keep a track! Many people have been waiting excitedly for a new Jessie Ware album, as 2017’s Glasshouse was truly tremendous. Her new record, What’s Your Pleasure?, is out now, and it is picking up some wonderful reviews! I really like Ware’s sound, and there is a mix of the uplifting and more emotive that ones hears on her latest album. Like all great artists, Ware has progressed between albums and grown stronger and more confident. I am going to bring in a selection of interviews through this review that illustrate my point and discuss Ware from a number of different angles – to get a better impression and overview of this terrific artist. 2012’s Devotion is a brilliant debut, but I think Ware grew as a songwriter and performer after that album. When she spoke with The Guardian earlier in the year, Ware talked about the changes between albums:

“She made a decision when she was making her second and third albums, Tough Love (2014) and Glasshouse (2017), to experiment with a more confessional style of songwriting. Ware has been with her partner, Sam Burrows, a personal trainer, since they were both 17-year-old ravers in south London. On autobiographical tracks such as Night Light and Sam, she wrote about them meeting, marrying and having their first child in 2016. But neither Tough Love nor Glasshouse did as well as her debut, and Ware says she lost quite a bit of money on a US tour in 2018.

“On the first album, lots of wonderful things happened to me. Then, with album two, album three, I saw a different side. It was a bit more of a struggle. Fine. Nobody owed me anything. It was music, not saving lives. I always thought I’d be quite matter-of-fact about it, if the music didn’t work out. But people around me – people I trust – would say: ‘You’re miserable’”.

It must have been difficult arriving with this popular and excellent debut and figuring out how to top that. Inevitably, there were suggestions and offers from other writers and producers. Though Jessie Ware has always worked with collaborators, I think something changed after her debut album. Though her second and third albums are excellent, maybe there was not quite the same brilliance in the creative kitchen as there was with Devotion. Perhaps something changed with Ware in terms of her direction and sound – it is hard to put a finger on it. To me, I feel her latest album is her most complete and singular. It is a culmination of her previous work, with some added wonder. When she was interviewed by The Independent recently, Ware talked about her new material and how she feels like a better and more rounded artist:

“She shunned offers of writing in expensive studios in Los Angeles to work with her friend James Ford – who had produced her 2014 album Tough Love – in his attic studio in Clapton, as well as with collaborators including Kindness, Joseph Mount from Metronomy and her former mentor, Dave Okumu. The experience, she says, gave her faith in her own vision. “I totally feel like an artist now,” she says. “This album really cemented that for me. I do feel like I’m getting better as an artist, I understand myself better than ever”.

I will not labour this point too much, but I thought it would be beneficial talking about artistic evolution and changes when investigating What’s Your Pleasure? I am going to tackle my favourite song from the album very soon, but I want to stick on the topic of Ware’s progression. As I said, I think What’s Your Pleasure? is the artist really hitting her peak, but I look back at her previous album, Glasshouse, and it was clear that she had transitioned and really made a leap there.

That is not to say albums one and two were less personal and complete, yet Glasshouse represented a real explosion and sense of revelation. Ware spoke with Nylon when she was promoting Glasshouse, and she was asked about the tone and personal nature of the album – in addition to the way Ware developed as a songwriter:

“Do you feel more confident with your songwriting? It does seem like you were in a different headspace.

Yes. I had more confidence in myself. I feel like a woman. I feel like I’ve grown into myself lyrically, professionally, and I feel much more in my skin. I also have a bit more experience. [On] the last album, were the first songs I had ever written. I have three years behind me now.

How does Glasshouse differ from Tough Love when it comes to the process of making it and the sound?

I feel like it’s more song-led. I wanted to focus on songs and the art of the songs. I just really wanted to get better as a songwriter.

What does your husband think about the songs that address the struggle you guys experienced?

I don’t think he realizes how many songs are about him, which is kind of brilliant. He’s not really focused on my work, which is great. He comes to support. Maybe he will [realize it] when he sees them live”.

I want to move on now, as there is a lot more to Jessie Ware than the music alone. I think her personal life enforces her music as much as any artist, and I will discuss her podcast, Table Manners, soon enough. Like so many musical parents, children impact songwriting and how you approach your work. For Jessie Ware, it must be a bit of a busy time in the household, what with looking after children and still being under lockdown!

PHOTO CREDIT: You Magazine

I do think there is a lot of creativity and songwriting inspiration to be found regarding motherhood, but the recent situation has been impactful on Ware. I was looking at an interesting interview on the Glamour website, where Ware was asked about all her different projects, motherhood and what impact that has had on her:

“Becoming the mother to two children, has clearly given Jessie an even more positive relationship with her body. “I've never felt more like a super woman than when I've given birth,” she says proudly. “I've had two incredible births, which I really prepped for. I know it can go completely the other way and you never really know how that baby's going to make an entrance. But I looked after myself during the pregnancies, because I felt like I was getting ready for this big marathon, that felt like the unknown!”

With a new album to promote, a podcast that has now spawned a successful cookbook which is of course named, Table Manners and two children under the age of five, Jessie Ware is booked and busy even when the world is still very much lockdown. In this time is she finally relenting on the pressures to do it all as a working mother?

“I don't know if I have loosened up enough. I'm the provider. Actually, I'm more than that. I am the breadwinner and I'm proud to be the breadwinner, and my husband is accepting and supportive of that, and he's the most incredible father. There are no egos there and he knows how motivated I am. Just last night in bed I had a new idea and he's like, ‘Your mind doesn't stop.’ He’s exhausted by me, but also, he's completely supportive of that, too. There’s still this archaic presumption that it should be the other way around, weird, isn't it?” she says, turning the question onto me”.

I will mention Table Manners soon but, as I am writing a feature about continued sexism in music very soon, it is a subject that niggles. I wonder why, after so many years, there have only been small steps regarding equality and balance. I have just sourced from an interview that mentions Ware’s children and juggling quite a busy life. Ware is still a young artist with many years ahead of her but, like her peers, I do think there is this invisible line that they cross – something male artists do not have to face! It seems outrageous that age is a detrimental factor when we think about women in music, and how they are often marginalised when they get to a certain point in life. One would argue that Ware’s new material is her strongest, and her experience, success and motherhood has made her a stronger artist that warrants greater respect and opportunity. As she revealed in the afore-quoted Glamour interview, there are still these barriers:

“I agree, if I was talking to a male star, we would never be having a conversation about how a working father copes with childcare and a career. Jessie thinks sexism is still rife in the music industry and beyond. “They don't ask men how they're going to tour with their children, do they? But you get used to it, you take it with a pinch of salt, and it's also something that I struggled to work out. I once got told that I was being really emotional (in a meeting), and I was being really not-emotional, and I wonder whether they would have said that to a bloke. I didn't rise to it, and I was very calm,” she states. “But you know, it happens. I definitely think there's more of a shelf life for women. I don't want to sound negative because actually I'm able to make the music I want to make, but I'm madly thought of as relatively old and I'm 35!”

It might not seem relevant to mention a podcast when discussing Jessie Ware’s music, but I think the experience of doing that has given her confidence and inspiration. I have listened to the Table Manners podcast a couple of times, and it seems like Ware is really in her element. It is a relaxed forum where we really get to see new sides to Ware, as we do with her guests. I do think the conversations and stories unearthed during each episode has bled into Ware’s consciousness as a songwriter and how she writes. Maybe there is a more conversational and varied approach to her writing and sound now; she has definitely taken something from Table Manners and brought it into the musical fold. As we learn from this recent article in The Guardian, Ware has created a sensation in Table Manners:

“Most of the guests on Table Manners have a drink while they are on, and their hosts certainly do. This means that episodes play out a bit like a Parkinson chat show, only recorded by the catering table with many glasses of red, no scripted questions, no pre-prepared anecdotes and endless conversational tangents. The comedian Alan Carr spilled the beans about his wedding (chief celebrant, Adele), while singer Sam Smith admitted he had always thought Mexico was in central Europe. Sadiq Khan broke the Ramadan fast with the Wares. Yannis Philippakis from the band Foals spoke about getting stabbed by his uncle at a party.

Listeners loved all this, and about 80m episodes of Table Manners have been downloaded since 2017. Ware, who has not yet had a top-10 single, got to experience a smash. The publisher Ebury signed the two Wares to a book deal. A live tour was arranged. Since Table Manners started turning a profit, Ware says, it has relieved some of the money-making imperatives on the music. “Music was my bread and butter. Now it isn’t, not entirely – which has made it more enjoyable. Less do or die”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Maurizio Bavutti

Think about previous albums, motherhood, and the Table Manners podcast, and it all is linked by one word: confidence. Success of previous years has contributed too, but I feel it is Ware’s life away from music that has helped enrich and infuse her songwriting and material. I do think that, if you are more confident and less inhibited as a person, that means the music will be stronger and more nuanced. That is definitely the case with the excellent What’s Your Pleasure? It is an album that is rich with remarkable songs, and at the centre is Ware at her most astonishing and committed. It seems like everything has come together for Ware, and she is more content and comfortable than she has ever been. When she chatted with The Telegraph a few months back, she reflected on her life now:

“She intended the album to sound carefree, and it does, gloriously. After years battling with low self-esteem, Ware, now 35, finally feels comfortable in her own skin. The music amply captures that shift in outlook. Though she had an easy ride as a teenager (despite her parents’ divorce, which was “rubbish”), she found her twenties hard. “I think you find out more about yourself [at that age]”, she muses. “And maybe you don’t like everything you find. But now I have a beautiful family, and I feel like my career is getting better and better. I feel very, very lucky”.

Maybe Ware’s current golden form is a result of natural evolution and personal growth, but I feel there is more than that. Credit must be given to Jessie Ware herself, who has made some big decisions, and really allowed herself more freedom from her early days. I am not suggesting her first few albums lacked a certain magic, but the true Jessie Ware can be heard across What’s Your Pleasure? It is an album that clicks from the opening track, and it never relents.

I want to bring in an interview Ware conducted with the BBC earlier this month, as it sort of underlines and emphasises what I was just saying. In the interview, Ware reveals how things have altered and improved in terms of her sound and approach to music:

"For so long I was so scared and nervous," she says. "Like on the first album, I dressed up to hide myself. I'd have my hair done and my power suit, and it was all about trying to make me feel more confident.

"I even hid my 'big voice' on the first record because I didn't particularly want to show it off. But then I worked with [producer] Benny Blanco who was like, 'You've got a voice, sing out a bit more,' so I did a song like Say You Love Me.

"This time I'm going back to this hushed voice - but it's so much more controlled and decisive. And now, playing dress-up is just for sheer fun, because I guess I'm not so nervous anymore.

It was the podcast that allowed her to be herself. It might even have forced her hand. After all, it's difficult to convey a sense of mystique when you've been publicly berated by your mum for not showering.

"I don't feel like I need to prove anything any more," says Ware. "I feel very comfortable and confident".

This sort of brings us up to date and at the glistening feet of What’s Your Pleasure? As the album has been out a couple of days, it has scooped a lot of reviews. I have not seen anything below a four-star review, which suggests universal acclaim! I do wonder whether the album has been submitted for consideration for this year’s Mercury Prize, as I think What’s Your Pleasure? is in with a real shout of winning. I think the combination of uplifting vibes, big songs and a real blend in terms of emotions and subject matter means What’s Your Pleasure? reaches a wide audience and, whether you need to feel roused and energised or require a tender moment, you have options!

One of the great things about Jessie Ware is that she can deliver these very distinct and personal albums whilst moving into new sonic space. One cannot easily compare What’s Your Pleasure? with Devotion, for instance. The most noticeable change from the debut to now is the size of the sound. On her latest album, Ware sounds bigger and more alive than before; exploring Disco and some sounds of the 1980s to create this very spirited and sumptuous listen. She spoke with The Cut recently, and she was asked about this change of pace:

“I’m a fan of your music, and this is so much more disco dancy than the others. Why did you go in that direction?

I think it was a reaction to doing an incredibly autobiographical record last time. I started out in dance music, that’s where I got my voice heard. It was a return to that. I think I really needed it. I really wanted to do the live capacity as well, so then there’s the irony that I’m probably never going to be able to tour this record. But I wanted that element of the tempo, and I felt like my fans really would enjoy that. It seemed like it would be really fun to be able to provide them with something that wasn’t a ballad.

What musical inspirations were in your mind for the album?

It was everyone from Minnie Riperton to Mary Jane Girls, Louis Taylor, Lisa Stansfield, we went everywhere. When James Ford [musician and producer] and I were making the record, I was like, What about this tune? We do a lot of back-and-forth, playing groove tunes and disco tunes. I learned a lot, and he introduced me to a lot. With “What’s Your Pleasure,” the title track, when we were writing it, I could imagine Kylie Minogue singing this, and then it’s got a bit of Blondie in there, too. There’s so much going on. It felt limitless”.

asaa.jpg

PHOTO CREDIT: Adam Golder

I am fascinated examining changes between albums and what enforces an artist’s palette and mindset, and what reasons lie behind change. I will drop in a few more interview bits through this review, as it is important to hear from Jessie Ware (and me) to get a fuller impression of What’s Your Pleasure? It is primed to be one of this year’s best-reviewed albums. Whilst Ware’s new album has plenty of herself in it, I do not think it is as confessional and personal as previous albums. Ware spoke with Complex and she touched upon that:

“Does What’s Your Pleasure? communicate anything personal about you, or did you want to create more of an atmosphere with the music?

I think there is a way of expressing yourself that doesn’t have to be incredibly autobiographical. There is confidence in this music, and the coherency of this music when you hear it says a lot about me as an artist, telling a story about my day-to-day life. My last record was all about me being a new mother, the struggles in relationships, and this time I didn’t need to do that again. There are some autobiographical songs, and this album does talk about my development as to where I am at as an artist... I am a celebration of my new self-confidence, and that’s exciting. I have never really felt that confident, but now I feel like I have possibly made my best record and everything is alright. I’m going to start enjoying it properly. I didn’t care if I made my best record when I started; pieces fell together, and I was happy. In two years, we wrote so many songs, it was hard to edit the album down. At the moment, I’m feeling like this is my best record, but I didn’t set out to achieve that. I just wanted to make music that felt good to dance to”.

It is no shock What’s Your Pleasure? resonates at this time, as there is a sense of escapism, fun and energy that we all need. More than that, the album does make you think and reflect in addition to feeling lifted and motivated. The songs are so effective and instant, but they stand up to repeated listens!

It is a summation for Ware, and one that I think she will build from; keep moving and progressing as an artist with a lot more years in front of her. I feel a lot of modern music has a dour and depressed façade, so it is always nice to embrace artists that want to sprinkle in something with optimism and sunshine! Artists such as Dua Lipa and Róisín Murphy are particularly good at creating songs that raise the temperature and put a smile on the face. The last interview I want to quote from in this section is with The Independent – one that I dropped in a bit earlier on in the review. The nature of What’s Your Pleasure? was commented upon:

“On What’s Your Pleasure?, she sounds like she’s exactly where she’s supposed to be. It’s one for kitchen discos, a socially distanced garden bop, a Zoom vogue-off. Its songs echo the grown-up, slick synth-pop of Robyn and Róisín Murphy; sleek disco numbers with a touch of dusty soul, a frisson of refined cheese, a nod to Bananarama, echoes of Andy Warhol’s Polaroids of downtown New York and a Nineties hairstyle that led one fan to tweet “My sexuality is @JessieWare’s slicked back high-pony”. Whereas once the music industry didn’t know what to do with pop music made by anyone over 30, now Ware’s appeal is broad: her music is rated by Pitchfork as easily as it is played on Radio 1 or Radio 2.

Ware has said that she wanted this record to make “people want to dance, flirt and have sex” and some critics have drawn a line between its club-readiness and the dancefloor focus of her first album, 2012’s Devotion. Was that something she had in mind? Doing “so many f***ing interviews feels like therapy”, she says, adopting a voice to suggest she’s mock-psychoanalysing herself. “Maybe, subconsciously, I enjoyed the feeling of anticipation and excitement that I got when I first entered into doing music and being a featured vocalist so much that I subconsciously wanted to go back to that naivety, when things were less pressured”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Samantha Casolari

Soul Control is a brilliant track, and one that sort of defines and encapsulates everything that makes What’s Your Pleasure? such a rewarding and memorable listen. Five singles have already been released from What’s Your Pleasure?, but I wonder whether Soul Control will be the sixth – or whether enough has come out of the album, and it would seem like overkill. Regardless, I do think Soul Control is a natural standout. Soul Control spares no time in getting under the skin. The introduction is a cocktail of bubbling synth notes that has this lightness that trips and dizzies. It is a fast and joyful noise that gets the feet moving and the energy flowing. In terms of time period, there is no doubt that the Disco of the 1970s and the Pop of the 1980s plays a role. One can almost imagine Soul Control being spun in a Disco joint back in the day, or appearing on Madonna’s debut album! I do feel introduction are crucial in hooking the listener and setting the scene, and Soul Control is a masterclass in making an instant impact! Ware’s vocal enters, and there is a welcomes cool and soothe to it. I think if her vocal was too charged and hot, it might overload the senses or throw too much energy in there. As it is, we get this blend of the colourful composition and a more restrained vocal – for now at least! It is clear that Ware is under a very seductive and heady spell: “Can't take my eyes off of you tonight/You're moving like a waterfall/Rush into my life, stay a little while/'Cause I know that we could have it all”. Ware’s voice becomes more elastic, widened and accelerated as the pre-chorus comes in, and there is a further gear shift for the chorus itself. Soul Control is a song that builds and builds, and you can feel a palpable increase in energy, whilst this wonderful story is being played out. Backed by some bubbling notes and an excellent score, Ware take the listener by the hand.

PHOTO CREDIT: Rex Features

I really like the chorus, as it has a great hook, and Ware sound completely committed. The lyrics are simple, but it makes me wonder what the ‘soul control’ refers to: “Soul control, that's how you want it/Soul control, that's how I give it to you/Soul control, that's how you want it/Soul control, that's how I give it to you”. One can see those lyrics as a seductive call, but there might be something deeper at play. I was hooked by the emotion and passion coming from Ware’s voice; the way Ware trips the vocals and gives the words so much movement. In way, there are comparisons to Róisín Murphy regarding delivery and vocal intonations, yet Ware very much has her style and skin – though the two artists are friends, and it is great that we have these two very strong and wonderful artists that can deliver these huge Disco-themed songs. It is obvious that there is a palpable electricity between Ware and her man - “Baby, it's automatic/We touch and it feels like magic” -, and there is a mutual attraction. One of the best things about Soul Control is how the lyrics are simple-yet-relatable. In many ways, Soul Control could have come from the 1970s in terms of the story told, but one knows every word means something real for Ware. “You can't take your eyes off of me tonight/Tell me what you came here for” is Ware beckoning and moving; one can feel the heat building in the room as the electronics bubble, swoon, and buzz. Ware’s voice is layered, and you get this great blend of cool-and-soothing and more syncopated lines. I think music is at its strongest when it can connect with every listener and has a positive flair. That is just my opinion, but I instantly gravitate to music that is alive and makes you want to move. Ware never relents in her desire to find satisfaction and surrender to the heat of the moment. By the time the bridge arrives, I think Ware is at her most determined and awed: “And I wanna give you all my love/I'm addicted to these nights”. Like most songs on What’s Your Pleasure?, it is hard to find any fault with Soul Control. It keeps moving and shaking from first to last, and there is an infectiousness from Ware that is hard to refute. The song could rank alongside the Disco classics, but it has a modern aesthetic and personal relevance that means it is not just a throwback. One will wan to spin Soul Control over and over, as it definitely elevates the mood, and you will find yourself dancing and singing along!

I am not sure what the rest of 2020 holds in store for Jessie Ware. She will be keen to do gigs and get out and see people, but so much has been placed on hold until next year. It is a shame, but there is not a lot that can be done! Like some artists, Ware could have held her album back until later in the year but, as we are all in need of some respite and relief, she was compelled to put What’s Your Pleasure? into the world. When she spoke with Her about the album, Ware discussed the reason for putting it out in June:

“Jessie says her label were open to postponing the release of her new record until after the pandemic, but she didn't want to hold on - for that reason alone.

"Disco dance groove, that's what I've been really wanting to listen to in this time," she says.

"So why would I not put out a record that was ready? It was a no brainer. I think everyone is discussing music in a different way during lockdown. I definitely am."

Like the rest of us, Jessie has taken some of her time in lockdown to up-skill. She started with sourdough (which she is "killing"), and has since moved onto styling her daughter's hair.

"I'm working on the French plait," she says. "That's kind of my lockdown thing now".

Go and buy the album if you can – there is a link at the top of the review -, or stream if not. What’s Your Pleasure? is one of 2020’s best releases, and it is one that we all need right now! The songs are brilliantly alive and fulsome; one listens to them, and they cannot help but be moved and affected. It is a stunning thing, and I wonder where Ware goes from here. Of course, there will be more albums, and I wonder whether she will change her sound or stick with a Dance/Disco template. It is intriguing to speculate. I shall leave things there, but I was very keen to review Soul Control, as it is my favourite track from an album packed with jams and gems! Go out and get What’s Your Pleasure? as it is an album that is guaranteed…

TO keep the sunshine burning bright.

___________

Follow Jessie Ware 

TRACK REVIEW: Bob Dylan - Black Rider

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Bob Dylan

Black Rider

 

 

9.8/10

 

 

The track, Black Rider, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MHBMPYvQO8w

GENRES:

Americana/Rhythm & Blues

ORIGIN:

U.S.A.

The album, Rough and Rowdy Ways, is available here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Rough-Rowdy-Ways-Bob-Dylan/dp/B0884BK38T

RELEASE DATE:

19th June, 2020

LABEL:

Columbia Records

TRACKLIST:

I Contain Multitudes

False Prophet

My Own Version of You

I've Made Up My Mind to Give Myself to You

Black Rider

Goodbye Jimmy Reed

Mother of Muses

Crossing the Rubicon

Key West (Philosopher Pirate)

Disc 2:

Murder Most Foul

__________

I have been keen to review…

IN THIS PHOTO: Kevin Winter/Getty Images

Bob Dylan for a long time now. He is a genius, of course, and he has just put out one of his best albums ever with Rough and Rowdy Ways. It is gaining huge reviews across the board, and it might be the best album of the year so far. 2020 has been a very busy year for music, and we have seen some remarkable albums come through. From Fiona Apple and Dua Lipa through to Phoebe Bridgers, there has been some real gold released. I think Bob Dylan’s latest album is one of his best since the 1970s. I am not sure how he has done it, but I guess you can never really predict him! One would think that his talent and genius would dim with age, but he seems to have that innate ability to stun and blow us away. Maybe it is the state of America today that has compelled him to write some of his most observational and stirring songs ever. His poetry is still second-to-none, and I wonder whether he will tour the album when gigs start back up. I also am curious to see how he follows Rough and Rowdy Ways, as it seems like he is in sensational form at the moment! I would recommend anyone to buy the album, as the tracks are so engrossing, that one cannot help but to let them pull you in. Dylan’s powerful wordplay and potent delivery is as masterful as ever, and I am going to review one of the tracks from the album a bit later – the wonderful Black Rider. The news of George Floyd’s murder made the news recently, and the world was shocked and angered. Since then, the Black Lives Matter movement/hashtag has been all over social media; so many people motivated to see change and justice. Bob Dylan has been involved with civil rights since the 1960s, and he was sickened and horrified by what happened.

IN THIS PHOTO: Bob Dylan in 1965/PHOTO CREDIT: Stanley Bielecki/AP/Getty Images

I wanted to quote from a couple of different articles, where we learn more about Dylan’s activism and commitment to civil rights. There is no doubt that he was stunned and affected by what happened to Floyd, and other African-Americans impacted by violence and racism. When Dylan was promoting his album, Shadows in the Night, in 2015, he talked about racial prejudice:

“Q: Do you mean it's musical race-mixing, and that's what made it dangerous?

A: Well, racial prejudice has been around a while, so yeah. And that was extremely threatening for the city fathers, I would think. When they finally recognised what it was, they had to dismantle it, which they did, starting with payola scandals and things like that. The black element was turned into soul music and the white element was turned into English pop. They separated it. I think of rock 'n' roll as a combination of country blues and swing band music, not Chicago blues and modern pop. Real rock 'n' roll hasn't existed since when? 1961, 1962? Well, it was a part of my DNA, so it never disappeared from me. [Laughs.] I can't remember what the question was”.

I mention civil rights and protest, because Dylan is as useful and important a voice in seeing change as he was in the 1960s. He is still having to speak out against racism and injustice in America. To think Dylan was protesting in the 1960s and calling for change; it has been almost sixty years since then, and one wonders how far we have come! It is staggering to think that, in many ways, the world has not changed that much. Dylan and his peers must have felt that, in the 1960s, there was going to be this huge movement that would lead to permanent change. In this article, we learn more about Bob Dylan and his connection to the freedom marches of the 1960s:

“Enter the 1963 Newport Folk Festival. Pretty much Pete Seeger's showcase, Dylan's debut appearance was more than just an initiation into the club, but another shove toward the throne as the movement's celebrity poster boy. Joined onstage by Joan Baez, Pete Seeger, Peter, Paul and Mary, and the SNCC's Freedom Singers, Dylan wrapped up his set with “Blowin' in the Wind.” And for an encore, the group held hands, invoking the audience in a singalong of "We Shall Overcome"

PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images

Caught in the whirlwind, on August 28, Dylan and Baez would soon perform at the Freedom March in Washington, D.C., when Martin Luther King Jr. gave his legendary “I Have a Dream” speech. Introduced by actor Ossie Davis, Dylan performed “When the Ship Comes In,” and “Only a Pawn in Their Game,” also joining Len Chandler for the song “Hold On”.

Rough and Rowdy Ways touches on modern America, and one does not have to dig too far to hear the sense of dissatisfaction in Dylan’s voice regarding the modern times. He is no fan of Donald Trump, and one hopes Dylan will live to see some real progress. At the age of seventy-eight, it must be heartaching for Dylan to see what is happening in the world. It is a sad time…but let us hope there is light ahead. I have written about Dylan before, but I have not really thought about his early life. Just to give a little context and backstory, I wanted to bring in a passage from a New Yorker interview from 1964, where we learn more about Dylan’s early years and education:

“Dylan was born in Duluth, on May 24, 1941, and grew up in Hibbing, Minnesota, a mining town near the Canadian border. He does not discuss his parents, preferring to let his songs tell whatever he wants to say about his personal history. “You can stand at one end of Hibbing on the main drag an’ see clear past the city limits on the other end,” Dylan once noted in a poem, “My Life in a Stolen Moment,” printed in the program of a 1963 Town Hall concert he gave. Like Dylan’s parents, it appears, the town was neither rich nor poor, but it was, Dylan has said, “a dyin’ town.” He ran away from home seven times—at ten, at twelve, at thirteen, at fifteen, at fifteen and a half, at seventeen, and at eighteen. His travels included South Dakota, New Mexico, Kansas, and California. In between flights, he taught himself the guitar, which he had begun playing at the age of ten.

IN THIS PHOTO: Bob Dylan in 1963/PHOTO CREDIT: Michael Ochs Archive/Getty Images

At fifteen, he was also playing the harmonica and the autoharp, and, in addition, had written his first song, a ballad dedicated to Brigitte Bardot. In the spring of 1960, Dylan entered the University of Minnesota, in Minneapolis, which he attended for something under six months. In “My Life in a Stolen Moment,” Dylan has summarized his college career dourly: “I sat in science class an’ flunked out for refusin’ to watch a rabbit die. I got expelled from English class for using four-letter words in a paper describing the English teacher. I also failed out of communication class for callin’ up every day and sayin’ I couldn’t come. . . . I was kept around for kicks at a fraternity house. They let me live there, an’ I did until they wanted me to join”.

I am interested learning more about Dylan’s early life and influences, as I think it gives a more complete picture when talking about him now and an album like Rough and Rowdy Ways. Although Dylan’s musical palette has changed since the 1960s, I still think those artists and sounds he grew up listening to remain with him. I think, if we want to comprehend and appreciate Dylan’s music now, we need to get an impression of the artists who impacted him at a young age and compelled him to get into music. I want to nod back to that interview from The Independent that was published in 2015, because Dylan was asked about the music that he grew up listening to:

“Early on, before rock 'n' roll, I listened to big band music - anything that came over the radio - and music played by bands in hotels that our parents could dance to. We had a big radio that looked like a jukebox, with a record player on the top. All the furniture had been left in the house by the previous owners, including a piano. The radio/record player played 78rpm records. And when we moved to that house, there was a record on there, with a red label, and I think it was a Columbia record. It was Bill Monroe, or maybe it was the Stanley Brothers, and they were singing "Drifting Too Far From Shore". I'd never heard anything like that before. Ever. And it moved me away from all the conventional music that I was hearing.

IN THIS PHOTO: Bob Dylan in 1975/PHOTO CREDIT: Ken Regan

To understand that, you'd have to understand where I came from. I come from way north. We'd listen to radio shows all the time. I think I was the last generation, or pretty close to the last one, that grew up without TV. So we listened to the radio a lot. Most of these shows were dramas. For us, this was like our TV. Everything you heard, you could imagine what it looked like. Even singers that I would hear on the radio, I couldn't see what they looked like, so I imagined what they looked like. What they were wearing. What their movements were. Gene Vincent? When I first pictured him, he was a tall, lanky blond-haired guy”.

It might be a slight tangent, but there is one thing we overlook when thinking of Bob Dylan: the fact that he is a style icon! It may seem unconnected to his music, but I think Dylan has won so many fans and hearts because he is this phenomenal artist that has changed so much. Many might think that Dylan’s style is pretty simple and unchanging, but he has definitely inspired others with his pretty low-key looks. That might sound dismissive, but Dylan’s simple and eye-catching style has resonated with other artists, and it is as much a part of him as his music. In 2016, GQ reacted to Dylan being awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature, but they produced this incredible piece that documented his looks through the years. It is well worth further reading:

“Music legend, beat generation icon, and underwear spokesman Bob Dylan was awarded the 2016 Nobel Prize in Literature today, a first for a musician. The committee awarded it to the singer-songwriter for “having created new poetic expressions within the great American song tradition,” which seems an accurate assessment to any one who’s read his lyrics or cracked open the first volume of his autobiography Chronicles. To many people Dylan transcends the traditional idea of music maker and, over the years, has ascended to the role of cultural icon. If that seems overblown, perhaps Dylan himself said it best: “All I can be is me — whoever that is.”

PHOTO CREDIT: Runway Manhattan/Globe Photos

And while Dylan’s musical legacy is rich and varied — and has itself created a cottage industry of critical theory — we’re here to talk about a more straightforward contribution he’s made to the American canon, and that’s in his style. His look: low-key, unassuming, with a thrift store quality, helped define the visual tone of the music scene in downtown New York during the 1960s, a look that soon spread across the country. It is an aesthetic that’s been mined time and again by fashion designers (see: Hedi Slimane, John Varvatos, Tom Ford) who have reimagined and recut many of the artist’s now-iconic looks as wardrobe staples for a new generation of swagger-seeking men.

Looking back, Dylan wasn’t a revolutionary dresser, but what he wore always conveyed a sense of effortless confidence. And that’s the most undeniable takeaway when you study iconic images of the music hero through his career: In his mussed-up hair, a pair of classic Ray-Bans, in the leather jackets and turtlenecks, there was a sense of undeniable, and unstudied, cool”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Gannett News Service

Black Rider is one of the shortest tracks on Rough and Rowdy Ways, but I think it is one of the most impactful! The introduction is pretty moving. We get this gorgeous guitar flourish that has this romantic, Hispanic tone to it. Dylan’s voice is surprisingly smooth and sweet throughout. Those who associate Dylan with a croakier and rougher sound need to appreciate that he has amazing vocal dexterity and variation. I am not sure who the eponymous character is, but Dylan delivers one of his most tender performances on Black Rider. “Black rider, black rider, you've been living too hard/Been up all night, have to stay on your guard”, Dylan sings, and I wonder whether he is talking about a lover, or this is a more general character that is trying to navigate the world. Dylan muses about stumbling blocks and the fact that, wherever this person treads, there is another obstacle in the way. “The road that you're on, same road that you know/Just not the same as it was a minute ago” evokes images of political and personal turmoil, I think. With Dylan’s songs, there often is not a single truth, so listeners can get from the song what they think. I do not think Dylan has disclosed the origins of Black Rider, and it is a song that fascinates me; whether it pertains to the current political state and struggle, or whether it is more personal and not quite as charged. Dylan’s voice is sublime throughout, and I love hearing him sing in this way. The guitar backing is perfect, and we get this nice balance of the heart-melting and rousing. Our hero has “seen the great world and seen the small”, and they have falling into the fire and are “eating the flame”. Whereas other songs on Rough and Rowdy Ways are more political in tone, I think there is this oblique nature to Black Rider that contrasts wonderfully.

PHOTO CREDIT: Chris Pizzello/AP

“Better seal up your lips if you wanna stay in the game/Be reasonable, mister, be honest, be fair” makes me think of politics a little, and those people being silenced and overlooked. I would not draw comparisons to the song’s lyrics and what is happening in American regarding black rights, but there is a general feeling of suppression and fight through the song. Bob Dylan has this way of staying in the same key and pace but still being able to build a song’s atmosphere and importance without altering his voice at all. It is wonderful to hear Dylan almost croon soulfully, as I think many people have this very limited impression of his voice. Our hero is definitely carrying that weight, and there are troubles in his heart. He confesses how his heart is at rest – “I'd like to keep it that way” -, and how he does not want to fight – or “at least not today”. I was assuming there was something political at work through the song, but the track becomes more personal as we move along. “Go home to your wife, stop visiting mine” does suggest some disharmony in love, and a challenge from a rival perhaps. From those lines, my thoughts altered, and I was thinking that Dylan had this strife at home. “Don't hug me, don't flatter me, don't turn on the charm” suggests that our man has been played around, or that his woman is not being honest. It is an interesting thought, and I have listened to the song a few times and got new things when going back. In the fifth (and final) verse, Dylan shifts from the risqué/direct – “The size of your cock will get you nowhere” - to the dignified and resigned – “I'll suffer in silence, I'll not make a sound”. There are so many wonderful images and possibilities that present themselves through the song. I have spun Black Rider a lot, as I really dig Dylan’s singing, and the guitar is sublime through. Elsewhere on Rough and Rowdy Ways, we do hear heavier songs that are epic in length, but this is a shorter track that allows us to see more of Dylan. In lyrical terms, it is one of his less obvious and direct songs, and I was compelled to cover it. I might not have drilled to the very heart of the song but, as I say, I think it is open to individual interpretation. On a stunning and near-career-best album, Black Rider is a pearl in a very bejewelled and glistening crown.  

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PHOTO CREDIT: Ted Russell/Polaris

I will round up pretty soon, but I am keen to bring in a couple of other bits of information before doing so. I want to grab from an interview with The New York Times from this month, because Dylan was asked about this year and how he views the current pandemic – and whether he has a lot of hope for the future:

“Do you think of this pandemic in almost biblical terms? A plague that has swept the land?

I think it’s a forerunner of something else to come. It’s an invasion for sure, and it’s widespread, but biblical? You mean like some kind of warning sign for people to repent of their wrongdoings? That would imply that the world is in line for some sort of divine punishment. Extreme arrogance can have some disastrous penalties. Maybe we are on the eve of destruction. There are numerous ways you can think about this virus. I think you just have to let it run its course”.

“There is a lot of apocalyptic sentiment in “Murder Most Foul.” Are you worried that in 2020 we’re past the point of no return? That technology and hyper-industrialization are going to work against human life on Earth?

Sure, there’s a lot of reasons to be apprehensive about that. There’s definitely a lot more anxiety and nervousness around now than there used to be. But that only applies to people of a certain age like me and you, Doug. We have a tendency to live in the past, but that’s only us. Youngsters don’t have that tendency. They have no past, so all they know is what they see and hear, and they’ll believe anything. In 20 or 30 years from now, they’ll be at the forefront. When you see somebody that is 10 years old, he’s going to be in control in 20 or 30 years, and he won’t have a clue about the world we knew. Young people who are in their teens now have no memory lane to remember. So it’s probably best to get into that mind-set as soon as we can, because that’s going to be the reality.

As far as technology goes, it makes everybody vulnerable. But young people don’t think like that. They could care less. Telecommunications and advanced technology is the world they were born into. Our world is already obsolete”.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Christopher Polk/Getty Images

I think many people will want to see Bob Dylan perform live when things get better, as Rough and Rowdy Ways is one of his best albums, and the songs will sound incredible delivered from the stage! Although his sound and live act has changed considerably though the years, he still has this incredible connection with the fans. It is that reciprocal love that makes his shows so amazing and, with a mighty album out in the world, he will bring in new fans who are eager to see the master perform! When he spoke with The Independent in 2015, he was asked about his gigs and that bond with fans:    

“Q: You obviously get great joy and connection from the people who come to see you.

A: It's not unlike a sportsman who's on the road a lot. Roger Federer, the tennis player, I mean, you know, he's working most of the year. Like maybe 250 days a year, every year, year in and year out. So it's relative. I mean, yeah, you must go where the people are. You can't bring them to where you are unless you have a contract to play in Vegas. But happiness - a lot of people say there is no happiness in this life, and certainly there's no permanent happiness. But self-sufficiency creates happiness. Happiness is a state of bliss. Actually, it never crosses my mind. Just because you're satisfied one moment - saying yes, it's a good meal, makes me happy - well, that's not going to necessarily be true the next hour.

IN THIS PHOTO: Bob Dylan in 1965/PHOTO CREDIT: Don Hunstein

Life has its ups and downs, and time has to be your partner, you know? Really, time is your soul mate. Children are happy. But they haven't really experienced ups and downs yet. I'm not exactly sure what happiness even means. I don't know if I personally could define it”.

I wonder what Bob Dylan is doing now, and how he is coping with lockdown. It is intense for everyone, but I guess there is a fear that we have that we have with older stars that they are more vulnerable. Dylan has lived through some tough times, but this might be one of the biggest challenges. Before I sign this off, I want to source from that incredible New York Times interview, where Dylan discussed how he is faring at this present time:  

“How is your health holding up? You seem to be fit as a fiddle. How do you keep mind and body working together in unison?

Oh, that’s the big question, isn’t it? How does anybody do it? Your mind and body go hand in hand. There has to be some kind of agreement. I like to think of the mind as spirit and the body as substance. How you integrate those two things, I have no idea. I just try to go on a straight line and stay on it, stay on the level”.

Go and get Rough and Rowdy Ways if you can, as it is a work of brilliance, and I think it is one of Dylan’s most important albums. It will surely go down as one of the best albums of this year, and it shows that there is plenty of life and wonder in the icon. He is beyond comparison, and long may he continue to amaze the world with his songwriting. Although I have reviewed just the one track, Black Rider, I learned a lot from it, and the entire album is filled with so many incredible lines and staggering songs. Dylan was changing the music world back in the early-1960s and, in 2020, we can still…   

PHOTO CREDIT: William C. Eckenberg/The New York Times

LEARN so much from him.

___________

Follow Bob Dylan

TRACK REVIEW: Jehnny Beth - We Will Sin Together

TRACK REVIEW:

Jehnny Beth

PHOTO CREDIT: Tristane Mesquita

We Will Sin Together

 

9.4/10

 

The track, We Will Sin Together, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F8WMhLzBU94

GENRES:

Post-Punk/Indie Rock

ORIGIN:

Poitiers, France

The album, To Love Is to Live, is available here:

https://store.universalmusic.com/jehnnybeth/*/Music/TO-LOVE-IS-TO-LIVE/6DFR0TVW000

RELEASE DATE:

12th June, 2020

LABEL:

20L07 Music

TRACKLIST:

I Am

Innocence

Flower

We Will Sin Together

A Place Above (ft. Cillian Murphy)

I’m the Man

The Rooms

Heroine

How Could You (ft. Joe Talbot)

French Countryside

Human

__________

THIS seems like a weird time be…

PHOTO CREDIT: Johnny Hostile

reviewing an artist, as the world seems like it is on fire, and one naturally just wants to hide away and find some sort of quiet. If anything, music is providing a shelter and sense of comfort. I think artists like Jehnny Beth (Camille Berthomier) are people who one can listen to and get inspiration and strength from. He new album, To Love Is to Live, is out, and it is sensational! I have been following her since she was in Savages, and I love the fact that she can mix intensity and passion with music that is a little more calmed and reflective. She can deliver deep messages and blend that with something freeing and uplifting. She is an amazing artist, and, during this lockdown, I have been getting a lot from her music. I do think that To Love Is to Live will be ranked alongside the best of 2020, and I would urge people to go and get the album. I am not going to review every track, but I wanted to select my favourite song from the album, We Will Sin Together, and have a look at that. Before I come to that track, I wanted to get a better picture of Jehnny Beth, and bring in some interviews that she has been involved with. Like everyone else, the songwriter has been in lockdown and it has been a very unusual time to release music. In an illuminating interview with The Forty-Five, she discussed the current situation and her response:

“Now, more than ever, most of us can relate to being exhausted by The State Of Things. “I was feeling quite disgusted at the world and sick of people and I really needed to regroup myself. I felt very fragmented. Everything felt too frightening, too violent almost, the world and everything and even my rapport to it and I wanted to find a way to change. I felt that personal change was the only way to do that moving forward. I had to go through a certain level of pain because I believe that to be happy you can’t be so impervious to pain.” She chuckles, to lighten the mood but it’s a sentiment that resonates, particularly now, where the world is questioning what they’ve done – and what more they can do – to help eradicate others’ pain and make a better, more accepting society”.

Excuse me if the chronology goes askew slightly, but I have been reading up a lot on Jehnny Beth, and it has been interesting seeing how she has moved to various cities at certain times - and what she has learned from each move. It seems like Jehnny Beth’s experiences in France were quite different to how she found London. As a bi artist, the attitudes on display when she was a child were quite closed-off.  It must have been quite strange and a struggle to grow up in an environment that was not very open when it came to the spectrum of sexuality; there were very few people she could have talked with who would have been role models or overly-accepting. I do wonder whether Jehnny Beth’s move to London opened new horizons and was like an escape to her. When she spoke with CRACK this year, she talked about the contrasts between her childhood setting and moving to London:

“During Beth’s childhood, in Poitiers, France, there were few openly bi artists to relate to, she explains. “I didn’t know what bisexuality was and I didn’t have many role models,” she remembers. Her parents were intellectual, artistic, but her wider family was traditional and Catholic. “It created a lot of anxiety for me. I left home because I wanted to understand where all that anxiety was coming from.”

Home was first her parents’ house in Poitiers and then her sister’s nearby, but it wasn’t until 2006, when she was in her early 20s, that she fully escaped her conservative upbringing by moving to London with her longtime partner Nicolas Congé. Starting over in a new city, he became Johnny Hostile and she Jehnny Beth. They performed as a Kills-inspired duo called John and Jehn, but her breakthrough came in 2012 when she joined guitarist Gemma Thompson, bassist Ayse Hassan and drummer Fay Milton to form Savages”.

I think it is important to look back at where Jehnny Beth started and her earlier life, so one gets a more complete picture of the artist. To Love Is to Live is Jehnny Beth’s first solo album, and many might know her from Savages – the band’s last album together was 2016’s Adore Life. I do think that going solo allows Jehnny Beth to have that autonomy and produce something that is more personal.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Gabriel Green

One can feel a different tone on To Love Is to Live  to her work with Savages. Before reviewing a track from the album, I wanted to get a sense of what Jehnny Beth was trying to say and what themes defined the record. I looked back at the interview with The Forty-Five, and an interesting passage stood out:

“There are moments of quiet and beautiful reflection too, alongside those of uncomfortable self-realisation. ‘French Countryside’ is a pared back piano track about promising to change, to better yourself for your partner. “Oh my love, don’t desert me know”, Beth pleads. “It was the track I struggled the most with. It’s the most exposing, the most personal”, she says of the song.

At its core ‘To Love Is To Live’ is a record about doing what we’re all realising we need to do: to look within ourselves and face up to the darkness, the prejudice that lives inside us all. In order to change personally and collectively, introspection is vital and on creating an album focused on that journey, Beth may just be about to release the perfect record for our times.

“When you’re changing, all your alarm bells go off. You feel afraid, you feel anxiety. I try to follow that path and tell myself if it’s uncomfortable, I’m doing something right. It’s uncomfortable, but not life threatening”.

I have skipped a bit when it comes to timeline, but I shall come back to her current endeavour and moving away from a band. I do think that your natural environment is very influential when it comes to creativity. Jehnny Beth would have gained an awful lot from moving to London, and that is where her band were based. By going solo, I guess it is another chapter, so remaining in London was, perhaps, not the best decision. A lot of time has passed since she lived in France, and I think returning home was quite cathartic and therapeutic.

Things have changed since she was in Savages, and, as she explained to The Face, her move back to Paris has been overdue:

“How has the recent move back to Paris been?

Going back, I started therapy and it was a way for me to reconnect with my roots. Mentally, I left when I was 15. Then I left actually, and didn’t go back. When I did, it was a way for me to try and understand where I was coming from. I thought I could live my whole life without connecting to where I was from. I was rejecting it completely. I spent all my twenties finding my own voice and own identity and Savages was the pinnacle of that, the loudest expression of that. Then I felt that one doesn’t exclude the other, actually. You have to uproot yourself to find yourself. I’m still trying to reconnect but it’s been good. What saved me was finding a boxing club that I love. I found a community there that I didn’t know I needed.

Has the process of reconnecting with your past influenced the new record?

There’s jazz influence, especially in the song The Rooms. My first bands were jazz bands – I learnt piano at the age of eight and did 10 years of piano jazz training. That’s how I learnt English. The songs were in English. My teacher would tell me I sounded like Chet Baker because I was so quiet. That’s also why I never sang in French. I tried and I can’t.

How has your life changed since Savages?

When I stopped Savages, I couldn’t see another band without crying. I talked to Bobby Gillespie about it. At one of his shows I was side of stage, I had to leave for a while because I was so emotional. I came back and it was a great show. I saw him after and he asked me if I was OK. I was like: ​“I loved your show but it really made me cry.” He said to me this beautiful thing: ​“I know, it’s like seeing an old love.” It’s exactly that. It wasn’t jealousy. It was the beauty of the act, him and the crowd and that communion. I was overwhelmed and missing it very very much”.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Sarah Piantadosi

It is scary for an artist who has been with a band to step out on their own. A lot of people will naturally compare Jehnny Beth’s solo work with Savages, but the two are quite different propositions. It is a shame Savages did not go for longer, but I can understand they came to a natural end, and there were good reasons for their split. I can imagine how liberating it was being in a band and being able to express herself musically. The music of Savages is remarkable and, even though they put out two studio records, they captured a large fanbase and made a real impression. I do feel like Jehnny Beth’s solo career offers her the chance to be more expansive and not be quite so defined in terms of tone and sound. In an interview with The Guardian, Jehnny Beth discussed Savages, and making her solo record with Johnny Hostile (Nicolas Congé; the two were in a duo together, John & Jehn), Flood and The xx’s Romy:  

“The band offered the freedom she had craved. “You’re a gang against the world,” she says. But their identity became restrictive. “It can become a prison for creativity. I felt that Savages was very pure musically and as an art form and I didn’t want to break it.” Keen to collaborate with other musicians, Beth pursued a solo album in 2016 – To Love Is to Live is out in May. She respects Savages and cherishes their time together but they haven’t discussed future plans. “It’s whatever it will be.”

Made with Hostile, the producer Flood and the xx’s Romy Madley-Croft among others, the album was intended to put her in unexpected contexts: although not miles from Savages, it is broader, spanning industrial noise, dissonant jazz and eerie balladry. The process was exciting, she says. “Dangerous, actually frightening as well, weirdly. I found some sharpness again, creatively, from putting myself on edge”.

There are a few things more I want to cover and tick off of the list before I move on to the actual review itself. I think the recording and production process for To Love Is to Live was a very different experience to working with Savages.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Maxime La

Not to keep labouring over the contrast of band versus solo work, but there has been this big leap forward in terms of the way Jehnny Beth is working at the moment. When she spoke with The Line of Best Fit, she talked about working alongside Johnny Hostile, and what the recording experience was like:

“Whilst reflecting on working out the skeletons of the songs with Hostile, her eyes light up whilst providing an insight to the liberal and almost mad scientist approach that they took: “It was research time. There was no boundaries, no stone unturned. It would be very free, but so much so that we would have seven or six versions of each song.” She bursts into a cackle before clarifying that there were indeed benefits to working in this method and it ended up being: “an important phase of exploration”.

One thing that strikes me about the work of Savages is the rawness and energy they projected. The fact that there were four women in the band producing this incredible kinetic and physical sound was very exciting and new (to me). Of course, there are other all-female bands, but Savages were something fresh and unique. When you are in a band, I guess the demands on you are very different in terms of what you write and what sells. Maybe there was this desire to put out something quite raw and intense; intimacy and tenderness might not have been at the forefront. Not that Jehnny Beth has radically altered her writing style, but a solo album is a more personal project, and, as such, it is more rounded and gives us a closer look at all of her sides. Perhaps there was a pressure to project this very strong image that did not allow a lot of self-reflection in. Savages’ gift was these defiant and amazing women doing something very important and new.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Anthony Byrne

It must have been hard adapting to a solo palette and being able to write about things that, before, were not necessarily on the table. Jehnny Beth touched on this when she was interviewed by The Guardian:

“With Savages, she sung about sex, but never intimacy. “I liked the contrast,” she says. “Four women with aggression in the music, that was something I felt I hadn’t seen before. Four women talking about care, that didn’t seem like something that was missing.” She sidelined softness “as an artistic decision”. It’s only recently that she discovered her nurturing side. “I can take care of people who are suffering,” she says, heavily. “I didn’t know I could.”

If the album has a theme, says Beth, it is “the multiplicity and complexity of being human”. She mentions raging single I’m the Man, where she embodies a hated figure: “There’s no bitch in town who doesn’t understand how hard my dick can be,” she sneers. She is disappointed to see it labelled a “gender song”; for her it was about how “we sometimes love people who have done things that we think are monstrous, but we can’t deny that we belong to the same humanity. We have to face the human truth that evil exists in the world”.

Of course, Jehnny Beth is not completely alone on her latest record. She could have written and produced it herself, but I think the richness one hears on To Love Is to Live comes from her collaborators. Not only is her boyfriend, Johnny Hostile, in the mix and a crucial part; The xx’s Romy is not someone I would naturally bring to mind when thinking about muses for Jehnny Beth. I am not sure how the two met, but it seems like they have a great chemistry when it comes to the music, and Romy seems to have released something from Jehnny Beth.

PHOTO CREDIT: Gabriel Green

Returning to the interview from The Line of Best Fit, Jehnny Beth discusses Romy and how important this partnership is:  

“Romy Madley Croft of The xx was instrumental in bringing this fearlessness out of Beth as she recalls: “I remember a really great moment, and I mean great,” she says with a light-hearted eye roll and heavy dose of sarcasm, “writing "Heroine" which was a song was called The Heroism before, and I was really happy with it and [during] one of our writing sessions with Romy she literally strangled me with her two hands cause she was like so fed up with me fighting her, and fighting myself, really.”

Croft would often take Beth out for the evening without ever giving away what she had planned for them, but what would normally transpire is them heading to a restaurant or a club where Beth would end up rambling about things which Croft would write down on her phone so that they could turn it into a song the next morning.

Through this process Beth says she learned, “things I would say very simply in the conversation, I would feel too shy to say through song.” It’s almost difficult to imagine Beth as somebody who feels shyness, but as the narrative of the album unfurls, it becomes apparent that there is a power in the secrets of a closed door, and a freedom of expression and disinhibition that we succumb to”.

I will look at Jehnny Beth as this evolving artist but, before then, I was hooked by that CRACK Magazine interview I sourced from earlier. Naturally, when people are faced with a band consisting women, they might assume that their music concerns feminism or read too deeply into things. That is something Jehnny Beth was asked about a lot when she was in the band, and it raises interesting questions as to whether women are too easily labelled as solo artists or band members.

Naturally, there is a strength and passion that comes out in the band’s music, but I think it is quite limiting putting these tags on bands and making assumptions. Stepping out solo means that there are fewer confines in that respect, and, as I said, Jehnny Beth can write from a more personal space and be broader. It is interesting to think about the media and public perception of Savages and their lyrical themes. When she was chatting with CRACK, Jehnny Beth addresses feminism and those interviews with Savages:

“For someone clearly resistant to assigning limitations to experience, Beth naturally doesn’t want her art to be read as “Women’s Work”. In early Savages interviews, Beth was often asked if she was a feminist artist. The press was beginning to use celebrity, musicians in particular, as a lens to view a particular brand of feminism that was mainstreaming and, in fairness, their manner in interviews seemed to indicate feminist intentions. The singer denied all charges, expressing some confusion as to why she would be asked about it at all. She claims this dissonance in her own listening habits. As a teenager she listened to feminist electropunks Le Tigre but she tells me that their political message didn’t matter to her. The messages of strength and personal empowerment translated instead. “There’s so much in music that makes you more aware of yourself,” she says. She now understands why journalists may have conflated Savages’ messages with feminism but is still adamant that she is not a political artist. “Not all artists have to be activists. I know activists who do a wonderful job,” she states. “That’s not my job. If I wanted to do that, I’d do it full time. I’m an artist, ask me about art”.

Apologies for bringing in so many interview extracts and words from other people, but I wanted to provide some background and illumination regarding Jehnny Beth and how she has grown and changed as an artist. I am keen to crack on but, on her debut solo album, there has been this natural and impressive evolution. To Love Is to Live will take a few listens before everything starts to sink in. There is so much going on, that it rewards a lot of attention. Jehnny Beth has cited everyone from Low, to Beyoncé to David Bowie as influences on certain songs, and I think Bowie is a particularly strong fountain of influence. I do love the fact that Jehnny Beth’s first solo album is not just her; we hear Joe Talbot from IDLES and actor Cillian Murphy in the mix. The xx’s Romy, as mentioned, is on the album (as a producer and vocalist), and all of that results in this magnificent debut offering. I should really get on to discussing We Will Sin Together, as it is the song that I have chosen from the album to review:     

PHOTO CREDIT: Johnny Hostile

Singles such as I’m the Man have offered a more intense and enflamed side of To Love Is to Live. I think We Will Sin Together offers the counteraction of that; a gentler song that shows a different side to Jehnny Beth. The track begins with the feint sound from the streets; there is a bit of a rumble and murmur, and one feels like they are in a dark setting, maybe watching these two people walk hand in hand. After a few moments of quiet and a bit of street buzz, we get this electronic bounce and incredible sound. The composition of We Will Sin Together is quite sparse, but there is this beauty and power that comes through. Jehnny Beth’s vocal is sublime, and the lyrics made me imagine and think hard. “Young boys forever/A key sinner murder” is an opening that had me imagining and trying to get to the bottom of its truth. The lyrics are quite oblique in the early stages, so each listener will have their own interpretation. Maybe Jehnny Beth is talking about a friend or lover, or a figure that is running from danger. “I’ve seen with a stranger/Your safe is my danger” comes next and, again, I was wondering what the origin was. There is this sense of contrast throughout. Someone who is bringing something out of the heroine. The two seem to be very different, but I think there is this connection and trust between them. I chose this song to highlight, as the lyrics really fascinate me, and I think we get one of the strongest vocal performance of the album. I love the emotion coming from Jehnny Beth’s voice, and how we get this smokiness, tenderness, and beauty. The song’s video, perhaps, offers more explanation and depth. It is very artfully shot, and we see Jehnny Beth and a lover. They look almost like statues or works of art, as they entwine and move with each other. It is a beautiful video, and there is a literal nakedness.

PHOTO CREDIT: Johnny Hostile

Having seen the video, I was thinking more about these sweethearts coming together and submitting to one another. The composition works beautifully with the vocal, and it provides just the right amount of movement and energy. “All I want is your sexy eyes/Your legs parting to the skies/We will sin together” is one of the least ambiguous sections of the song, and I do like the way there is a mix of the oblique and literal. We Will Sin Together is almost this paen or poem that takes us from the streets, to the bedroom. One can feel a palpable rush, but Jehnny Beth keeps things quite retrained – her voice does not explode like it does in other songs from the album. The video sees Jehnny Beth and her lover, as mentioned, like statues, as the camera moves and we approach the entangled duo from different angles. It is a fantastic video, and one that perfectly encapsulates the song’s sense of the artistic and the naked; the beautiful and the raw. The composition gets heavier as the song progresses, and that mantra of the two sinning together keeps coming back. I wonder whether this love of theirs is illicit, or they have sworn off of one another. One will find themselves coming back to the song, as you get more from it the more you listen. It is a stunning track that I was compelled to review, as it is a song that I have been listening to a lot. On the first spin, I felt that I had it figured out but, the more I go back, new things keep coming to the surface. It is a very rich and affecting track, and it just shows what an extraordinary artist Jehnny Beth is.

I am not sure what the rest of this year has in store for Jehnny Beth. It is an unsure one for all artists, so I guess she is looking to 2021 and will make up as much ground as possible. Releasing an album in lockdown is a very new experience, but I think a lot of people can get something from To Love Is to Live. In fact, I think the listening experience is quite different to what it would have been if things were normal. I think the songs sound even more resonant under lockdown. That might seem like a strange thing to say, but To Love Is to Live offers a sense of release and relief. Not only has Jehnny Beth released an album, but there is a book out. More is explained in the interview from The Line of Best Fit:  

“To coincide with the release of her debut solo album, she has written a book of erotic short stories called C.A.L.M. (Crimes Against Love Memories) which was a natural progression from the C.A.L.M. (Crimes Against Love Manifesto) exhibition that herself and Hostile curated in 2018 which showcased his photography alongside some of her writings. Every Friday, Beth holds a ‘meeting of the perverts’ and reads out chapters of the book. So far, she has had special guests such as Joe Talbot, Eliot Sumner, Collier Schorr, with more to come.

Explaining the connection between the two, Beth says: “The exhibition if you hadn’t seen it was a recreation of a corridor in our Parisian flat. We recreated the corridor and at the end we would screen the pictures that were taken in that corridor, and there would be a spoken word voice that I recorded of the C.A.L.M. manifesto. So that, and ‘because a life lived in fear is equal to no life at all’ is the end of the first story of C.A.L.M – the character says that – so it’s about the liberation of the safety behind closed doors. Basically, we are able to be free to express ourselves, to express anonymously, to express our bodies and not die with a life half lived, and be the heroes that would be blamed for having not lived too timidly.”

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PHOTO CREDIT: Michelle Helena Janssen

Whilst the exploration of carnal desires and sensualism isn’t something that is seen in such an archaic mindset anymore, I can’t help but question if there is any symbolism between To Love Is To Live, and C.A.L.M echoing Madonna’s choice to release the orgiastic coffee table book Sex to coincide with the Erotica album. The crude and lascivious decision of a libertine who intended to promote open mindedness was met with scandalous criticism from those who simply misunderstood its intent”.

It is a busy time for Jehnny Beth, and I think that her solo album is one of the very best from this year. She will be keen to get on the road and bring her songs to the fans, but I would encourage people to buy To Love Is to Live in the meantime, as it is a very compelling and nuanced album. I have been following the music of Jehnny Beth since her Savages days, and I can hear this very real leap from her. I can envisage a lot more music coming from Jehnny Beth, and it seems like she is in inspired form right now. I shall wrap things up, but do go and get her album, and follow her on social media. There will be gigs at some point, and I would also encourage people to see her perform live, as Jehnny Beth is a phenomenal artist on the stage. It has been wonderful reviewing Jehnny Beth, as she is someone I admire, and I was excited when she announced a solo album. To me, Jehnny Beth is…

PHOTO CREDIT: Andrew Benge/Redferns

ONE of the most fascinating artists in the world.

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Follow Jehnny Beth

TRACK REVIEW: Run the Jewels (ft. Mavis Staples & Josh Homme) - pulling the pin

TRACK REVIEW:

  

Run the Jewels (ft. Mavis Staples & Josh Homme)

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pulling the pin

9.6/10

  

The track, pulling the pin, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rb87c2yMe6Q

GENRE:

Hip-Hop

ORIGIN:

U.S.A.

The album, RT4, is available here:

https://runthejewels.com/

RELEASE DATE:

5th June, 2020 (Digital Release)

LABELS:

Jewel Runner LLC/BMG Rights Management (US) LLC

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I felt that I really just had…

to review Run the Jewels, as they have released one of the most important albums of the year with RTJ4. Run the Jewels consists El-P and Killer Mike, and I have been following the duo for years now. I think they are role models, and they are sending out music that is loud, inspiring, and vital! Killer Mike came out in the wake of the death of George Floyd, and he was full of passion and anger. He argued that there should be gun ownership for all black people and he, like us all, was disgusted by what we saw in the U.S. Since then, there have been peaceful protests and riots; we have seen more police brutality and there are demonstrations happening around the world. I think now we are seeing more togetherness than ever, even though there is a lot of division and injustice. People are taking to the streets to march and, if you look on social media, there is campaigning and a lot of love. It is a very strange time but, obviously, one where we need to see change and action. There are petitions to get the U.S. police defunded, or for there to be less funding their way – so that they cannot carry shields and rubber bullets (which they can use as weapons). I am going on a bit of a tangent, but the fact that they have rubber bullets means that they are using them excessively. Not that all U.S. police officers are violent: we are still seeing far too many go beyond the law and use excessive force against black people. Run the Jewels know this, and their new album seems like the perfect soundtrack for these times. Whilst the physical edition of RTJ4 is not out until later this year, you can get the digital version, and there is a pay-what-you-want option. All proceeds go to the Mass Defence Program. Here is some more information:

“The Mass Defense Committee (MDC) is a network of lawyers, legal workers and law students providing legal support for political activists, protesters and movements for social change.

MDC members in chapters across the country provide trainings, assistance in setting up temporary legal offices and legal support structures, and materials for supporting activists engaged in mass protests.

Mass Defense Support

The National Lawyers Guild can provide the following legal help to progressive organizations:

§  “Know your rights” trainings/workshops;

§  Meetings with, and advice to, organizers about protest actions, and legal consequences;

§  Legal Observers® at protests and other actions;

§  Help with setting up and running jail and bail support programs;

§  Legal representation in case of protest arrests.

If interested, please go to nlg.org/chapters and find the NLG chapter nearest you. If the chapter has a website listed, click on the link and look for “Request Legal Observers®” or “Mass Defense” and the local chapter will respond based on capacity. If no website is listed, please email the listed chapter person and CC massdef@nlg.org”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Timothy Saccenti

I will get to reviewing a song from RTJ4 but, first, there are a number of different subjects that I wanted to address. Of course, the death of George Floyd weighs heavy on us all; there is so much anger in the air, and people want to see changes to the law very quickly. More than anything, there is this collective desire that wants an end to racist violence and the sort of brutality that has been levied at black lives for centuries. Killer Mike, as I said, has been in the news because he does want to protect black lives and see those who impose brutality brought to justice. We have seen people looting cities and causing carnage. As this Rolling Stone article explains, Killer Mike urged protestors in Atlanta, Georgia not to desecrate their city:

“As protests in Atlanta escalated toward looting and clashes with police, Run the Jewels’ Killer Mike appeared at the mayor’s press conference to deliver an emotional speech pleading with protestors not to vandalize their city.

The rapper, the son of an Atlanta police officer, said that while he has “a lot of love and respect for police officers,” mentioning that police department’s “original eight” African-American officers in the 1940s. “Here we are 80 years later, and I watched a white officer assassinate a black man, and I know that tore your heart out” Killer Mike said.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

“I’m mad as hell. I woke up wanting to see the world burn yesterday, because I’m tired of seeing black men die. He casually put his knee on a human being’s neck for nine minutes as he died like a zebra in the clutch of a lion’s jaw.”

He continued, “So that’s why children are burning it to the ground. They don’t know what else to do. And it is the responsibility of us to make this better right now. We don’t want to see one officer charged, we want to see four officers prosecuted and sentenced. We don’t want to see targets burning, we want to see the system that sets up for systemic racism burnt to the ground”.

I am going to leave things on Killer Mike for a bit, as many people have come out on social media and praised his reaction to the rioting and looting. He is, in a way, the sort of leader America wants and deserves! I think a lot of what has happened in the past few weeks has been informing the music of Run the Jewels for a long time now – and there has not been change and sufficient improvement. Killer Mike has been reacting to continued racism and rioting and putting the truth out there. I am going to quote from a few articles, as I feel all of this is important to contextualise the music of Run the Jewels and what they are saying right now. This article from The Guardian documents Killer Mike and El-P’s response to what is happening:

“The media reporting on protests doesn’t help this feeling that the killing of black people doesn’t trouble the majority, he says. “It really does feel like nobody gives a shit, even when they do, because the media is … not going to tell you that there were white people on the ground and black people on the ground, different races and sexes.

“They’re going to preach separation, they’re going to preach fear, conservatism v liberalism – they’re going to keep stoking those fires. So, we have some action to do now. Giving a shit is the first phase: now let’s progress it.”

Meanwhile, El-P, real name Jaime Meline, is optimistic that this could be time of real change – and that the status quo may be tilting. “I want the oppressors, the enemy, to know that they haven’t created complete hopelessness yet,” he says. “I want motherfuckers to know that there are people from every cultural line that are ultimately not going to accept this.

“I don’t want them to think they are off the hook. I look at these riots and I see white people, black people, Asians, women and men – and I know this shit is coming to a head. It’s getting to the point where your whole system of racism does not apply any more to the spiritual and mental mindset of the new generation”.

For their music’s apparent currency, Mike says he isn’t sure about the “right band for the times” line. “When I rap, I’m not reacting to the time, I’m just rapping about the societal conditions. I’m not specifically talking about anyone because those names are interchangeable. Trump is interchangeable with Nixon is interchangeable with Reagan is interchangeable with so many other evil motherfuckers who have held that office.

“As bad as Trump is for our time, imagine what it was like when other presidents were in even worse times, when Eugene Debs [an American socialist] was running for president against Woodrow Wilson – they locked him up [on charges of sedition for his opposition to the first world war].

“If anything, it’s a source of mild discomfort to us that our music is seemingly relevant,” sighs El-P. “The best thing that could ever happen to the world is if Run the Jewels was just blathering nonsense, if we’re just two assholes who are completely out of touch with reality. We don’t want this shit to be on point. It’s because of that truth that we allow ourselves to be completely stupid and surreal on our records as well. We need that, too”.

I know I have brought in a lot of words from other people, but I think Run the Jewels’ voice and words are really important right now. I think RTJ4 sounds even more powerful and relevant when you listen to the songs – more urgent and necessary than any other album around.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ramona Rosales

I want to look back and talk more about Run the Jewels’ start and how things got going. As I said: I have been following their music for years, and I have loved everything they have put out. There is a real bond between Killer Mike and El-P, and you can hear that in every track they put out! Although one can imagine some romantic and filmic vision of the two seeing one another across a crowded room, as this Rolling Stone interview tells, the reality was a lot different:

“El-P and Killer Mike first met “in Nebraska,” Mike says. “In a cage match,” El-P notes. They are kidding: stoned and fucking around. The real story is that Mike was born Michael Render. His mother, who gave birth to him at 16, had an artistic streak that manifested, for a time, in a job as a florist. It was through this job that she found a sideline selling cocaine. “It was the same clientele,” Mike says. “Rich white ladies. They asked, ‘Could you get me some?’ She thought about it, and she could.”

Mike was in fourth grade when he told his teacher Ms. Ealey that he wanted to be a rapper, “like Run-DMC. She told me, ‘You should be a pilot,'” he recalls. “She was the first teacher to tell me that I was smart.” (He later enrolled in a pilot’s class, and enjoys flying small planes.) Mike was raised in large part by his grandmother, a nurse, and his grandfather, who once drove trucks for the Chattahoochee Brick Co., “which used prison labor as slave labor during Jim Crow,” Mike notes (his skull is brimming with such history). It was through his grandfather “that I started to understand class versus race; I often had more in common with working-class whites than with the Southern liberals my grandma looked up to, or with the blacks of means who lived over in Collier Heights.” That neighborhood, he elaborates, “was the result of planned gentrification: Democrats actually bought land out from under poor whites in order to bring blacks to the party”. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Timothy Saccenti

A thoughtful, engaged kid, Mike spent time in high school as an anti-violence mediator with a group called Black Teens for Advancement. He fell in love with Fred Hampton and James Baldwin and enrolled at Morehouse College – a storied black school whose alumni include Martin Luther King Jr. and Spike Lee. There, Mike studied philosophy and religion. “I wanted to understand man,” he says. “I was raised a black child in the South, where you’re indoctrinated into a religion that an oppressor gave you. That left all types of fucked-up questions in me.” He kept rapping, too, and through a classmate, he met OutKast’s Antwan “Big Boi” Patton, who rewarded Mike’s raw talent with a record deal. Radicalism coursed through his early work, but he also strove for commercial success, at times in ways he now deems hollow: Mike’s breakthrough single, a bouncy sex jam called “A.D.I.D.A.S.,” reached Number 60 on the pop charts, but he disavows it. “It’s an OutKast song that I was instructed to release,” he says. “I hate it”.

I am so glad that the duo is putting out music seven years after their debut, Run the Jewels. They have not really missed a beat in all this time; all of their albums have been received well, and I guess that is to do with a chemistry and understanding between Killer Mike and El-P. Before discussing RTJ4, I want to look back at the urgency of Run the Jewels 3 (released in 2016). I want to mention that album, as not a lot has really changed in terms of American society and what Run the Jewels are rallying against. Their music offers guidance and answers, but I can imagine how frustrated they are having to see the same scenes on the news happen years after that album came out! Run the Jewels 3 was penned at a time when there was so much corruption and brutality and, in 2020, it has almost gotten worse! It is such a sad and sorry state at the moment.

PHOTO CREDIT: Getty Images

Let us hope that continued protest and demand for justice results in some change in America. The election is coming up soon, and so many people hope President Trump loses so that America can move forward and find a leader who can effectively address racism and make some real changes. When one learns about Run the Jewels 3 and what Killer Mike and El-P were witnessing around them, there are parallels to today. This Pitchfork interview explains more:

“The writing occurred amid one of the most turbulent years in American history. Of course, this endemic chaos left claw marks all over the record; roiling discontent, political toxicity, and police murders are addressed. In person, you can sense a residual weariness in both Mike and El, a reluctance to be asked for answers that no one possesses. With RTJ 3, they do what they have to do: capture the bleakness and despair of a pestilential time, but refuse to let it drag them down. In the process, they’ve held onto their title as the best rap group alive.

If anything, the new record might reveal them as inveterate optimists. This election cycle also found Mike emerging as one of the most eloquent political voices of his generation, frequently appearing alongside Bernie Sanders during the senator’s presidential run, and beyond the duo’s sustained anger at oppressors is their unstinting belief that human beings can change. That somehow, if we can stop lying and hating one another, we can actually improve upon this monstrous world”.

Four years on from Run the Jewels 3, America is experiencing a new crisis and wave of anger. Look back at Run the Jewels 3, and that was when Trump was coming into office and it was a very odd time. I remember a lot of disbelief surrounding his election win, and I can only picture how Killer Mike felt when Trump became President. RTJ4 has been released at a time when Trump is faced with a new challenge: can he win over American voters later this year and remain President?!

Killer Mike was interviewed by The Ringer, and he was asked about the time between Run the Jewels’ last two albums and how Trump impacted both records:

“How much of your art is a reaction to current events? The third Run the Jewels record came out at the beginning of the Trump administration. How have the past four years affected what went into RTJ 4 versus the earlier albums?

There’s a difference in tone. A lot of the third record was written in the lead-up to that moment, and that year was incredibly emotional for people who are empathetic and who are paying attention. There was a lot of very publicized tragedy and murder, of innocent civilians by police. There was a lot of clear injustice that was really making its way into public consciousness, I think, for a lot of people for the first time. Every time you turned on the news, you were getting brutalized by tragedy. That cast a hue over the record. Mike calls it our blue record. It’s way moodier than other records I’ve done.

This one, you’ll hear the difference. We weren’t in that exact same place. This is a lot more aggressive, it’s a lot more—I don’t know how to say it, man. This is the reason why I’m not a music critic. But I’ll just say that you will hear it. It is a different record. It’s a punch in the face until it’s not, I’ll tell you that”.

I have a couple more things to talk about before reviewing a track from RTJ4, as it is important to discuss the fact Run the Jewels have changed labels since Run the Jewels 3 came out. The duo has grown in scope and popularity since 2016, so it is only natural that they would need a label with a larger team who could support them and help bring their music to a wider audience.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Jonathan B. Harper

In this article from NME, we learn more about Run the Jewels’ switch of labels:

“The duo, comprised of El-P and Killer Mike, are set to release the record on June 5 via BMG, having put out their previous three LPs through independent labels.

In a new interview with Billboard, RTJ and their manager spoke of how the group’s increasing popularity warranted a larger team to be put behind them.

“The truth of the matter is, [Run The Jewels] outgrew our capability to handle it correctly,” El-P explained. “You just have to acknowledge what it is. This is way bigger than we ever expected it to be and I think we’re still amazed by how big it got.”

The group’s manager, Amaechi Uziogwe, added: “We knew it was time to take a step up. We didn’t hit all of the marks that we set out to hit yet and we realised, at a certain point, you need that sort of [label] muscle behind you.”

Killer Mike said that he hoped to increase Run The Jewels’ global reach with BMG’s backing. “I want to bring the energy in our music everywhere from Mexico City to Melbourne [and] from southeast Asia to Africa,” he explained”.

The last thing I want to discuss is how and why artists are releasing albums during lockdown. It may appear counterintuitive to put an album out when you cannot promote as normal and perform the songs. I think there is a new hunger for music, and I admire the gamble artists are taking putting albums out right now. Dua Lipa, Fiona Apple and many others have released albums at a very odd time for us all. I do think that RTJ4 is an essential album that needs to be heard, so hanging back, and putting it out months from now might dent some of its power and politics. Whilst, understandably, Killer Mike and El-P are incensed and lost at what is happening in their country – and others around the world -, they have always offered optimism and a sense of hope.

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I never feel weighed down and downbeat when I listen to their music. They can deliver a powerful message but give you energy and motivation at the same time. The duo were asked by GQ how they feel putting their album out given the current circumstances:

“GQ: Does it feel strange preparing to release a record in the midst of a global pandemic?

El-P: It's like, "Yup, this is just exactly what we think might happen right when we're getting ready to release the record of our careers!" But, for me, and I think I speak for Mike too, the chance to share some of the music has taken off a lot of that stress. One of the major stresses for me was "Goddammit! I want to connect again! I want to connect with the people!” It's uncertain and it's tense and it's stressful and we don't have much that we can do except bring a little bit of joy by dropping some of this stuff.

Killer Mike: I'm eternally optimistic. I own a couple other businesses that we've had to shut down: food trucks, restaurants, and barbershops. Not only have I been dealing with musically having to make sure our tour managers, sound guys, and stuff are straight, we got regular, everyday employees. Although I'm very optimistic, in this time, I'm appreciating being able to sit down and figure it out and not be under the gun like so many people are under the gun. Musicians and the people around us, we know that eventually work will turn, but my bigger concerns are for the people who work everyday jobs. I'm hopeful that some form of normalcy will return and that the country will get back on course”.

Another thing I love about Run the Jewels is how they can bring other people into the fold and add something special to the music. They have worked with DJ Shadow recently, and on Run the Jewels 3, collaborators like Danny Brown and Kamas Washington helped bring some of their best songs to new places. They have worked with a cast of quite different artists, and they have 2 Chainz, Zack de la Rocha and Greg Nice on various tracks through RTJ4. Their eleven-track latest masterwork sprinkles its collaborators gently and adds them into the pot for best effect – the track I want to cover has two of my favourite artists working on it.

PHOTO CREDIT: Timothy Saccenti/Press

One would assume that Mavis Staples and Josh Homme (Queens of the Stone Age) would not be seen on the same song. After all, the legendary Staples and the Rock god Homme cover different plains, and their music is quite different! I think they work wonderfully on pulling the pin. This track is the penultimate cut on RTJ4, and it is my favourite moment from the album. The intro and opening moments of the tracks has this sort of uneasiness, and we hear some chuckling and beats. There is an electronic whirl, and the scene is set for El-P. I love the first verse, as it is delivered perfectly: never too angered or rushed; the words are delivered carefully-yet-powerfully so that you can take every line in. Every listener will have their own take and impression regarding the lyrical truth, but I just love this passage: “From a long line of the rancidest swine came the violators/The cloven foot designers of high crime for the iron ages/Twisting down through time, see them tryna unwind creation/Don't be surprised, it's a mistake to think their influence had faded/"Well, what a wretched state of danger we've made here," I thought to me”. There is clear anger against the government and those on high but, because of the way Run the Jewels write and how they deploy language, there is so much depth and new possibilities in their words! I was picturing all sorts of different images and twisted scenes as El-P delivered. Josh Homme’s presence is not too obvious in the early stages, but I can detect his guitar yearning, and I think he pitches in with some wordless vocals at various points during the first verse – adding in a little bit of cool and spice when required. “You will not travel towards the light if they're in charge of your departure/You'd think the universe forgot us the way the cursed pitch their product (Woo)/As though our spirit's not a fire that can't be snuffed or turned to dollars”. There are few acts that have a way with words like Run the Jewels. Where it is easier to unpick lines and get to the core of a song when faced with something plainer, the complexity and beautiful language through pulling the pin means I was not trying to decode every line and get deep down.

Instead, I was letting the words swim in the blood, and I was lost in my imagination. There is outrage, for sure, and the feeling that history is repeating itself; America (and the world) making the same mistakes and allowing corruption and bigotry to rule. There is this feeling that wealth is ruling, and that people are being trampled down. I like the fact that there is the odd lick and utterance from Josh Homme, before we get a full verse of Mavis Staples. Her introduction is inspired, and she offers a different tone to that of El-P; her words cut to the core and are filled with emotion and meaning:  “And at best, I'm just getting it wrong/And at worst, I've been right from the start/It hurts, I'm bein' torn apart/There's a grenade in my heart and the pin is in their palm/There's a grenade/There's a grenade/A grenade”. I adore Staples’ voice, and she is such a powerful and striking force. Mavis Staples’ wrought and hugely expressive verse then seamlessly blends into Killer Mike’s verse. There is a feeling that, as ever, evil reigns and the good and virtuous are being snuffed and torn apart. I love the switch from El-P’s vocal sound and tone to that of Mavis Staples, then to Killer Mike – the various waves and gear changes makes the song even more impactful. Killer Mike is definitely in a troubled state of mind: “At best, I feel difficult, poor and you pitiful/Then every day's like a satanic ritual/Beautiful soul with the rogue and the criminal/How long must the holy hold onto they principles?/Kickin' and screamin' while watchin' the demons…”. Killer Mike’s delivery is more frantic than that of El-P and Staples, so you get this very tangible feel of the song racing and intensifying. Not only does Killer Mike’s verse name-check/shame Jimmy Saville (unexpected and random), but it contains some of the most alarming and enflamed words Run the Jewels have put to paper – “The devils, they do the despicable/And still, they move like they invincible/These filthy criminals sit at the pinnacle”. After a brief pause, Mavis Staples comes back to the fore and offers something different in pace/tone but no less sobering and thought-provoking! Her input is essential, and I like how Homme, whilst not heard that much vocally, definitely makes an impact – and he is credited as a writer and producer on pulling the pin. It is a phenomenal track from one of 2020’s best and most important albums. With tracks like pulling the pin, Run the Jewels have created a work of sheer brilliance!

PHOTO CREDIT: Cooper Neill/Getty Images

I want to wrap up by, not only recommending that you listen to RTJ4 and buy it when it comes out physically in September – visit Run the Jewels’ homepage and you can see links of where you can pre-order the album -, but I wanted to return to the solidity and brotherhood of the duo. I think we will see many more years of Killer Mike and El-P making music of the very highest order! You can listen to any of their four albums, and there is something very special and impossible-to-fake about their music. They were asked by GQ about Run the Jewels’ continued necessity and popularity – and why their music still resonates and connects with people:

“I think times of crisis can be moments where a lot of us reflect on what we’re choosing to invest our time and resources in. As artists who are decades into your respective careers, with success and the ability to do any number of things, what about continuing to release music as Run the Jewels feels vital? What has brought you both back for a fourth time?

El-P: Because it's fucking magic! It's magical! And no matter what me and Mike go through, no matter how hard it can be sometimes, we know that it's just magic. And we're not fucking done yet! We always said that we'd do four records at a bare minimum. The EPMD four classic album model.

Killer Mike: All the greatest groups had four classics: EPMD, OutKast, 8Ball & MJG, UGK. LIke, it's magic and it's fun and most human beings fuck shit up by getting in their own way. And I think that El and I, more than anything, have avoided our own egos and we've grown. We said we had to do four classic records just before we were a real group, you know what I mean? So, four is just the beginning of Run the Jewels. With Run the Jewels 4 dropping we are finally in the big leagues now.

I haven’t had this much fun making music since I was a child. And anything that makes me feel 15 and comes off this raw and rugged and hip-hop and in your face? I'm not stopping this shit ‘til it's over. I'll stop when I'm dead.

El-P: Motherfuckers are really just gonna have to accept the fact that this is not like a fucking ego project. This is what we do. Run the Jewels is what we do! That's it—until this shit is unbearable and Mike can't stand me and I can't stand him anymore”.

I am not sure whether the guys will be able to do much touring this year; keep an eye on their socials to see what is happening. I know they will be busy next year, so go and see them play if you can! Do go and listen to RTJ4 as, not only is it one of this year’s most powerful and essential albums; it is a record that has so much hope to offer – as is common with any and every Run the Jewels album. You come away feeling more determined to see change; more aware of the world around you but, also, more inspired and energised. It is a fantastic album that just goes to show that we need Run the Jewels…

NOW more than ever.

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Follow Run the Jewels

TRACK REVIEW: Courtney Marie Andrews - It Must Be Someone Else's Fault

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Courtney Marie Andrews

It Must Be Someone Else's Fault

9.4/10

 

The track, It Must Be Someone Else's Fault, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ueCQX67wHYo

GENRES:

Indie/Country/Americana

ORIGIN:

Arizona, U.S.A.

LABEL:

Fat Possum Records

RELEASE DATE:

27th May, 2020

The album, Old Flowers, is released on 24th July, 2020 through Loose Music. Pre-order here:

https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/courtney-marie-andrews/old-flowers

TRACKLISTING:

1. Burlap String

2. Guilty

3. If I Told

4. Together or Alone

5. Carnival Dream

6. Old Flowers

7. Break the Spell

8. It Must Be Someone Else’s Fault

9. How You Get Hurt

10. Ships in the Night

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IT has been enjoyable writing reviews…

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PHOTO CREDIT: Lindsey Grace Whiddon

over various weekends, as it allows me a chance to delve deep into a particular song/artist. Other sites are putting out reviews which are quite brief, but I do prefer to be expansive and look at more than just the song itself. In the case of Courtney Marie Andrews, there is a lot of fascinating stuff that I want to look into; I will come to her new song, It Must Be Someone Else’s Fault, but I am relatively new to Andrews and her music. The first subject I want to look at is Andrews’ upbringing and her early life. The American songwriter has come a log way over the past few years, and I am fascinated seeing how she started out and which artists have moved her. When she spoke with Songwriting Magazine in 2018, we learned more about her rise and formative years:

“Hailing from Phoenix, Arizona, award-winning singer-songwriter Courtney Marie Andrews is an authentic voice in the flourishing Americana scene. With a sound that has elements of folk, country, indie-folk – and, more recently, gospel, R ‘n’ B and soul on latest album May Your Kindness Remain – her emotionally raw songs and honest heartfelt lyrics have received major acclaim including winning International Artist of the Year at the 2018 Americana UK Awards.

Having toured extensively over the past decade since leaving her hometown at 16, Courtney has been a backing singer and session guitarist for established artists, including Damien Jurado and Jimmy Eat World and brought out a number of solo releases since 2008. The self-produced Honest Life, released in 2016 was a breakthrough record earning widespread critical acclaim. Recalling the classic troubadours of the past, the album’s 10 songs are full of beautiful arrangements, exemplary confessional storytelling and tender emotion.

How did you discover your gift for songwriting?

“I’ve always really loved literature and poetry. It’s funny because as a kid I liked both writing. I wanted to be both an author and I wanted to be a singer and I didn’t realise that you could both in one career. When I found that out it was really, really nice.”

Your songs have that timeless storytelling quality of the great songwriters from the Laurel Canyon era. Who were your music heroes growing up? Any there any particular songs or records from that period you admire?

“Pretty much all my biggest heroes are the songwriters; Joni Mitchell and Lucinda Williams. I mean Blue, of course, is like one of the all-time records and obviously Neil Young has a handful of really incredible records. Carly Simon. [Carole King’s seminal album] Tapestry. There are so many classic records I’m inspired by”.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Kendall Rock

I do not want to take too much from others when giving my opinions on Courtney Marie Andrews, but there are some great interviews around, and she is a brilliant artist that warrants deeper exploration and affection. It is that start in life and earlier years that really interests me. I think we all sort of take artists for granted and assume that they grew up in quite comfortable and ordinary circumstances. When reading an interview Andrews gave to FADER in 2018, it is amazing to think of what Andrews went through and how her life changed at a young age:

“Andrews grew up outside of Phoenix, Arizona with her mom, who worked two jobs, and a rotating cast of cousins. Early on, she learned a lot about the relationship between mental illness and poverty; she’s lost several family members to suicide. “I’ve always known I was a feminist,” she says. “Then a girlfriend in middle school introduced me to riot grrrl.” Andrews’s first band was called Massacre in a Miniskirt; they debuted live in a carport. “I was the one in the band who’d come with full songs written, and someone said that, stripped-down, they sounded folk-y,” she recalls. “I thought folk was boring old people music, then I realized it’s a platform to tell stories, emotionally and politically. Then I was like, ‘This is my music — I never knew’”.

Although Andrews is in her late-twenties now, she has been in the music industry for a while, and she had that passionate and determination as a teenager. Not only was Courtney Marie Andrews’ childhood quite challenging at times; it seems like some of her earliest gigs and touring days were quite difficult. Taking from this article at the Killing Moon website in 2018, I smiled at a question Andrews was asked about a tour she embarked upon at the age of sixteen:

“KM: At the tender age of sixteen you embarked on your first tour, even sleeping under bridges to make ends meet. What was that like?

C: Those years were pretty magical because it wasn’t a business. It was an adventure, and I was still so young with so much to learn about music. I wouldn’t trade those years for anything. They still cling to my core and define me in a lot of ways. The free-ness of the open road, and the endless well of friends and stories. They taught me how to be a road warrior and how to be grateful for whatever opportunities come my way”.

It is wonderful seeing how far Andrews has come and how hard she has worked! America has changed rapidly over the past few days, and riots have been happening all over the country. After the murder of George Floyd, we have seen so much anger and disgust. Floyd’s murder once again brought the problem of racism to the fore; a man who was killed for no other reasons beside the fact that he was black. I mention this, as Courtney Marie Andrews has always written about hope in her song, even when her country is being led by the disreputable Donald Trump. I wonder how she is reacting to the current situation, especially in the midst of the Covid-19 crisis. Her previous studio album, May Your Kindness Remain, discussed the idea of big dreams and hopes in an America that battles with poverty and struggle. In this interview with The Telegraph, Andrews discussed hopefulness and struggle in America:

“There’s a prominent stamp of hopefulness in America, even in the midst of poverty and depression,” she says. “I mean, that sounds really sad but it’s like a lot of Americans have these larger-than-life dreams. I see it in my family, and the places I tour. It’s double-edged. So many people buying lottery tickets, or getting addicted to the casino, like one day they’ll have all this money and it will solve everything. And somehow forgetting the values that already make them rich, which are kindness and love. There’s a kind of shadow culture, that I guess Trump represents, an illusion that distracts us from what we really want out of life”.

Andrews has a new album, Old Flowers, out very soon, and I wonder whether there will be a lot of reaction to the continued controversy of Donald Trump and how, in 2020, there is this ambition among a lot of Americans to escape a harder life and dream big. I mention her previous album, as it was celebrated, and it is a moving and profound record that has almost taken on greater relevance a couple of years later.

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May Your Kindness Remain, I feel, is an album that seems more powerful this week than it did back in 2018; like Andrews knew that things in America would intensify and Trump would not make any real progress and radical change! When she spoke with FADER , Andrews talked about the compassionate spirit against adversity and trouble. It is almost, in a way, like she was discussing America during the war of The Great Depression. Instead, this was a reflection on modern politics and a divide running through her nation, where one of the world’s most powerful humans was leading the country in an awfully bad way:

“Ultimately, Andrews says May Your Kindness Remain is about loving through depression in the age of Donald Trump. “Border,” the oldest song on the new record, is inspired by former Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, a bigot and sadist who Andrews used to protest against in Phoenix. She’s also influenced by Hillbilly Elegy, the memoir of crisis-stricken Appalachia that made J.D. Vance an in-demand explainer of impoverished whites’ attraction to Trump. Not that her style is so didactic; “Two Cold Nights in Buffalo” is about how municipal disinvestment destroys communities, but it lures listeners with a rich, seemingly apolitical stanza: “Stuck in nickel city on the tainted side of a coin / El Niño brought a blizzard, Greyhound brought a boy”.

There are lots of things to love about Courtney Marie Andrews, but I listen back to her albums – especially May Your Kindness Remain -, and I adore her observations and the characters we find in her song. I have not mentioned genre and her style of music, but it sort of sits between Country and Americana. In that spirit, Andrews reflects ordinary, everyday America in extraordinary detail. You listen to her songs and they are so vivid and rich. The song I am about to review, It Must Be Someone Else’s Fault, has these wonderful lyrics and this sense of immersion, and I think Old Flowers will follow from May Your Kindness Remain in its narratives and lyrical nature.

I want to nod, as I will a few more times, back to Andrews’ previous album and how incredible it was. In her interview with The Telegraph, we discover more about Andrews’ style and how she approaches songwriting:

“Andrews has a gift for building character and narrative through everyday observations on such affecting songs as Two Cold Nights in Buffalo, Rough Around the Edges and I’ve Hurt Worse. “You can find songs anywhere. I look for stories in my family and the people I meet. I feel better every time I write a song. It’s sort of this balancing mechanism for my mind.” She doesn’t think of herself as a political writer, though, more a chronicler of “the downhome America” that she loves. “You always have to have a little bit of yourself in something for it to be real. If you’re just pulling things out of a hat people can tell it’s forced. I feel like audiences know if you’re being honest.”

Andrews is a major talent, in this for the long haul. “I’m an old man when it comes to music,” she says, citing the influence of Bob Dylan, Tom Waits, John Prine and Neil Young. “Songs don’t have a gender,” she says, though she is also a huge fan of Lucinda Williams, Joni Mitchell and Carly Simon. She feels she has suffered from sexism and chauvinism throughout her career, and is thrilled about the #MeToo movement. “I’ve been hit on in inappropriate ways, in working situations, like it was just to be expected. I’ve been talked down to for so long, you barely even notice. But finally, I think there’s been an awakening of the collective consciousness. Change is happening. It’s pretty cool”.

There are a couple of other subjects I want to strike off the list before I get to reviewing Andrews’ new track. There is a new album on its way, and I was keen to discover more about this hotly-anticipated release. I am a big fan of May Your Kindness Remain, so I was eager to know what inspired Old Flowers and how it differs from its predecessor. In this article, we discover more about the forthcoming record:

“Created in the aftermath of a long-term relationship, Old Flowers features Andrews’ most vulnerable writing to date on ten new songs that chronicle her journey through heartbreak, loneliness and finding herself again after it all. Produced by Andrew Sarlo (Bon Iver, Big Thief), the album was recorded at Sound Space Studio and features only three musicians: Andrews (vocals, acoustic guitar, piano), Twain’s Matthew Davidson (bass, celeste, mellotron, pedal steel, piano, pump organ, wurlitzer, background vocals) and Big Thief’s James Krivchenia (drums, percussion). Already receiving critical acclaim, MOJO Magazine declares, “With the voice of Linda Ronstadt and the songwriting gifts of Joni Mitchell, there simply isn’t anything to dislike about Old Flowers”

It seems that Old Flowers, as the title suggests, is about loving people who have been in your life a while; people you cannot be with. Whereas a lot of mainstream artists describe love in a very cliched and unambitious manner, Andrews has this incredible talent, as she can make subjects of love, desire, and loss sound fresh and completely hypnotic. I cannot wait to hear Old Flowers, as it sounds like it is shaping up to be one of Andrews’ most moving and brilliant works. Alongside producer Andrew Sarlo, it seems like we are in for a real treat! This Rolling Stone article reveals more about Old Flowers’ themes and how it differs from May Your Kindness Remain:  

“Old Flowers is about heartbreak,” she says. “There are a million records and songs about that, but I did not lie when writing these songs. This album is about loving and caring for the person you know you can’t be with. It’s about being afraid to be vulnerable after you’ve been hurt. It’s about a woman who is alone, but okay with that, if it means truth. This was my truth this year — my nine-year relationship ended and I’m a woman alone in the world, but happy to know herself.”

Sarlo added, “Before we got to the studio, we agreed to prioritize making this record as cathartic and minimal as possible — focusing on Courtney’s voice and her intention behind the songs. Because of this, the record is all about performance. I believe a great recording is the chemistry between everything during basics and the ability to feel something happening instead of obsessing over the perfect take. Courtney embraced this approach and we ended up with a raw, natural and human record”.

I want to finish this pre-review segment by bringing in a quote Andrews provided regarding audiences from different parts of the world; we will hopefully see Andrews come to the U.K. very soon - and there is a lot of love for her here.

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Andrews’ music takes in Indie and Americana, but I think, at its heart, there is this Country flavour. The Country music scene is fantastic, but it has always had a problem with sexism. Maybe things are improving, but the statistic are still not great. I am not sure what the situation is like for Andrews, but I am sure she has faced discrimination like many of her peers in Country music. Looking at an article on the U.S.A. Today website, and it is unsettling seeing what a discrepancy there is:

“Songs recorded by women constitute just 10% of all songs played on country radio stations, according to a report published last week. That has women in country music and all who care about fairness on the airwaves up in arms.

“Depending on the time of day a listener tunes in to their station, (10% is) barely enough to be heard. It’s certainly not enough exposure to become known, to build a fan base, to climb charts, to gain enough recognition to have access to opportunities and resources within the industry,” wrote University of Ottawa professor Jada Watson, who partnered with cable network CMT on the report.

In addition, female artists tend to get that airplay in off-hours when a station’s audience is smaller, according to Watson.

A recent USC Annenberg journalism school study also found that the average age of top male performing artists was 42; the average for the top female artists was 29.

While many country music institutions appear to be rallying for women — this year’s Country Music Association Awards was an example — country radio isn’t budging.

It was early in 2015 that a group of women in the recording industry in Nashville held the first meeting of “Change the Conversation,” dedicated to giving women an equal voice in country radio.

“Male artists have always dominated country radio 70/30, but over the last decade, the percentages for females have dropped dramatically,” Leslie Fram, a member of the group and senior vice president of music strategy for CMT, told me in an interview. “It leads to a cycle of fewer women getting signed, fewer female songwriters getting publishing deals and fewer women on tours. it’s tough to get on a tour if you don’t have a song on the radio”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jacob Bickenstaff

There are women in the industry fighting back, but I do wonder why, in 2020, there is still this problem. It does appear like there is hope of improvement on the horizon, but so many women in Country have to face barriers and resistance. Courtney Marie Andrews is an artist who has faced sexism through her career, and I wonder whether an album like Old Flowers will get the exposure it deserves when it arrives in July. Feminism has played a role in Andrews’ music for a long time; she has faced these problems, but Andrews is definitely in control and not someone who accepts prejudice lying down. She was asked about sexism and feminism in an interview with Student Newspaper:

“Feminism especially has always been an important part of your music. How does it feel to be a woman in the music business?

A lot of times people just assumed that I couldn’t set up my guitar or mike. I heard ‘What do we have to do for you?’. Even when it wasn’t outspoken, I felt the vibe ‘you can’t do this.’ I’m really stubborn, I wanted to do everything myself and prove that I could. I’m in a band with guys and it often goes straight to them when it’s me who’s headlining. I’m just as capable as men. We’re hitting US and Europe now – with me as a girl boss”.

I was going to talk about her touring and coming to the U.K., but I will leave that until the end, as I have put quite a bit of information out there, and I am keen to review It Must Be Someone Else’s Fault. The reason, as I mentioned earlier, why I have included interviews and various different details is to get a bigger picture of the artist and where she came from; to give more context to her music and, hopefully, draw more people the way of Courtney Marie Andrews. I am excited about the upcoming album, Old Flowers, and the new track, It Must Be Someone Else’s Fault, is fantastic.

I love the introduction to It Must Be Someone Else’s Fault. We get this heartbeat of a drum and some gorgeous, plaintive yearning vibes that gives the track so much atmosphere and promise early on. Before Andrews has delivered a note, I was drifting into the song and imagining various scenes unfold. Andrews has such a fantastic voice, where she is able to elicit so many emotions and aspects pretty naturally. “Hollywood and Vine/Passing through your neighbourhood” is how the song starts out, and it made me wonder what the lyrics refer to. I know that Hollywood and Vine is the intersection of Hollywood Boulevard and Vine Street in Hollywood, and maybe it represents a loftier, more starry setting passing through quite a rural or suburban location - a clash of the glitzy and the mundane. Andrews explains how she had a feeling she should have stopped by; to “Feed you a line from someone old romance book”. It made me wonder whether Andrews was referring to an old friend or someone that she used to be close to. It seems like the two have not spoken for years, and the way Andrews delivers the lines makes me think that, perhaps, this is a former friend and the two drifted because they are in different parts of the country. I love how she casually tosses in a line asking whether he/she still plays in a Rock band, or whether they have taken up a new love. It does appear like these two were close and on the same page, but something has pushed them in different directions. I was thinking more about a friendship rather than a relationship, and the quite minimalist composition allows Andrews’ voice to deliver without too much encroachment. I do like how the composition adds some pace and texture, but the vocal is very much at the front. Just before we get to the chorus, I was convinced of my opinions regarding the lyrical origins and meanings.

In the chorus, Andrews says that it must be someone else’s fault; someone else’s heart “who tainted mine”. Maybe there is some blame coming the way of our heroine. Perhaps there was this relationship a while ago; one that seemed quite strong but, for some reason, things have gone sour. In the video, we see Andrews moving and reaching out. We cut to a girl who is sort of mirroring her actions, which made me wonder whether that was representing Andrews now and then; maybe this was a childhood friendship or love that has been lost? It is a fascinating video that raises some theories and makes you wonder. In the chorus, Andrews’ voice is at its most impassioned and powerful. Her delivery is beautiful throughout, and I was really immersed in the song and trying to get to the bottom of the ‘mystery’. The more I played It Must Be Someone Else’s Fault, the more I learn.

PHOTO CREDIT: @mlesprg

The second verse is incredible, and Andrews’ songwriting style and language is so powerful. “Feels like I’ve gone crazy/Like the women in my family usually do/We can’t seem to keep our heads on/Long enough to make it through”, on paper, makes you smile a bit, but Andrews delivers the words in such a potent and emotional manner. Those words make me feel like there is a history in her family of relationships and friendships imploding because of an impatience or a restlessness. I keep switching between feelings that Andrews is trying to rekindle a childhood friendship, or this is a former lover who slipped away for silly reasons. Andrews is incredibly honest and open through the song. Whereas a lot of songwriters go on the attack or point fingers, Andrews is looking at her faults and taking some responsibility – even if it seems like the other party has not been entirely good-natured and loyal.

PHOTO CREDIT: Lindsey Grace Whiddon

“But I’m still sensitive and stubborn/Still cry more than a person should” are lyrics that really make an impact, but I was thinking whether Andrews was talking directly about herself, or maybe putting words in the mouth of the other person; maybe suggesting they have been a bit over-sensitive. I do feel like Andrews is referring to herself, which makes those words all the more stirring! There is a feeling inside her that has changed. Maybe she is not the woman she was, and she cannot go back to how things were. It is striking to hear how Andrews is sort of beating herself up a bit, or she is just at a point where she cannot keep her feelings and flaws buried away. I wonder who the other person is who seems to have tainted her heart and has caused a lot of pain. In the video, an older woman is seen on a stage, as she, like the girl from earlier, moves her arms and dances. Perhaps this woman represents someone in Andrews’ family, or it is an older version of the heroine; knowing she might not change and will always carry problems with her. I might be misreading the lyrics, but I have listened back a few times and really tried to dig deep. Courtney Marie Andrews’ voice is amazingly evocative and stunning throughout, and I cannot wait to see what else comes from Old Flowers. It is clearly going to be an amazing album, and I feel Andrews grows as a writer and performer with every album. There is nobody quite like her out there, and I know there are other artists out there who are being inspired and want to follow in her footsteps. It Must Be Someone Else’s Fault is another extraordinary song from one of the music world’s most special talents.

PHOTO CREDIT: Laura E. Partain

I am not sure what Courtney Marie Andrews has planned regarding gigs this year, but there are some dates that I think she will be able to perform. There is a lot of appreciation for her music here, so I wonder whether we will get to see her music this year and next. When she spoke with Guitar Girl Magazine in 2018, she was asked about the U.K. audiences and how they differ to U.S. ones:

“Do you find that the UK audiences are more responsive to your performances, or do you find it the same or actually opposite?

Courtney: I think it changes city to city. I do feel like there is a fascination with foreigners in general, just anywhere you go.

Just being an American, going over there is sort of exciting. But, based on this tour that we just did, the audiences were just as attentive and sweet over here [US]. I do definitely feel like the caliber with which the hospitality and the treating of artists tends to be better over there. They take care of you a little bit more, just in general. I feel like, of course, there are exceptions to that statement, but people are more hungry for music over there, for live music. I think people go out to shows more and enjoy that more. It’s a social event.

I will say that the audiences that I had on this last US tour were really just great, attentive, and supportive, and sweet”.

It is a very strange time at the moment, and we are going through a challenging time that, eventually, will pass. I hope that things are okay with Courtney Marie Andrews. She is living in a country that is experiencing riots and so much hatred at the moment. Things are escalating quite badly, and I am not sure what will happen in the coming days. She will be looking ahead to Old Flowers’ release in July, and I think it will be one of 2020’s best releases. Andrews is one of the best artists around, and I love everything about her music. I have dug back into her back catalogue, and I am finding Andrews’ songs sticking in the head; they keeping coming up in my mind, as they have that addictive and nuanced quality that you do not find with every artist! Make sure you follow Courtney Marie Andrews on social media and go and pre-order Old Flowers. Andrews is a musical treasure, an inspiring human, and a simply…

PHOTO CREDIT: Lindsey Grace Whiddon

SENSATIONAL songwriter.

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Follow Courtney Marie Andrews

TRACK REVIEW: Phoebe Bridgers - I See You

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Phoebe Bridgers

I See You

 

9.6/10

 

The track, I See You, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDGWhJmnack  

GENRES:

Indie-Rock/Folk-Rock

ORIGIN:

Los Angeles, U.S.A

LABEL:

Dead Oceans

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The album, Punisher, is available from 19th June. Pre-order it here:

https://www.roughtrade.com/gb/phoebe-bridgers/punisher/lp-plus

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AS I battle through the…

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PHOTO CREDIT: Lindsay Ellary

inevitable itchy eyes and streaming nose that hay fever brings, I am trying to put that to the back of my mind as I write about one of my favourite artists. There is a lot to unpack when it comes to Phoebe Bridgers - and I wanted to start with some general impressions. To me, she is one of the coolest and most talented artists around right now. I always think Bridgers could make an incredible actor – I am know that I am already going off on a tangent! She has this gravitas and aura that would translate well to the screen. Whether she was in an Indie film or starring in a Netflix series, I could see her lighting up the screen. Not only is Bridgers this captivating presence and wonderful musician, she has so many levels and depths that makes her far more arresting and inspiring than so many of her peers. Before I move onto that, I want to bring up another cool thing about Bridgers. Artists cannot tour right now, so many are making do streaming from home and stuff like that. Bridgers is not content to do the standard performance, though. As NME reported, Bridgers is turning her home into a sort of world tour circuit:

“As well as sharing the new cut, Bridgers has also announced a live-streamed ‘world tour’ which will see the singer perform in various rooms around her home. The run will begin next Tuesday (May 26) with a show broadcast direct from Bridgers’ kitchen.

This comes after Bridgers was forced to cancel her 2020 tour dates due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak”.

I will discuss Bridgers as a artist who can assume various guises and collaborate quite freely. One of her most notable collaborators is Conor Oberst (Bright Eyes). I want to explore other angles and avenues, as I think the fact Bridgers is such a compelling artist is because she expands her horizons and picks up something fresh from other artists/collaborations she can bring to her own world.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Molly Matalon

Conor Oberst and Phoebe Bridgers are part of Better Oblivion Community Center, and I think that the work she has done with Oberst is stunning. The New Yorker ran a fascinating interview with Bridgers (conducted a few days ago) where Oberst was mentioned:  

“Conor Oberst, of Bright Eyes, was in the audience. He and Bridgers met when she was added to a bill he was part of at the Bootleg Theatre, in Los Angeles, in 2016; two years later, they made an album together, as Better Oblivion Community Center. “Right when I heard her start to sing, I felt like I was reuniting with an old friend,” Oberst said, of their first encounter.

Bridgers was brought up with the music of Laurel Canyon—the nimble but vulnerable folk songs that proliferated on the West Coast in the nineteen-seventies, when writers like Joni Mitchell began exploring parallel ideas of domesticity and unease—but she came of age listening to emo, a subgenre of punk rock focussed on disclosure and catharsis. Oberst is one of its most beloved practitioners. “I went directly into Bright Eyes as a teen-ager,” Bridgers said”.

I think I will come back to collaborations a bit more later – apologies, as this will not be the most cohesive and linear review! -, as it is rare for an artist – especially a fairly new one – to work on other projects and have that sort of ambition and curiosity. I opened by mentioning how fascinating Bridgers is, and how she sort of radiates this cool. I was delving around and trying to find some information regarding her start and what her family are like. Again, I think one can learn a lot about an artist and their process when they head back in time and look at the environment that they grew up in. This might seem needlessly forensic and deep for a single review, but I think Bridgers is an artist that we should all know; I love the fact that, as the New Yorker interview reveals, music came into Bridgers’ life at an early stage:

“Bridgers was born in Los Angeles on August 17, 1994, and grew up in Pasadena. Her father built sets for film and television, and her mother, Jamie, held a series of jobs—receptionist, executive assistant—while raising Bridgers and her younger brother, Jackson. “If we’d lived anywhere else, we’d have been very solidly middle class,” Bridgers said. “But in Pasadena all my friends’ parents were directors or actors.” Bridgers started playing guitar seriously around age thirteen, after Jamie tried to get her to learn piano. “I fucking hated being forced to do something. Reading music felt like math homework,” she said. “Guitar was my rebellion.”

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PHOTO CREDIT: Lera Pentelute

Jamie drove her to classes at the Folk Music Center, in Claremont, and her father introduced her to the cerebral, shaggy-haired singer-songwriters who came to inform her sound. “He was pretty sensitive about money, and he didn’t love it when I was taking guitar lessons,” she said. “But, as far as music goes, he’s the one who listened to Tom Waits, he’s the one who listened to Jackson Browne.”

Music became a haven, a break from having to parse her experiences. “It’s intangible, which I love,” she said. “What I find hard about visual art is being in a gallery thinking, Do I like this? Why don’t I like this? Why do my friends like this? Am I supposed to look at this for fifteen more seconds?”

In 2009, Bridgers began attending the music program at the Los Angeles County High School for the Arts. She started dyeing her hair unnatural colors, and, later, shaving it off. She was not an especially good student—“I just didn’t get far enough in school to where it was interesting,” she said—but remains grateful for the vocal training that she received there. “Having to sing every day is the best thing you can do for your voice. If I’m on tour and I’m singing every single fucking night, I’m fine, weirdly,” she said. “I turn into the Terminator. A zombie who can sing but not function in society”.

At the moment, life is the same with Bridgers as it is with us all: confined to a relatively small space and limited sphere. I know that she is keeping busy and finding new and inventive ways to play live and put her music out. As her album, Punisher, is out on 19th June, she will be releasing it into the world, and she will not be able to promote in the usual way. I also wonder whether she has some new songs brewing that have been inspired by lockdown and a more isolated life.

I want to bring in another section from that New Yorker interview, as it talks about her current living situation, but it also mentions an artist I will talk more about later: Elliott Smith is someone who has inspired Bridgers more than any other, I would say. I shall move on soon but, as I was reading the interview, I was stopped by a passage that mentioned Smith and Bridgers’ respect for him:

“Bridgers has spent much of the past three years on tour, but when she’s not travelling she lives alone in Silver Lake, a trendy neighborhood on the east side of Los Angeles. The singer and songwriter Elliott Smith, who died of a presumed suicide in 2003, in nearby Echo Park, is one of Bridgers’s favorite musicians. Like Bridgers, Smith seemed possessed by the kind of melancholy that blossoms rather than shrinks when exposed to too much sunshine. The title track from “Punisher”—the term is a jokey pejorative that musicians use to describe the type of overzealous fan who lingers at the merch table a little too long—addresses Bridgers’s deep devotion to Smith. “I wrote a song about how, if Elliott Smith were alive, I probably wouldn’t have been the most fun person for him to talk to,” she explained. “I’m a superfan, and I know way too much about his music. So I wrote that as if I were the punisher”.

I will, as I said, touch upon Elliott Smith more later – some may ask why I cannot do it now; I apologise, once more, for the slightly random ordering of points! -, but Bridgers’ new album is almost out. Following 2017’s remarkable Stranger in the Alps, some might say that Punisher is a difficult second album. Her debut is such an accomplished and memorable record, I feel the only way Bridgers could transition without feeling that overwhelming pressure and expectation is to sort of change course and produce an album that is different.

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It appears that Punisher is going to be a different beast to that of Stranger in the Alps. I found a couple of sites that mention the new album; Bridgers discussing the sound of Punisher and how things will differ from her debut outing. Judging by this article in NME, it seems like there is more intensity on Punisher:

“Speaking to NME about the album last year, Bridgers explained: “The production is totally different to my first record. People still kind of think of me as like a folk artist, but on the first record, I truly was deferring to other people to produce me. I basically had these country-folk songs. [On the new record] I do a little bit of screaming on what we’ve recorded so far”.

 I guess three years has passed since Stranger in the Alps, so it is inevitable Bridgers’ music would have incorporated new elements and shifted a bit. It is rewarding when you see this artist come into the world with a terrific debut and be taken to heart by so many people. Bridgers would have felt encouraged by that, and her extended touring and collaborations would have made an impression when it came to working on the second album. When NME interviewed Bridgers in October of last year, they did ask her about how she had progressed from her debut album:

“Does that make you feel like a very different person and songwriter to that which wrote ‘Stranger In The Alps’?

“I could talk a big game about how I’m not that person or I’m getting far away from those topics, and then I end up with 10 songs that are about depression. I have no idea. I’ve never really been afraid of how people were going to define me, as long as I didn’t write some cheaper song because people like that I’m depressed.”

And what makes the new album different from your debut?

“The production is totally different to my first record. People still kind of think of me as like a folk artist, but on the first record, I truly was deferring to other people to produce me. I basically had these country folk songs. [On the new record] I do a little bit of screaming on what we’ve recorded so far”.

I do want to linger on the subject of the second album, and how Bridgers has changed things this time around. I am keen to explore her latest single release but, before then, I will bring in a feature from DIY where Bridgers discussed Punisher in terms of there being this evolution; there are also bits to the record that are sort of a continuation of Stranger in the Alps:

“From what she’s at liberty to tell us, PB2 could be a goldrush. She mentions a little more of an electronic sound this time, but reassures that anybody who fell in love with ‘Stranger...’ can expect a similar lyrical landscape, strengthened by her experience of working with other people. “Doing boygenius especially definitely changed the songwriting process - the whole ethos of the band was to stop second- guessing yourself,” she says. “I always do this thing where I’m like, ‘Here’s this song, this might suck’. And then I play it and my friends suggest changes, and then I’m like, ‘Oh, I wasn’t serious. I was just being humble, but now you don’t like it…fuck!’. So we talked a lot about not doing that. Just being more… not being a dick, but just trying to be as confident as the people around me.

“There’s bits on this record that do feel weirdly like a sequel,” she continues. “I have a song about being locked out of my house, there’s one about the apocalypse, still lots of death. I basically write the same song over and over and then look to my producers and my bandmates to help me make them sound different. None of it is super surprising to anyone who has listened to my music...”

So nothing on the more uplifting side then? “Ha, no! I mean, the music that I find uplifting is maybe not what other people find uplifting. There are songs which if you were to read them off the page, you’d be like, ‘What the fuck, this is so depressing’. But, listening to them, I think it sounds a little bit more victorious,” she nods”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Lindsay Ellary

Phoebe Bridgers is one of a select few who have the capacity to involve themselves in various musical projects without losing focus and quality. Jack White is someone who amazes me with his work ethic and explorative nature! He went from The White Stripes to solo work, but he has also been in The Raconteurs and The Dead Weather, in addition to producing for other people and being instrumental in Third Man Records. I think that a White-Bridgers hook-up would be pretty awesome – as they seem like two souls who could work very harmoniously with! I am intrigued when it comes to Bridgers and why, when she was starting out, she was sort of already looking at other projects and sort of widening her scope. The afore-quoted NME interview sort of sheds more light:

“Along with the Better Oblivion Community Center album, Bridgers last year also formed boygenius, a supergroup of indie dreams alongside Julien Baker and Lucy Dacus, and the raucous tours around both albums saw her blossom into as much a rockstar as a folk singer.

“I feel like both of those projects have made me feel like the boss of my own music in the best way,” she tells NME during a break in recording ahead of debuting new music from the record for the first time at this weekend’s Mirrors Festival in London. “I’m not afraid to have a really weird idea or, you know, take a really bad guitar solo.”

Were you working a lot on the record before you took time out for the boygenius and Better Oblivion Community Center album?

“Truly. My plans got derailed by those two projects, in the best way. I was planning to go into the studio in the summer of 2018, and then I started two bands! And it was awesome and I’m so glad I did it like that, but we really started [on the new album] after I got off those tours.”

Did being in those bands change how you write songs?

“Yeah, totally. Not even just in recording, but I feel so much more comfortable live. I think the main thing which boygenius and I talk about ad nauseum, is that I feel like I just apologise for myself less. I’m not afraid to have a really weird idea or, you know, take a really bad guitar solo. I’m unafraid of getting made fun of anymore. I feel like both of those projects have made me feel like the boss of my own music in the best way”.

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It is wonderful Bridgers has worked with other artists, and I think it has really added something special to her solo material. I was keen to find out which artists influenced Bridgers herself, and whether there were particular subjects or sources that motivated her lyrical drive. In a brilliant interview with London in Stereo, Bridgers was asked about her influences and lyrics:

“Who do you think are your biggest influences musically?

I can honestly say my friends are my biggest influences. Conor Oberst has been an influence of mine for a long time, and of course more so now that we’re in a band together. I’ve been listening to The People’s Key a lot, getting production ideas and trying to rip him off as subtly as possible. All my best friends are great songwriters:  Christian Lee Hutson, Marshall Vore, Harrison Whitford, Julien Baker, Lucy Dacus… All of them are making my favourite music right now.

And what inspires you most lyrically?

Personal experience. But I think about songs like dreams. They’re kind of about one person, but also sort of this other person, and then they turn into my second grade teacher and then I’m falling off a cliff and then it’s over”.

I have mentioned Elliott Smith a lot but, not to give him too much credit, he does seem to be a muse for Phoebe Bridgers. His album, Figure 8, turned twenty back in April, and it is considered one of his most important works. Maybe the link between Bridgers and Smith is not that obvious but, actually, Smith’s music is paramount to Bridgers. In this interview, the link between Smith and Bridgers is discussed:

“To Bridgers, though, Smith's music is something more than an influence: It's absolutely foundational. "It's like The Beatles to me, and I mean that in every way," she tells me. "If someone doesn't like his music, I actually feel like I'm not going to agree with them about anything. It informs everything I like."

Lindsay Zoladz: I'm 33 now, so I was in high school when Elliott Smith died. I have a pretty vivid memory of it — I definitely wrote a really bummed LiveJournal entry that day. Since you got into his music after he was already gone, I'm curious about your earliest memories of listening to him, and what record you started with.

Phoebe Bridgers: I was in eighth grade. My friend Carla Azar showed me "Kiwi Mad Dog 20/20," which is on Roman Candle. It's a super weird one to start with because it's instrumental. Later, another friend showed me "Waltz #2," which became, and maybe still is, my favorite song of his — I think it just exemplifies his writing. Then I went super deep.

At the time this record came out in 2000, some people were kind of miffed that he'd signed to a major label and started making more elaborate arrangements — like it automatically meant he was selling out. We don't talk about those things in quite the same way anymore, and when you listen to a record like Figure 8 now, that narrative kind of falls away. Was it ever on your radar with him?

Not really. I mean, I hear it's an old folk tale, the idea that someone could sell out. It's such a goofy stance. There's so much less money in music [today] that sometimes getting a car commercial is the only way that you're gonna make money. People don't make nearly as much money as they did in the '90s, so I think it was way more prevalent then. But also, who wants someone to just be lonely and be making records in their basement instead of collaborating with a band and touring and making sounds? I feel that way about it. It's lonely to make records by yourself. I hear a joy in the more jammy songs on this album”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Molly Matalon

I have a couple more points to address before I move to reviewing the track, I See You, and they are slightly darker ones – but I think they are important in terms of Phoebe Bridgers’ work and development. Sexism is something that has blighted the music industry for decades and affected practically every woman. I think the problem for Bridgers has lessened as her career has progressed but, as she revealed to The Skinny in 2018, she has not been immune:

“Bridgers’ notoriety has not come without its frustrations, mostly stemming from the way she's seen herself compared to other women in music right now, whether or not their music bears any sonic resemblance. “I read shit all the time that’s sheer sexism, comparing me to like, Lucy Dacus, like, insert either one of us: 'The Phoebe record blows the Lucy record out of the water,' or 'Lucy Dacus, a fresh take on the Phoebe Bridgers sound.'” It’s an issue that certainly isn’t specific to singer-songwriters.

Take a recent piece from Noisey US in which Kam Franklin, lead singer of the dynamite soul band The Suffers, spoke about how she struggled to get people to pay attention to her group because of comments like: "There’s already one Alabama Shakes," or "There’s already one Sharon Jones." On the plus side, it feels like these comparisons get starved of oxygen quicker than they would have been in the past. Speaking about not only Lucy Dacus, but also Julien Baker, Waxahatchee and Soccer Mommy, Bridgers says: “We’re a scene because we’re all angry about the same shit, and because we all like each other and talk to each other, and because we all send those insane articles back and forth like: 'Oh my god, can you believe this?' I love those people and I’m honoured to be associated with them, but it’s funny when we read shit like that”.

The last thing I want to cross off of the list before moving on concerns Bridgers’ ties with the disgraced songwriter, Ryan Adams – he was accused of sexual abuse (by multiple women) last year. Of course, Bridgers and Adams dated, and she would have learned a lot from him as a musician. It was slightly troubling when Adams was making the news last year and, inevitably, Bridgers was asked about the allegations and whether she faced any issues when they were dating. In the interview from The New Yorker quoted from earlier, that subject was raised:

“When Bridgers was twenty, she briefly dated the singer-songwriter Ryan Adams, who is some twenty years her senior. He produced “Killer,” a three-song EP that Bridgers recorded in 2014 and released on his label, Pax Americana. “We’d had this relationship, and then it soured,” she told me. “I don’t think I even thought of it as abuse at all at the time. I had a crush on him, and he wanted to hook up, and I was, like, ‘Oh, my God, this is so cool, I’m, like, living my best adult life right now.’ Then it went bad, and it was just years and years of thinking about it.” In 2019, Bridgers was one of several women who spoke to the Times about Adams’s abusive and controlling behavior, which included sending predatory messages to an underage fan he’d met online. Through his lawyer, Adams has denied the Times’ “extremely serious and outlandish accusations.”

Bridgers has not heard from Adams since the Times story ran. “There are Twitter accounts that pop up that are, like, ‘You fucking bitch, you sold sex for success’ or whatever, and I’m, like, ‘Is this Ryan?’ That’s never been proven, but every once in a while some weird and specific comment will appear, and I’ll think, Are you starting a million burner accounts and bullying me, or are these just your weird men’s-rights fans?”

I will move on now, as it is time to review a brilliant new single from Phoebe Bridgers in the form of I See You. I am really looking forward to Punisher and, on the strength of the singles (from the album) she has put out so far, it is going to be one of 2020’s best albums.

If one wanted evidence Bridgers has progressed and changed quite a bit since her debut album, the proof comes early on in I See You. There is muted screaming and rumbling percussion. We get a toothy guitar sound that claws and screams, and the whole mood of the introduction is mix of the ardent and the angered. It is a brilliant start, and one is primed for a song that will arrest the senses and open up the mind. Bridgers’ voice has incorporated new elements since her debut album, but the sound is relatively unchanged. She still has this unique tone that can make even the simplest song seem wonderous and full of life. She is, as it is said, laying on the lawn and tired or trying to get into the house. I am not sure whether this is a metaphor, but I took it literally to mean that she has been locked out, or else there has been some sort of emotional conflagration that means she is distancing herself from someone. There seems to be this scent of defeatism that is running through Bridgers’ at the moment. She has been playing dead all of her life – when she gets a good feeling, “It will be the last time”. The composition provides this sonic sense of uncertainty and discomfort that is balanced with Bridgers’ voice; one that contains plenty of beauty but seems to have anxiety nestling in its heart. (I See You lightens in tone as Bridgers explains that when she sees the man/woman, things are better). There seems to be this comfort and safety that comes from the person; a security that she does not get from anyone else. The song moves through different acts. We have come from that great intro through to a sense of isolation and loss; the heroine ends the act with a proffering of this human that is making her more optimistic and fulfilled. To end this first phase, that introduction sound come back: the screaming and evocative sound that, now, has new meaning given its context in the story.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ray Lego for Under the Radar

“If you’re a work of art/I’m standing too close” is a line that intrigued me when I heard it. It is a very clever lyric, and I wonder what it means! Maybe Bridgers feels that, if she starts to rhapsodise and feel too lucky, then they are seeing this person in the wrong light. Maybe some perspective needs to come in – this is just me guessing! Like a lot of Phoebe Bridgers’ work, there is this mix of the emotional and humorous. The heroine sees the brushstrokes of her subject – I love the way her voice/pace changes when delivering certain lines to give them more impact -, and I was caught up in the idea of a lover/friend being a work of art. From the high-brow and artistic, we get a vivid response from Bridgers regarding her subject’s mother – someone that she hates and cannot stand when she opens her mouth. I am not sure why this woman has earned some opprobrium, but I love how earnest and brash Bridgers is in this moment! You raise a smile, and I See You has this real sense of flow and story development. Despite this mother figure being quite ignorant and loud – I can sort of picture the look on Bridgers’ face when she hears this woman speak! -, she seems to be lifted by this restorative person in her life…whether it is a sweetheart or a loyal friend. I do like the fact that we do not know the whole story of this song, and it allows listeners to come to their own conclusions. I immersed myself in the song and was imagining a blend of domestic disharmony – between Bridgers and the mother figure – and the beauty of being with someone who you wholeheartedly trust and feel whole around. Despite the fact Bridgers appears content and sure, the third act of this song seems to find her in a more doubtful mood.

PHOTO CREDIT: Frank Ockenfels

She cannot get her subject to play the drums – whether this is literal or a metaphor for something else? -, and Bridgers only sort of lights up and knows what she wants when she messes things up. The conclusion loops back to this statement: when Bridgers is down or screwing up, seeing this person sort of gives her life and some sort of carapace. Bridgers, near the song’s end, climbs through the window, though not to stand up. She will leave that window open and let the “dystopian morning light” in. I See You is a remarkable song and, in my view, one of the best Bridgers has ever written! You get this fascinating story that runs through, and everyone will wonder what inspired it and how things resolved. To me, we are listening to a woman who is in this new relationship but, despite there being hope, the heroine is still not able to walk without stumbling; she has to face demons in herself and a rather unpleasant person in the form of her lover’s mother. The composition is one of Bridgers’ heaviest and hardest, but it splices beauty and fervency perfectly. Her lyrics are wonderfully quotable and rich - going from the funny and witty to the poetic, before showing real scars and revealing emotions. Phoebe Bridgers amazed me when Stranger in the Alps arrived, but I think she has grown since then and, if it is possible, got even better. She is one of the finest artists in the world, I feel – I See You proves this in spades!  

Keep abreast of Bridgers’ social media channels, as she will be delivering some unique gigs from the comfort of her own home. I like the fact that she will be using various rooms as stages and, at this difficult time, artists are having to adapt and do the best with the limitations they have. It is important that we continue to support musicians right now - go and buy as much of their music as we possibly can. I am not sure what the rest of 2020 holds regarding gig plans; I suspect Bridgers will do some more home gigs, and she will be making plans for next year. Make sure you pre-order your copy of Punisher (a link is available at the top of this review), and support one of the best artists of her generation. I will wrap things up in a minute, but I think Phoebe Bridgers is an amazing artist and someone who will enjoy many more years in the industry. I loved her debut, Stranger in the Alps, and Punisher is shaping up to be a truly exceptional album! There are few artists like Bridgers around, and I love how she can work in other bands and have this sort of renaissance vibe to her. 2020 for her, like all artists, has been a strange one, but there is the album to look forward to. It has been great reviewing I See You; one of the best tracks from this year so far. On 19th June, Punisher will be unleashed into the world, and I think we are all…

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PHOTO CREDIT: Morgan Martinez for Hooligan Magazine

IN for a real treat.

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Follow Phoebe Bridgers 

TRACK REVIEW: Kamasi Washington - Fashion Then and Now

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Kamasi Washington

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PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Fink

Fashion Then and Now

 

9.6/10

 

The track, Fashion Then and Now, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SQceRYhdvFA

The album, Becoming (Music from the Netflix Original Documentary), is out now. Stream it here:

https://open.spotify.com/album/03ZDW1rnnecmoDBmRXt3A1?si=zdG-DiGqRyiImktODP9DRA

RELEASE DATE:

15th May, 2020

GENRE:

Jazz

ORIGIN:

Los Angeles, U.S.A.

LABEL:

Shoto Mas Inc.

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I have not done a review for a while…

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and it is good to come back to them. This is going to be a little different to other reviews because, as you will hear from the song I am featuring, it is instrumental. Kamasi Washington is one of the finest Jazz musicians in the world, and he has contributed music for Becoming (Music from the Netflix Original Documentary). I will mention that later and its ties to Michelle Obama, but I wanted to concentrate on Washington as being this great Jazz pioneer. We get this impression – or many of us do – of Jazz being rather old-school and static; never really engaging people or having real flow. I guess there is some Jazz that is quite dry and hard to bond with but, over the years, the genre has diversified and expanded. Right now, there are groups like The Comet Is Coming and Melt Yourself Down who are taking Jazz in new directions. There is so much variation and excitement to be found; music that is as memorable and accomplished as any other. Kamasi Washington has been putting albums out for a while, and I think he is at the forefront of modern Jazz. When he put out his Heaven and Earth album out a couple of years ago, I think that is when the crown was firmly placed on his head. It is a remarkable album of two different halves: almost cinematic in its scope, power, and transcendental aura. It is a remarkable work, and a lot of people were eager to speak with him and learn more about this striking figurehead. The Guardian caught up with Washington and shed more light on a titan musician:

“For now, however, Washington is the man credited with leading a jazz revival in the past few years, usually in a dashiki tunic and an array of medallions. He was one of the leading instrumentalists who contributed to Kendrick Lamar’s landmark album To Pimp a Butterfly in 2015, which helped bring contemporary jazz to a new audience. Washington’s own debut, a triple-disc album fittingly called The Epic, swiftly followed, continuing Lamar’s themes of black American identity and leading one critic to write that Washington is “the jazz voice of Black Lives Matter”. He’s also been called a jazz celebrity, who has the star power to launch an EP with an installation at a venerable museum (last year’s Harmony of Difference, at the Whitney in New York).

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Washington grew up in South Central Los Angeles, which after the 1992 riots became a shorthand for “ghetto”. His mother is a science teacher, his father a music teacher, and he started playing sax at 13 (his dad also plays flute in his son’s touring band). Washington and Ronald Bruner Jr – one of his two drummers and the brother of bassist/songwriter/vocalist Thundercat – would call each other on the phone to boast about how much they’d each practised that day. “There’s a sense of urgency that you get growing up where we grew up,” says Washington. “I hate to talk about it in that sense because it’s a really beautiful place but there’s pressure to become a gangster, or to be poor.”

Music, he says, was “one of the paths to success that you feel you have access to in my neighbourhood. Because it doesn’t always feel like you have access to all of them. When you find something that you’re good at, you definitely have a motivation to become great at it, because that’s your way to overcome these stereotypes.” A tight sense of community and a vibrant local music scene was influential, too. At the same time as listening to west coast hip-hop, Washington was hanging out in Leimert Park, a largely African area of LA, which is home to the nonprofit performing arts club World Stage, where he first saw Sanders play.

His music, he says, can’t help but be politically charged “because I’m living on this earth. I don’t know how you can live on this planet, with all the information that is so readily accessible, and not be concerned with what people are doing. I feel like we’re at a crossroads where society’s going to choose to either go in a direction that’s going to lead to the world being a more universally fair place, or less, or it’s going to go backwards, to what we did in the past. Society’s pushing towards this idea of fairness, love and compassion. But then we have, you know, Trump and Brexit. As musicians we have one of the greatest tools of bringing people together in music. So, I wouldn’t say [it’s a] responsibility but we have an opportunity to sway things one way or the other, you know?”

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PHOTO CREDIT: Nina Cocoran

It is interesting to see how Jazz has evolved through the years. From the 1980s and 1990s, Hip Hop and Rap artists were splicing Jazz into their music - bringing it to a new audience whilst keeping it authentic. Kendrick Lamar is an artist who has managed to take Jazz in a new direction and seamlessly fuse it into a Rap setting. Similarly, Kamasi Washington has done something as remarkable with Jazz. A lot of Jazz artists have their signature sound and it can be rather restrictive. Washington is this astonishing creator who has built his own universe of sound. He can summon something biblical and hugely evocative one song, and then have a very calming and spiritual number the next. He truly is a pioneer and someone who is transforming West Coast Jazz. Stereogum spoke with Washington regarding his experiences with the Los Angeles Jazz scene and him, debatably (in 2018), being at the forefront of the vanguard:

“STEREOGUM: When people point to you as the leader of the West Coast jazz revival, is that a role that you’re willing to step into?

WASHINGTON: I look at it like it’s the reality we always knew. People didn’t know about the scene we had out here in LA. I look at it more like a resurgence than a discovery. It’s always been here cracking. The world just didn’t know about it. I’m definitely happy to be able to be part of a lineage that I really believe in. I look at it like that.

The idea of who the leader is — music is self-expression. Jazz in particular is a collective activity. Each person is expressing themselves to have it become something bigger. I appreciate being considered an important part of a lineage that I really believe in, and beyond that I don’t get too caught up in whatever title or praise someone gives out. I appreciate them engaging with my work, but I look at it like “People are going to say this, they’re going to say that.” Let them talk. I’m just going to keep the lineage going”.

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I will move on to the actual review itself soon, but I am trying to encourage more people to give modern Jazz a try. So many turn their noses up at the mere mention of Jazz; assuming that it is indigestible and lacks any appeal. Maybe it is the fact that Jazz is largely instrumental and has truly little vocalisation that people are reticent to embrace it. There is something in Jazz that means, even in 2020, it is on the fringes of the mainstream. There are artists combing Jazz with other genres, trying to provide crossover allure and take it to new places. Kamasi Washington’s music, I feel, has a soulfulness and cinematic  vision that makes it impossible to resist! Jazz has moved on vastly since the 1940s and 1950s, and it would be naïve to think that there is very little of interest to be found. Kamasi Washington spoke with High Snobiety a while back, and he was asked about the changing shape of Jazz:

“What has your experience been like creating jazz music in this era? I feel like the history of jazz is still ongoing, but it’s interesting to sort of see this shift.

I think that jazz, it covers such a wide range. Over the years, it’s such a inclusive idea, improvisation and expression and group expression. That’s what really makes jazz what it is. I can’t really relegate it to any particular musical device or rhythm or chord or instrumentation. It’s really that sense of freedom that really makes something feel like jazz. To me, funk is jazz, it’s just a different word for it. Even rock-and-roll and a lot of these other things, we have a different name for them, and I get why we have a different name, but I think that’s what happened with jazz. People took that idea and brought it over to other styles of music.

PHOTO CREDIT: Mary King

I grew up in a household where it was all over my house, my friends had no idea who any of these people were. I was in elementary school when I got into Art Blakey and going to school and showing my friends. What got me into jazz too was when I started to recognize some of the samples in certain records. There was this one Tribe Called Quest sample, I remember showing them that that Tribe Called Quest song that we like is actually Art Blakey… It’s just exposure. You rarely meet someone who’s like, “Yeah, I used to really be into jazz, but I don’t like it anymore.” It’s one of those things that people, when they say they’re not into it, it’s usually because they just haven’t heard it”.

I want to stay on the subject of Washington being a leader and advocate of modern Jazz for a little bit longer. I have not even mentioned Thundercat: another extraordinary Jazz artist who blends his soulful voice (and that of collaborators) into the mix. In a way, Kamasi Washington is this father figure for modern Jazz who is inspiring so many other artists to be bold and step forward. When he spoke with Rolling Stone last year, Washington was asked about his position about Jazz’s rise and sustainability:

“People like yourself, Esperanza Spalding, Thundercat, Trombone Shorty are keeping jazz alive and sort of reviving it. Do you see yourself as a torchbearer for the genre?

Yeah, I know that I am. Genres are an interesting thing. I feel like music is more personal than genre sometimes represents. In the end each musician really represents themselves. They represent their work. You listen to Freddie Hubbard; you wouldn’t say that he represents John Coltrane. John Coltrane represents John Coltrane. Freddie Hubbard represents Freddie Hubbard. The Beatles represent The Beatles and the Rolling Stones represent the Rolling Stones. With that people are also very connected. So genres are like that connection.  

PHOTO CREDIT: Bryan Luna/High Snobiety

To me, jazz genre is so wide and so many avenues, but yeah the idea of being a torchbearer is good. I feel like we’re bringing people back to that genre, bringing people to a place where they are open to that music. It felt like for a while people had become closed to it, so in that sense a torch like how a fire brings moths, we bring people to the music. People like myself, Esperanza, Terence Martin, Thundercat. We’re all bringing people to this music and once they start their journey they will eventually find all these other beautiful gems of this music”.

I am keen to mention this brilliant soundtrack that has just come out and take a glimpse at another magnificent Kamasi Washington chapter. One of the defining features of Washington’s music, I feel, is a sense of optimism and joy. Even when his songs are in a lower key and seem more haunted, I do think there is a sense of hope and light that emerges. Maybe I am over-reaching, but one reason why some are hesitant to explore Jazz is the assumption it is a bit gloomy and heavy. There are Jazz artists whose style and sound is a bit hard-going, but I feel Jazz is such an eclectic genre, one can find plenty of sunshine and energy. Against a world that is more confused and divided, Kamasi Washington is a preacher of something more hopeful and optimistic. In this GQ interview, Washington discussed his approach to bringing light into a dark world:

“There's perseverance, optimism, and discovery in your music. As the world seems to grow messier and messier, how do you hold onto those hopeful ideas?
If you look at the world as being like a mountain, most people focus on the tip of the mountain. But the mountain itself is really more the base. And I find in my travels, the base part, the masses, it's very encouraging. I meet so many amazing people, people who really want the world to be a beautiful place. And you can feel it in their energy. And then, of course, I see the actions of those people who seem to be in power, and sometimes it's really discouraging. But it's more of a balance of the two that keeps me wanting to do what I do.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Kayla Reefer

There's hope in the fact that I meet so many amazing people. And there's a job to be done because there's so many problems. It's kind of like the relationship between "Fists of Fury" and "Space Travelers Lullaby." The relationship between never-ending struggle and endless potential. And that struggle is where my mind exists. I see both. It's about managing those two things. Part of what makes us good is what makes us bad, and what makes us bad is what makes us good. It's just about having a balance”.

The latest revelation from the stunning Washington is, perhaps, among his finest work. I have been following his music a while, and there have been improvements and developments since 2007’s The Proclamation; a leap even from 2015’s The Epic. Perhaps it is natural growth and curiosity, but I think Washington, as time progresses, becomes more immersed with the world around him and the potential of music. I am not sure how to describe it, but his ambition has grown, and his sense of confidence has exploded. From the wide-ranging and widescreen Heaven and Earth in 2018, he has now produced this documentary score that is very different to anything he has done before; more restrained in some ways but no less stunning and revealing. I want to bring in an interview from Stereogum from a couple of years back (when he was promoting Heaven and Earth); Washington was asked about his ever-changing sound:

“STEREOGUM: You played with form in a few different ways on your last couple offerings. The Epic was vast, grand, sweeping. Harmony Of Difference was more compact. Heaven And Earth feels like a marriage of the two. There are some tracks that you extend out and others are very concise with a big impact. How did it end up being the length it is as a final product?

WASHINGTON: The music dictates that for itself. At the time of The Epic, as a core band, we were all spending so much time apart making music for other people that by the time we got together — even though we grew up together and there’s a special connection we have — it was like a rare privilege to come together. We used say it was like when the planets align that we would be in the same room together at the same time. When you listen to The Epic you really hear us reaching for each other. The music reflects that.

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I started Heaven And Earth before Harmony Of Difference, but it just took me a while to finish it. Both of these records, we’ve been playing together. We’ve been touring together almost every day. We’re like this [interlocks fingers], instead of reaching for each other. So the music turned out to be much more compact because it’s more immediate. As soon as I think something, everybody’s there. So the music and where we were as a band dictated how long the album is. The song is either as long or as short as it needs to be, and that’s it really. One of the things I did learn from The Epic was that we don’t have to feel so much pressure to conform to set formats. A song doesn’t have to be three minutes and 30 seconds”.

Okay, then. I have talked a lot about Kamasi Washington’s past and how he has helped push Jazz to new heights. Although it might be a while until Jazz is fully embraced and recognised in the mainstream, people like Washington are incredibly important in proffering the brilliance of Jazz. Becoming is available on Netflix, and it follows the former First Lady Michelle Obama, and it gives us this intimate insight into a remarkable human and her hopes and dreams. Coming up with the music for Becoming is a tough ask, given the gravitas and popularity of Obama. This Rolling Stone feature looked at the rise and rise of Kamasi Washington – the man himself talked about the recording process and aspects of the score/soundtrack:

“During the past few years, Kamasi Washington has found himself in places a jazz musician never would have expected to be. With the release of his aptly named 2015 triple LP, The Epic, the L.A. saxophonist and bandleader was deemed the genre’s next big thing. So there he was, in the studio with Kendrick Lamar and St. Vincent, or sharing a bill with Lamar and D’Angelo at a festival in Australia. Not to mention the time Herbie Hancock previewed some of his upcoming album for Washington. “He was like, ‘Check this one out,’ ” Washington says. “To have Herbie Hancock press ‘play’ for me is the type of thing that went beyond the dreams I ever had as a kid.”

This year marks another didn’t-see-that-coming milestone for Washington. The 39-year-old wrote and, with his band, performed the score for Becoming, the Michelle Obama documentary currently airing on Netflix. The soundtrack, out today, is another musical change-up for Washington. Coming after ambitious, genre-stuffed undertakings like The Epic and 2018’s Heaven and Earth, the 15 brief tracks on Becoming take in meditative piano pieces, rhythmic rumble, and light, breezy themes that recall Seventies orchestral disco.

The work itself turned out to be far more intense than he’d imagined. Washington had only a few short weeks to compose and record the music, which he began writing while on a jazz cruise in January. For starters, Washington scanned the Obamas’ individual playlists to get a sense of what music they gravitated toward. “They like a certain kind of Motown-ish soul and R&B,” he says. “It’s hard to put into words, but there was a feel I could hear in the music they’re into.”

In the course of those few weeks, Washington conceived interludes that played off that sense of their taste, along with the moods of particular scenes. “Song for Fraser,” which accompanies reflections on Michelle Obama’s deceased father, is pensive and pretty. “Provocation,” heard in the segment of Becoming that addresses the often racist backlash to Barack’s election, is dark and brooding. “The idea that a person will hate you because of the way you look, that’s a harsh reality, so that piece is meant to be reflective of the thoughts behind that kind of thinking,” he says. “That’s why I put a contrapuntal movement in it. As an African American you read about and see those things, and they cause a rush of all kinds of thoughts”.

I would urge people to listen to the score, as it is a fantastic piece of work, and one does not need to see the documentary to feel this connection to Michelle Obama and how it beautifully explores this inspiring human – though, of course, you should watch Becoming! I do not think I could do justice to the whole album by writing a little bit on each track so, whilst you definitely need to stream the album, I have selected a song and will go into more details: the tremendous Fashion Then and Now is the gem I have selected.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Awol Erizku for The New York Times

Fashion Then and Then is one of the shorter tracks on Becoming (running in at 2:14), but I think it is one of the most beautiful. Having not watched the documentary the whole way through yet, I am not able to contextualise the song and explain the scene it appears in. I think this is an advantage, as I am assessing the song as a standalone piece and the impressions that I get from it. Knowing a bit about Michelle Obama, I can only imagine how interesting it would have been for Kamasi Washington to write music for her, as it were, and document these multiple sides. Obama is a fierce fighter for human rights and quality; she is a wonderful politician and role model for everyone around the world. She is also this politician who has this undeniable sense of cool and relatability. Although she, alongside Barack Obama, resides in The White House, she had that common touch and was (and is) able to connect with people of all walks of life. On the other side of things, there is this elegance and class that she exudes. It is rare to find a person who can communicate and resonate with voters around the U.S. but project this rarefied imagine; someone who balances class and sophistication with passion and a blue-collar work ethic. For that reason, I wanted to review Fashion Then and Now, as I got images of this amazing figure who dazzles and impresses with her style and image, but she also gets into the heart and mind due to the way she speaks and the compassion for she has for the people. The track begins with this gorgeous and tender piano that is dripping in beauty and wonder. It is so seductive and soft, that one is helpless to resist its moonlight charms. Rather than seeing this song as a representation of Michelle Obama: a style icon, I think it is more general. I instantly imagined Michelle Obama in a more intimate setting.

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As this article explains, Washington was honoured to write the score for Becoming:

“In a press release, Washington explained how much working on the documentary meant to him, noting that the Obamas had an “impact” that’s “hard to put into words.”

“It was such a pleasure and honor to work on Becoming. Michelle Obama is such an amazing person and this film gives a very unique insight to who she is, how she thinks, and the way she navigates the world. It’s truly inspiring to see! Working with the film’s incredible director Nadia Hallgren to create a musical palette to support this amazing piece was truly a blessing. I’m so thankful to her for the opportunity to be a part of this. Barack and Michelle Obama’s time as President and First Lady had an impact on the history of this country and the world that is hard to put into words, but both Michelle Obama’s book and Nadia Hallgren’s film do an amazing job of it!”

I adore the different elements to the track and how the horns come in and provide these lower, more breathy notes aside the piano. One closes their eyes and drifts into the song. Everyone will have their own projection, but I was thinking of Obama in the evening, maybe attending an event and looking radiant and incredible. As I say, I have not seen where the song fits into the documentary, but I think Fashion Then and Now stands tall on its own and is this absolutely wonderful song. Guitar and piano notes weave in and out of one another. The piano becomes accelerated and more erratic; changing from this touching and soft coda to a more flowing and vibrant sound. The composition never becomes too crowded or intense. Instead, it is beautifully detailed, and everything flows and hangs together perfectly. With some subtle twang of guitar and elegant piano keys that give this sort of lullaby, swaying quality, there is another layer of piano that is fast and heady. The blend of all of these components is addictive and wonderous. I have listened to the track over and over, and it reveals something new every time. I will have to watch the Becoming documentary and witness the song in that setting, but I think all the tracks on the soundtrack/score work brilliantly on their own and have their own identity. When you listen to the album as a whole, you do get this bigger picture and closer look at the hugely loved and influential Michelle Obama. Fashion Then and Now is a magnificent song and it is amazing how diverse and consistent Kamasi Washington truly is.   

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Kamasi Washington is in lockdown in the U.S., and I know – as he spoke with BBC Radio 6 Music’s Matt Everitt last week – he is writing new music and keeping busy. It is odd for him, as he has not spent this amount of time not performing and being with a band. It will be interesting to see whether lockdown inspires a new album. I have heard songs and albums from artists in lockdown, and it is remarkable how complete they sound – not to be condescending! I do wonder what a lockdown Kamasi Washington song or album will sound like. Of course, the man himself will not be touring for a while, but I would say to people to follow him on social media – the links are at the bottom of this review – and keep abreast of the latest developments. Also, listen back to Kamasi Washington’s albums and immerse yourself in the magic only he can provide! I love a fantastic score or soundtrack, as it provokes feelings and emotions in me that a studio album does not. Maybe it is that very tangible and evident connection between film and music that brings something different from the songs. I have listened to the Becoming score before watching the documentary, and I will now go and watch the documentary and experience the music in that form. I will wrap things up here, but it has been wonderful listening to the Becoming score and experiencing the brilliant music of Kamasi Washington once more. I think he is one of the most astonishing artists we have in our midst and I (and many others) look forward to seeing where he heads next. It (the score) just goes to show that, far from being boring and insignificant, Jazz music today is very much…     

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ALIVE and on fire.

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Follow Kamasi Washington

TRACK REVIEW: BC Camplight - Born to Cruise

TRACK REVIEW:

 

BC Camplight

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Born to Cruise

 

9.8/10

  

The track, Born to Cruise, is available from:

https://open.spotify.com/track/3VP2RzBRB3KqEn04xkwiH1?si=q3g8s-R4SZarYpYz6D6eNw

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The album, Shortly After Takeoff, is out now. Order it here:

https://bellaunion.ochre.store/release/167312-bc-camplight-shortly-after-takeoff

RELEASE DATE:

24th April, 2020

GENRES:

Indie-Rock, Lo-Fi

ORIGIN:

New Jersey, U.S.A./Manchester U.K.

LABEL:

Bella Union

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I have a lot of affection for…

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PHOTO CREDIT: Robin Pope

artists putting out albums right now. So many musicians would have had their albums ready a while back and, not anticipating a lockdown, they would have been planning to promote quite heavily and tour off of the back of that. I know some artists are pushing releases forward, as they want to give fans something whilst they are in lockdown – Dua Lipa and Laura Marling did just that. I do think that it is commendable artists are putting albums out when things are very strange, and they cannot promote it as they normally would. One of the good things is that record sales are doing pretty well. A lot of music stores are seeing large sales at this hard time; maybe more people are buying physical copies than they normally would. Though streaming is down a bit, but I do think there is an appetite for music now. We all want something to distract us and keep us company but, more than anything, I feel music is speaking in a way it did not do before lockdown. That might seem strange, but I am hearing of people finding something in music that they did not get a few weeks ago. BC Camplight (Brian Christinzio) is someone who might not have been plotting a world tour just yet, but he would have assumed that he’d have his album out there and people could go to record shops and things would not be like they are. I feel Shortly After Takeoff is one of the best albums of this year, and it has picked up new power and meaning because we are in lockdown. That might sound strange, I know. The songs, on their own, are incredibly good and powerful. Right now, so many of us need a balance of the upbeat and personal; we are looking to music to give us answers and fulfil the soul; we want it to go deep and do something extraordinary.

That is what BC Camplight’s fifth studio album has done. I have read reviews of the album, and it is being talked about as a masterpiece – that is no exaggeration. I will not review the whole album, as I cannot do justice to every song if I only write a few lines on them. Instead, I have selected a track that means a lot to me, and I want to investigate BC Camplight from a number of different angles. Before I get there, I want to spend a moment discussing the sheer quality of music we have seen in lockdown. I am not saying they are related, but some of the finest albums we have seen all year have come since the end of March. Between Dua Lipa’s Future Nostalgia, Waxahatchee’s Saint Cloud, Laura Marling’s Song for Our Daughter, Fiona Apple’s Fetch the Bolt Cutters and BC Camplight’s Shortly After Takeoff, it has been an exceptional last few weeks or so. I am not sure what other albums are out in the coming weeks, but we have been treated to some wonderful music. I feel, as I said, music has been giving so many people hope and substance when we do feel very weird and unsure. I have been following BC Camplight’s music for a few years now, and I have always been amazed at his originality and quality. The songs on Shortly After Takeoff take him to new heights, and there is nobody in the same league as him. I want to look back a few years and show you when Christinzio came from and what he had to overcome to get where he is today. I will talk more about Manchester – where he is based – in a bit but, as he explained to The Guardian, he was in a very desperate place:

“Back in 2013, Brian Christinzio gave an interview to a local newspaper in which he declared: “Manchester saved my life.” He wasn’t speaking figuratively. Before moving to the UK in 2011, New Jersey-born Christinzio’s career as singer-songwriter BC Camplight had ground to a halt following two acclaimed but commercially unsuccessful albums. He’d lost his record deal with One Little Indian, succumbed to drink and drug problems and found himself battling depression while living in a disused church in Philadelphia. His friends had long since abandoned him – fed up with what he describes as his lies, his unreliability and his dubious habits. He started to think he might not make it out alive.

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“I can’t overstate how bad my life in Philly had gotten,” he says now, adding that even if he’d survived, he would have ended up “in a real bad way … either a full-blown homeless mess or doing some seedy job like singing the national anthem at cockfights”.

And then? And then things went wrong again. Earlier this year, Christinzio was told that he was barred from the UK after overstaying his visa. He was forced to cancel tour dates, reschedule his forthcoming wedding (Manchester had also helped him find a fiancee) and relocate to Paris, where he awaits the results of an appeal.

Christinzio’s side of the story is as follows: he originally entered the UK on a business visa before injuring his foot so severely that a blood clot formed in his leg. “I couldn’t put my ankle down for four months,” he says. “It still looks like fucking ground meat.”

He says that he notified the Home Office and that it understood the situation, but that he was subsequently admitted to hospital and told by “every doctor in the fucking world” that he shouldn’t get on a plane. He delayed his exit further, which caused the Home Office to refuse his visa renewal request.

“I get that, by the rulebook, I overstayed,” he says, admitting that his isn’t exactly a typical case. “I guess there aren’t many people who lived in Philadelphia, ruined their life, then came to Manchester and got a record deal”.

Forgive me for screwing with chronology a bit, but I want to cover some very specific things and, at this point, I want to discuss his previous studio album, Deportation Blues. This was one of 2018’s best albums and, at that point, it was his most impactful and strongest effort. One of the best things about BC Camplight is the music evolves and you never get two albums that sound the same. Deportation Blues was a bit of a change from 2015’s How to Die in the North. When speaking with Too Many Blogs in 2018, he was asked about the new album and its new sound:

“Deportation Blues might come as an exciting change to people who have heard your earlier releases. Why did you decide to go in the direction you did?

As you may have heard, I was deported from the UK 2 days after my last record came out. I am an American and had been living in the UK whilst making my previous record. I was unable to leave the country due to a leg injury so I filed for an extension whilst in the country. I received a letter back stating that I was being deported and banned from the country. So my last record campaign was more or less shelved. I managed to get back into the UK by becoming an Italian citizen. SO, my path back to sanity and my music for that matter has been unbelievably stressful. When I arrived back in the UK I was a mess. I had lost any sense of whimsy I had left. I was angry and vengeful. I decided to write this record and record it through this lens. I had no interest in making sense, in being on the radio, or adhering to the pop sensibilities I formerly had. I wanted the music to sound cold and urgent. This is where “I’m Desperate” came from. 

What can people expect from the album?

Well, if you want to feel good don’t buy it. It’s not a downer but it is really a journey through calamity and stress. I span genres wildly in an attempt to reflect uncertainty. People seem to be loving this one. Maybe it’s no coincidence I’m getting this response the minute I abandoned all consideration for the listener”.

I will bring things forward to now and, in the past two years, I think the life of BC Camplight’s hero has changed. I will discuss his struggles of the past, but whilst things might not be a lot happier than they were, I do think things are more stable than they were a few years ago. That said, BC Camplight is still keen to shine a light on some of the darker and more challenging aspects of life/the world. He talked to Back Seat Mafia about his latest album’s direction:

“The press for the album describes it as an examination of madness and loss. The world seems to be in a bit of a crazy place at the minute so do you think that this album has come along at a timely moment?

Hopefully. Then again the last album seemed to come around at the perfect moment and it didn’t exactly go to number one. This album is much more inward looking. This year has sort of been a perfect storm of darkness with me. After my dad died, I was on tour supporting “Deportation Blues” a lot so I didn’t have any time to deal with it really and then I got done touring and wanted to make this record, everything just started to hit me. My brain doesn’t necessarily react to things in a healthy way. I just started getting all these awful symptoms that I see to have back when I was about 27 or so. Lots of red flags. I noticed myself starting to do weird things and acting in weird ways and I thought “Oh shit, I’ve been sort of dreading this moment and was fairly certain that I wasn’t going to be able to get this record out but I guess something in me kind of enabled it to happen.

One of the most common observations from reviews around Shortly After Takeoff is how BC Camplight has created this very textured and diverse albums. One does not just get songs that sound the same: instead, there is a shift in styles and themes as we move through the record. It is a fabulous thing and, in the same interview, he was asked about growing ambition and experimentation:

You’ve always used really interesting sounds and textures and they seem to have got progressively more and more interesting as you’ve released albums. You seem to have really gone for it on this one big-style. Was there something different this time around?

In some ways, the record feels like it’s more lyrically dense and where I was trying to not have the music compete with it. There are people like Richard Dawson where his stuff is so lyrically dense that you can hear him scaling back the production so as not to overwhelm things. There were parts where I had to do that. I think I wanted the sounds that were there to be a little bit more bold. As I’m getting older I’m getting more and more bored with being playful. I don’t have a lot of hate in my heart but I have an active disdain for it being 2020 and there still being twee Indie bands. I’m listening and thinking ‘what are you doing, can’t you tell that the world’s fucking on fire?!’ So I don’t have a lot of time for being whimsical or cute anymore. I want to sound a little bit more desperate and a little bit more immediate.

When you listen to your songs and you listen to the music and then listen to the lyrics, there is some really interesting juxtapositions. There’s a kind of black comedy and tales of mundanity that runs right through a lot of this. Do you think that stuff tells a better story than trying to aim for some huge, epic sweeping storytelling?

Yes. I’m not really great at analysing my own stuff but I would say I enjoy black comedy. If you don’t overly draw attention to the fact that it is a funny line or a ridiculous situation. It’s almost like delivering the lines from the movie the Naked Gun or something. Those line are so fucking funny ‘cos they’re so serious. Because the guy saying it is saying it as if he’s in a 1950s detective movie. I think there’s a little bit of that in my music but I also don’t gravitate towards grand, maudlin themes. I think that they’ve been done to death. I think the wider the net you cast the shittier the fish you catch. I just don’t like being broad. It’s probably a detriment to my bank account as I’m sure I could have written a couple of big love songs by now. I had this conversation with my mom “Why don’t you just…” and I’ll say “Mom, you just don’t get it” and then she’ll say “Why don’t be a piano tuner” and I’ll say mom “I’m playing Shepherd’s Bush Empire, I’m doing something right”.

I have discussed a lot about his previous albums and rise to now – with the help of interviews and quotes -, but I feel it is important to look at where BC Camplight came from. Whilst current environment and situation enforces a lot of what musicians do and how their songs will sound, upbringing and early experiences with music are crucial. For me, I think music came into my life when I was a few years old, and the first sixteen-eighteen years of life was when I really absorbed music. I listened slightly less when I was nineteen or twenty, but I think that was something to do with the curiosity I had when I was younger and the type of music that was being released. Maybe things have changed since 2015 but, when he spoke to The Guardian then, he explained how music was a huge influence up to a certain point; from then, new music has not played a huge role:

“[Childhood] was the only time I was ever really, really into music,” he says. “Since I turned 20 I no longer listen to music. At all. Nothing. I don’t even have an iPod or CD player.”

Really? Why not?

“I don’t know. There are some things that I can’t listen to … especially when I’m not in a stable place in my mind, for some reason music angers me. Especially if it’s somebody showing me a new band. I’m just like, ‘Oh my god it’s terrible, how did these people ever get record deals? And I’m not even allowed in the goddamn country, ARGH!!!!’”.

I don’t know too much about the man behind BC Camplight but, having read quite a few interviews with him, I feel like I have got to know where he came from and what he has had to face. I wanted to bring in another interview, because it really interested me; seeing how BC Camplight discussed his relationship with reality and how he thinks. In this piece with The Line of Best Fit, he talked about the nature of reality and a recurring dream he has:

“As an artist I think it is crucial to stretch the tether to your reality. You will know when you are pulling too hard and then you ease it back. This awareness of something existing beyond what I can witness has always made me want to make contact with it through sound. I want to be a music medium. To what exactly? Fuck knows. But I know I have no interest in spending the rest of my career writing exclusively about earthly relationships.

I began writing music around the age of 16. I was having my usual nightmare, the ghost of The Elephant Man was trying to kill me. I was jolted awake by an enormous explosion coming from down the street. I said out loud "Good god!". A voice said as clear as day "God is dead". I bolted down the stairs to where my parents were still up and watching TV. Of course they heard no explosion. Of course I had dreamed the entire thing. Right?

Uninterested in returning to the bedroom where John Merrick was surely awaiting me, I took comfort in the family piano. I wrote a song called "Good God". It was the first time I married this ever-present fear to my talent for music. The two got along right away. Sometimes I hit a chord and my fear is usurped by a beautiful sadness. I think similar to the sadness lost souls must feel. Sometimes a melody feels like It's holding my hand, holding a machete in the other hand while it chops the impeding brush and guiding me to some sort of undiscovered reality”.

I said, earlier in this review, how I would talk about Manchester and how it has been a bit of a lifeline for BC Camplight. I was actually going to move there myself a year or so back but, because of one thing or another, it did not work out. I got a really special feel from the people; how friendly and welcoming they are, and the sort of instant connection one can get from Manchester. For artists, the local scene is invaluable regarding gigs and inspiration. It is clear that, when BC Camplight was living in America, he did need some sort of salvation or escape. Though he has did face deportation issues and had to come back from that, it does appear that Christinzio is settled now and appears to have found his home.

That said, I have not checked whether he is lockdown in the U.K. or the U.S. – whether he headed back there before this all started (I think he is over here). There was a moment in his life when things did turn around and, as he told The Quietus in 2015, Manchester has played a very big role in terms of his songwriting:

“How did you turn it around?

BC: There was a point where, and it was as bad as it sounds, I was squatting in a church in Philadelphia and I running electricity through the wall so I could get on my computer. I was lying there one night and a fan in Manchester Facebooked me asking if I was ever going to record anything again. We messaged back and forth and he suggested I come to Manchester. I had always had a pretty good time when I toured there so about a week later I just showed up. I had no plan - the fan set me up with an apartment - and had literally no idea what I was going to do. I knew no one except him and I'd only met him twice. So, the fact that we are here now and my record is out and people seem to be into it is very, very surreal to me.

What impact has relocating to Manchester had on you as a songwriter?

BC: The city has been a huge influence on me. I wrote all the songs in Manchester. I haven't had a bad day since I've been in Manchester. It was about being here and finally having a sense of newness, which I hadn't had in years and years. I was excited. When I'm down, I'm different to other songwriters - I don't write. I need to be excited and feel that I have something to prove. Once I got here, I just felt as if a huge weight had been lifted off me and I slowly started to think that I had something really good in my head. Nothing had been in there in years. I visited Eve Studios [in Bredbury] on a tip from a friend and I was messing around on a piano and a guitar. Every time I started to play, things started gushing out of me. It was completely effortless, as if someone had unplugged a seven-year blockage. The songwriting wasn't a labour-intensive thing at all. The songs fell out and all I had to do was take all the pieces and arrange them”.

I have talked about BC Camplight a lot and, with the help of some great interviews, revealed more about the man behind the music. I am charged with actually offering my own opinions about his music and, with a fresh and glorious album out in the world, I have selected Born to Cruise as a track to highlight. To be honest, I could have chosen any of the album tracks and had loads of positive things to say, but I do feel like Born to Cruise is a natural and easy highlight. The song is the penultimate song on the nine-track album, and I love how well programmed and sequenced Shortly After Takeoff is. It is neither top or bottom-heavy, and you get this wonderful flow that means you are invested from the first track to the final call. I love how Born to Cruise starts and the images it provokes. We get a nice beat and washes of synths; there is this blend of the now and sounds of the 1980s. One is on the road with BC Camplight and, though he might be speaking figuratively, it is wonderful following this song. The hero has had his indicator on for a while – it sounds like “since Crewe”, but I might have misheard it -, and he gets his tyres from the wrong side of town. The cool synths and driving beat of the songs suggests a cruise down an American highway as the wind breezes by but, here, I think this is more a troubled drive through a British lens. As I said, I feel the road images are substitutes for emotions and life experiences, but the wit that is laced through Born to Cruise is wonderful. I can imagine a video being made for the song – not that this will be a possibility for a while – where we see the hero being beeped at by motorists behind him and having to face this rather tense drive, as he pulls into a tyre shop and deal with these dodgy characters.

BC Camplight’s ride – or his physical and mental state – seems to decline as we get further down the tracks. Backed by wordless (female) vocals, one gets this sort of sweet melody casualness as the hero describes things breaking down rapidly. With a flavour of Arcade Fire’s The Suburbs, BC Camplight has noticed oil leaking, everything going to sh*t, and his ride being less than desirable. Again, if there was a video made, one would imagine this car falling apart as it drives along as, in the end, he has to pedal the thing like he was in The Flinstones! Although BC Camplight is noticing these hazards and holdbacks, his voice remains pretty collected: a man observing things cracking rather than falling apart because of them. I adore the composition, as there is a warmth that comes from it. Rather than putting the beats too high in the mix and throwing dark notes and big guitars into the pot, one gets this fizz and soothe that means Born to Cruise adopts this charm and nostalgia. I am not sure what inspired the song, but one gets the feeling a sense of emotional struggle and madness might have affected the process – whether it the hero reacting to the wider world or something more contained and personal, I am not too sure. Like a physical drive, there are actual twists and turns regarding the composition and pace of the song. We had been going down this straight road – one littered with shrapnel and puddles -, but there is this movement when the narrative shifts – the hero saying he will see the heroine/subject when he can; perhaps aware that there is this stubborn vehicle that will not move -, and there is a lovely bit of clarinet that sort of comes from nowhere. Lesser artists would keep the composition pretty straight and strict; BC Camplight allows Born to Cruise to wind and snake as we get closer to the final destination.

Although some of the lyrics are hard to pick up – wither slightly buried in the composition or not that easy to decipher -, I think that actually gives the song new strength – as the hero sort of becomes clear and then slightly lost at various points; this emphasises the rather tense and troubled drive he is on. For some reason, there is a small koala beer in the boot – maybe having a sleep or munching on some eucalyptus (or is it bamboo?!). I sort of picked up on that line as, perhaps, a reference to the hero being asleep or in a low mood. Koalas sleep eighteen-twenty hours a day (lazy bastards!), and, maybe, there is this sort of slower, fatigued part at the back of BC Camplight’s mind, that is holding him back. There are so many wonderful images and detailed scenes, that every listener will have their own interpretation and perspective. After the rather cool bit of clarinet – that sounds way cooler than it did on The Beatles’ When I’m Sixty-Four- there is this awesome bit of spooky theremin (why not!). It is almost like the hero is driving this ghostly highway, and he has entered the badlands. I think it is more a sign that his mental state has taken a turn; maybe things have taken a slightly bad turn – or maybe I have got the wrong impression and the song is about something else altogether. There is a little passage where BC Camplight manages to mix Muse and Scott Walker at the same time; Born to Cruise is so busy and unpredictable, you get these wonderful touches and textures that makes the song so compelling. I had to listen to Born to Cruise a few times through, as it knocked me back when I first heard it. The lyrics are so compelling and interesting, one cannot help but project their own cinema and plot the course for our hero. The composition is so colourful and vivid, it adds new dimensions to the song. The production is flawless and, aside from one or two slight niggles (some lyrics are hard to hear; I would have liked to hear the song go on for another thirty seconds or so), Born to Cruise is a masterful song in an album filled with gems and jewels.   

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BC Camplight did have some dates lined up for the spring and summer but, as things have changed, one has to wait until later this year before they can see him. It is a shame that he cannot take Shortly After Takeoff on the road, as it would have been great for him to get that reaction from audience. One of the best things about releasing an album is taking it to the people and seeing how they respond to songs; having that shared conversation and relationship. Right now, the album is gathering impassioned reviews, and it will only be a matter of time before we get to see BC Camplight hit the road once more. If you can buy the album on vinyl – there is a link at the top of this review – then do so, as it is a wonderful thing and one of the finest albums of the year. It has been a very rich and amazing time for music, and I wonder whether we are reacting differently to albums because of the lockdown. Shortly After Takeoff is genius anyway, but it is speaking in a different way because we all are living through this very challenging time. There are more uplifting songs that get into the heart, and emotive moments that take you by surprise. The compositions are so strong and varied, whilst the vocal performances are as striking as any out there. The music of BC Camplight gets stronger by the release, and I think we are all so grateful that we have a new album from him. I shall wrap things up in a second but, if you are new to BC Camplight, go and follow him on social media and go investigate his music. There is so much love out there for his current opus; surely Shortly After Takeoff is a benchmark other artists need to look up to. Without further delay, make sure you get BC Camplight in your orbit and prepare to be blown away by…

ONE hell of a talent.

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Follow BC Camplight

TRACK REVIEW: Laura Marling - For You

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Laura Marling

For You

9.8/10

 

The track, For You, is available from:

https://open.spotify.com/track/4439aAX3jNkNKx1ygUr9WC?si=ju8PPrRgQxWA-Xi3lFtG1Q

The album, Song for Our Daughter, is available here:

https://store.lauramarling.com/

RELEASE DATE:

10th April, 2020

GENRES:

Folk/Nu-Folk

ORIGIN:

London, U.K.

PRODUCERS:

Laura Marling, Ethan Johns and Dom Monks

LABELS:

Partisan/Chrysalis

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THERE is a lot to cover off…

PHOTO CREDIT: Hollie Fernando

in this review, and I know I am late to the party in terms of assessing Laura Marling’s latest album. Look around, and Song for Our Daughter is scooping huge reviews across the board! That is no surprise when you look back at Marling’s career and see how her other albums have fared. I do wonder whether you will ever put a foot wrong as, since the start of her career, she has released stunning album after stunning album! It is strange to think she is only thirty, yet Marling has released some of the most beautiful and intelligent music we have seen for decades. I am not going to review her entire album but, in addition to selecting a song from the record, I want to cover Marling from several different angles. I cannot think of another artist in musical history – not a solo artist anyway – who has had such a strong and near-faultless start to their career. Maybe it is the fact that Marling’s sonic palette is quite calming and simple. ‘Simple’ might not be the right word, but she seems to have concocted a pleasing and easy-going blend that makes it impossible to dislike. Marling’s voice is incredibly strong, and she can switch accents and tones from song to song. Her lyrics, I feel, are the strong suit. I will allude to this more later, but Marling’s music transcends mere songwriting. Her words are so immersive and engrossing; she has the genius of a classic poet, but she is very much relatable and rooted in the modern times. On her latest album, the narrative seems more personal. Having just turned thirty, Marling is thinking more about the next stage of her life. Song for Our Daughter alludes to a hypothetical child that Marling is thinking about; having a child (children) and what she would say to her. I guess it is natural to have these questions and yearnings when you get to a certain point in life.

PHOTO CREDIT: Dave J. Hogan/Getty Images

Marling’s albums are a real feast for the heart and imagination, and her new album is no exception. I wonder whether the current lockdown has intensified Marling’s feelings and thoughts regarding family. Marling has said how she wants to arm the next generation with her lyrics. Rather than write about her own feelings and passions, Marling wants to educate and lay down something important for those growing up right now. That is admirable and, through Song for Our Daughter, one is constantly illuminated and moved. I will talk about how Marling’s life has changed over the past few years, but I think Song for Our Daughter is her most confident and memorable album to date. Marling spoke with the BBC about how she has changed her writing approach and label; and how this has brought something new to her life:

“Marling, who turned 30 earlier this year, has never felt the need for a running away fund of her own.

"I am my escape route," she says.

Which is why, at the end of Semper Femina, she wasn't walking away from anyone or anything; but setting off to find a new approach to music.

The songs she came up with after that last album seemed too familiar, "like a writer who'll write the same book over and over again," she says. "I think I was in danger of being bored of myself."

So she left her record label and her management, collaborated with the theatre director Robert Icke, wrote original music for Peaky Blinders and formed a duo called Lump with fellow musician Mike Lindsay from Tunng.

Working on Icke's play Mary Stuart changed her approach to lyrics. "The way he directs and the way he writes and rewrites plays, are very much based around rhythm, so I've been thinking a lot about the rhythm of language," she says.

Lindsay, on the other hand, introduced a new spontaneity to her music. With Lump, a lot of the vocals are recorded in one take, "and I can hear myself stumbling over lyrics because they were written 30 seconds before".

But Song For Our Daughter is wholly Marling's album. Her preoccupations - the complexities of desire, archetypes of womanhood, art, romance and wanderlust - are threaded through the songs, but there's a newfound economy to her melodies and lyrics.

"That was definitely on my mind: How you reduce everything down to its essential parts together to get the sentiment across," she says.

"And I don't think that's my necessarily my forte. My forte, I think, is ambiguity, which is definitely still on there, but on some of the songs there's just a very straightforward sentiment".

Nobody was expecting an album so soon from Marling. Song for Our Daughter was slated for a summer release, so to have the release date moved to 10th April was a big surprise. I remember reading the NME article below and salivating at the possibility of a new Laura Marling album:

“Presented with the assumption that her new album will be coming out this year, Marling responded: “I’m assuming too!”

“It’s finished as far as I’m concerned,” she continued, before diving into the feelings behind the upcoming LP. “I was thinking a lot about how I would arm the next generation in a way that I haven’t been armed. That’s the heavier side of it.

“But I was also thinking about trying to not write the same song that I’ve written over and over again for the last ten years. That’s a good one to avoid.”

She continued: “I’ve kept an inward gaze, but I’ve gone horizontally downwards to another generation. I turned 30 two weeks ago, so I’m feeling in a different position in my life, and whether there is a responsibility to be a certain way or to consider things about the next generation, which there certainly is”.

That is an interesting subject that is more relevant now than ever: artists who are shifting the release of their albums. Dua Lipa brought out Future Nostalgia this month and moved the release date forward a week. She wanted fans to have it out earlier and, unfortunately, I think the album was leaked ahead of time. Most artists are putting back their album release date, as they want to combine it with touring and getting out and promoting. There are whispers that Charli XCX is working on an album from lockdown, and artists are putting out material still. Although we have fewer new albums out, I think it is important that releases do not dry up. People are listening to a lot of music now, so it is admirable Marling has moved her album up. I do feel like there is this new opportunity for creativity; artists have time on their hands to record a lot more. Granted, things are very strange, but I feel we will see a lot of great albums emerge over the next couple of months. Marling is an artist with a big reputation and fanbase, so she could well have sat aside and left the album until August. Massive respect to her for giving people a real treat when we really need it.

One will forgive the rather non-linear and random approach in this review, but there are a lot of interesting things to discuss regarding Marling. Weirdly (or not), Sir Paul McCartney is someone who springs to mind. One can hear influences of Macca throughout Song for Our Daughter, and there is some of that McCartney melody that weaves through her tracks. When she spoke with the BBC, she discussed McCartney’s influence:

"I had a fight with a friend of mine, weirdly, defending Lennon against McCartney," she says. "And I took it so personally.

"For some reason I felt like Paul McCartney was the good one and Lennon was the bad one and I was somehow embodying the bad one - so I thought it'd be interesting to see why I felt that strongly about it."

After falling down a YouTube wormhole, Marling "had a full awakening" after hearing McCartney's 2005 song, Jenny Wren, a companion piece to Blackbird, whose lyrics depict a female musician's struggle to hold on to her talent amid poverty, societal oppression and heartbreak.

"I always knew he was a great songwriter but when someone played me that song, I couldn't believe it," she says.

It's likely that McCartney's lyrics resonated with Marling, who has consistently challenged the narrow categorisation of female musicians. She never casts herself as simply the femme fatale or the lover scorned; the heroine or the victim; the mystic or the guardian angel. Instead, she throws herself into the murky complexities of real life. As she puts it on one new song: "I love you my strange girl, my lonely girl, my angry girl, my brave..."

I am going to go off on a McCartney tangent, but it is interesting hearing how he has affected Marling’s latest album. I am not suggesting his music has affected Song for Our Daughter profoundly, but it is great hearing some of Macca’s D.N.A. run through the album. This is just a little aside, but I thought it would be interesting to mention it.

PHOTO CREDIT: Justin Tyler Close

As Marling is thirty, I am minded looking back at the last few years and see how her life and music has changed. Marling is now based in London, but she has lived in L.A. and faced some personal uproot. Every movement and chapter of her life has affected her music, and I feel the fact Marling has experienced a lot of change through the years has all gone into Song for Our Daughter. Now, Marling seems more rooted and forward-looking, but there are still those questions relating to family and children. I want to bring in an interview from The Guardian from 2017, when she was promoting her last album, Semper Femina. This passage goes to show how Marling’s life was rocked prior to the album – and how it has changed since 2017:

“A few years ago, Laura Marling got lost. Living in Los Angeles – where she’d moved as an independence-seeking 21-year-old – she took a hiatus from the music-making that had earned her three Top 10 albums and stacks of songwriter-of-her-generation style plaudits, and reinvented herself as a yoga instructor. Not being particularly well known in the US, this career change left her wholly incognito. “I had no identity. It was really, really, really difficult,” she says. “I was socially bankrupt.”

Not only was she stripped of her status, but a bout of depression had left her bereft in other ways. It was a “very null time”, she says. “I didn’t feel like I had a gender in a weird way – I’d lost a lot of weight so I didn’t really have any feminine features.” She shaved her head and “looked like a young boy. It was quite a good experience of being a non-sexual presence in the world, like a eunuch.” The cherry on top of this cake of devastating self-negation? She wasn’t even very good at teaching yoga. “You need to know a lot more than I know to do it well,” she admits.

Today, Marling’s former identity as songwriter-of-her-generation is fully restored; the 27-year-old is back doing what she does better than almost anyone else. Her new album of folk-inflected rock is her most direct and accessible in years. Fuelled by gorgeous vocals, hypnotic fingerpicking and singalong melodies, Semper Femina is what one might categorise as “classic” singer-songwriter fare in the lineage of Neil Young, James Taylor and Joni Mitchell”.

I will look at a few other topics, but I am going to bring in an extract from that BBC for one last time soon. Marling has always faced sexism and judgement as a woman in music. Her podcast series, Reversal of the Muse, is one I would recommend people investigate; where Marling brings together a selection of women in the industry who talk about their experiences. Marling started her career as a teenager, and she collaborated with Noah and the Whale before releasing her first solo album. Now, she is held in high esteem, but one suspects Marling is being passed over and overlooked because she is a woman – every woman in the industry faces more struggle and discrimination than their male counterparts. Maybe Marling felt uncomfortable speaking out against sexism when she was young, but she has hope that the generation coming through and going to call out issues like gender inequality and prejudice. Is Marling such a strong songwriter because she had to fight? Is that spark and genius a result of fighting back against misperception? Maybe it is not completely responsible for her talent, but it is a factor. Marling talked with the BBC about the Nu-Folk scene when she was a teen:  

“Recently, the songwriter looked back at her emergence in London's nu-folk scene at the age of 16 - at how men would advise her to "lose the guitar" and become a traditional frontwoman, or how early press coverage defined her in terms of her relationships with Marcus Mumford and Charlie Fink from Noah and the Whale.

She came to realise and realised that "innocence being taken away prematurely" had been a major theme of her life, which is why the songs on her new album are intended "arm the next generation in a way that I haven't been armed".

"I thought, 'If my daughter went through any of the stuff that I went through, I would find that so emotionally difficult to to comprehend'.

"And that's not to say that my parents didn't do their very best to try and produce someone who was capable of looking after themselves in the world, but the culture didn't. The culture didn't provide that."

It's striking that her previous album, which dissected the male gaze and celebrated the strength of female relationships, emerged just before the #MeToo movement took hold”.

I want to discuss a few more things before I come to review Laura Marling’s track, For You – the closing number on Song for Our Daughter. Whilst we are in isolation, there are options regarding entertainment and a musical fix. So many artists are streaming gigs and they are adapting to this rather strange situation. Marling, rather than delivering gigs, is providing online guitar tutorials. This is something that is quite special. I feel it is all well and good watching artists play, but there are so many people in isolation who would love to learn to play songs on the guitar, who might not be able to afford tuition. Go to Marling’s Twitter page – the link is at the bottom of this review -, and you can get involved. One might expect Marling to retreat about and remain quiet, but she has been reaching out and interacting with fans. Even if you are not a musician, it is nice watching these videos and getting to connect with Laura Marling in a way you would not otherwise of being able to. With her new album out, I wonder whether she will be teaching people any of the songs from it. I applaud Marling in general, because releasing an album when there is so much drama and anxiety…that is quite a gamble. Marling has a level of popularity that means an album from her is always going to be discussed and heard, but one wonders how Song for Our Daughter would have been received if it came out a few months from now. I think the album is just what we need right now. There is hope and comfort among the more personal and emotional tones. The album is a rich and rewarding listen, yet there is something different about it. Differing in sound to her previous work, I think Marling has created a real treasure. I should get down to assessing my favourite track from Song for Our Daughter: For You.

PHOTO CREDIT: Hollie Fernando

I chose For You to highlight, as I think it is among the most beautiful songs Marling has ever written. Crooning, low backing vocals beckon the song forward. It is an unexpected opening, and it is almost like a song from the 1950s. It is hard to explain, but there is something reminiscent of the romance of that time. Gently strumming, Marling’s beautiful voice nicely balances with the backing vocals. “I took pictures of you/long before I met you/Just a fragment of my mind” is a wonderful image. One is not too sure whether Marling had been dreaming about this person before she met them, or whether this is more of a dream scenario. Marling’s words always provoke speculation and intrigue, and I love the way she delivers the lines. With the backing vocals cooing and swaying almost like the trickle of a stream, Marling remains focused. I have mentioned how her accent can change, and she can switch from a lower vocal to quite a high-pitched delivery. Here, her vocal is quite deep, and there is little of the Mid West accent that we have heard on previous albums. “I hit cold air for you/almost every night/Precious things are hard to find” gets one guessing regarding story and imagery. I get the sense that Marling has been waiting for this person; maybe there was this void in her life. She has been walking around and searching for some sense of meaning and connection. Marling reveals how it was “just one evening” – “Much like any else” – when she finally found this person. There is this persistently dreamy quality to the song that makes you sad a music video might not arrive – as I can imagine something very beautiful and memorable (maybe there will be an animated video if For You is released as a single). Marling has been picturing this passion and revelation for a while so, when reality finally happens, she saw this person there “As I had seen you all my life”.   

PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Witchger

Given the album is about Marling thinking about parenthood and putting down songs to an as-yet-born daughter, this song feels less like a romantic bond and more a message from a potential mother to a hypothetical daughter. Marling has been imagining, perhaps, what her daughter would be like and how they would interact. Marling talks about a picture that she wears; a keepsake and trinket that she holds dear. Marling’s voice double-tracks as the song progresses and one falls under the spell of this phenomenal songwriter. “Now that I have you/I will not forget/What a miracle you are” suggests birth and this much-cherished arrival. Although Marling does not explicitly mention a child, I feel it is a final stage of this concept: the arrival of a child after a lot of searching and wondering. Marling reveals how love is not an answer but the “line that marks the start”. With every breath and line, I started to form these images and little scenes: Marling at home with this new child, perhaps. That said, she sings of thanking God that she has never loved, never wanted or met. So, with those words coming back a few times, it seems like motherhood might still be in her mind but not realised quite yet. There is this mixture of heartbreak, romance and dreaming as Marling is imagining a life that could be. Perhaps the perils and uncertainty of romance is too steep and stark right now. There is this speculation and longing for a daughter, but perhaps the songwriter is not quite in a place where she can commit; scared that love might run away or that things could go wrong. I have listened to For You several times and, each time, I get new impressions and scenes. It is a marvellous song that ends one of Marling’s finest creations. So many artists deteriorate or lose their magic as they release more albums, but Marling seems to grow stronger and more amazing as time goes by. She has entered a new decade of life, and her perspectives have altered. I look forward to see where this staggering songwriter will head next.

PHOTO CREDIT: Andy Willsher

This is the part of the review where I usually look at what is next for that artist. For the next couple of months, it is going to be a case of saying very little. Marling did have gigs booked for this month, but that has all been affected. Look at her official website for update, but you will be able to catch Laura Marling later in the year. It is a shame artists release albums now and then they do not know when they can play them live. Whilst we wait to see when the live music scene will kick back up, Marling will be keeping busy with her guitar tutorials and keeping amused. I am sure she will be writing more songs and keeping in touch with fans. Although so many people have reviewed her album already, I wanted to pop in a review for For You and talk about in more general terms – as she is one of my absolute favourite artists ever. I shall wrap things up but do go and buy Song for Our Daughter is you can – the link it is at the top of this review. At only thirty, Marling has already established herself as one of the finest songwriters of this generation. Maybe she will not quite reach the same peaks as Bob Dylan and Joni Mitchell, but she will get pretty close! She still has so many albums in her, and it is scary to think just how far she can go! As we are in the house and relying on new forms of distraction at this tough time, music is a necessary balm and source of guidance. If you are looking for an album to love and keep you company, then I would recommend Laura Marling’s Song for Our Daughter. Truly, it is yet…

ANOTHER masterpiece.

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Follow Laura Marling 

TRACK REVIEW: Dua Lipa - Break My Heart

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Dua Lipa

Break My Heart

 

9.7/10

 

The track, Break My Heart, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj2U6rhnucI

The album, Future Nostalgia, is out now. Order it here:

https://www.dualipa.com/

RELEASE DATE:

27th March, 2020

GENRES:

Pop/Dance-Pop

ORIGIN:

London, U.K.

LABEL:

Warner

PRODUCERS:

Jeff Bhasker/Ian Kirkpatrick/SG Lewis/The Monsters and the Strangerz/Stuart Price/TMS/Andrew Watt

__________

ALTHOUGH I have reviewed…

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PHOTO CREDIT: Cameron McCool for Vogue

Dua Lipa fairly recently, the fact she has just released her new album, Future Nostalgia, means that it is a good time to reassess and revisit a great artist. The title is a very apt one for someone who mixes the sounds of the 1970s and 1980s with a very modern attitude and aesthetic. She has collected some massive reviews already – including some five-star nods -, and I am not going to review the entire album myself – as I cannot do it full justice. Instead, I am going to look at Lipa’s current single, Break My Heart. Its video was released on Thursday (26th), and it sort of highlights all the assets and facets of Britain’s greatest modern Pop artists. I have a few subjects I want to address before I get to reviewing that track but, as we are a few months into 2020, there are some seriously good albums out in the world. Everyone will have their own opinions regarding the best of the year so far, and I really do think Future Nostalgia is among them. Right now, there is a very unsure and fearful cloud that hangs over the world. Life has changed immeasurably over the past few weeks, and it is a particularly tough time for musicians, creatives and the self-employed. I am not sure whether the Government are going to inject more money into the economy to help those who are out of work at the moment, but musicians are finding creative ways to stay busy and bring their music to people – even if they cannot tour and earn as much money as they would like. Although albums will still be made this year, there are going to be far fewer than we expected. That is understandable, as we all need to keep safe and put things on hold for a little while. I do feel there is a need now, more than ever, to produce something truly uplifting and unifying.

One of the reasons Future Nostalgia is being spoken about in such heated and passionate tones is because it has an energy and kick that was more common in past decades. It is a bit early to start calling the best albums of this year, but I would be shocked if Dua Lipa’s second album was not in the top-five of every critics’ end-of-year lists. I have nothing against more reflective and downbeat music, but I think there is this very real desire to hear something that is more joyful and uplifting. When things improve regarding the coronavirus pandemic, I think a lot more buoyant Pop will emerge. Ever since her eponymous debut album arrived in 2017, Dua Lipa has spliced more confessional and pained elements together with fizz and confidence. Whilst so many in the mainstream seem plastic and formulaic, Lipa is an artist who is forging her own path and not playing it safe. I think Pop has been in trouble for a while, and it has been lacking that essential catchiness, upbeat spirit and originality that we look for. Although modern Pop artists are more emotive and less rapturous than artists years ago, I think Dua Lipa could spearhead a revival and new movement. I will talk about that more a bit later, but there is a lot of attention trained at Dua Lipa right now. We all listen to big artists who storm the charts and appear in magazines, but I wonder how many of us stop and think about the sort of life they lead. For artists like Dua Lipa, one might assume things are pretty easy-going, and she can sort of kick back at the end of the day and does not have anything to worry about. Even now, when so many people are stuck indoors, it is hard for artists like her.

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She would have been promoting her new album, maybe doing some gigs; there would have been this constant cycle of promotional events that, sadly, she cannot do – and I understand she pushed forward the release of Future Nostalgia as it was leaked online. There is great pressure, and it is amazing how artists like her handle it. In this Vogue feature from last year, she was asked about success and how she deals with expectation regarding releasing new material:

“You’re up there with the most streamed female artists in the world…

“Terrifying!”

Your songs collectively have been streamed over 5 billion times. How do you think about your success in these terms?

“I’m just grateful that people want to listen to my songs and play them at parties or while they’re getting ready. The numbers are crazy and while I’ve been in the writing process, I haven’t thought about it for a while so it’s… amazing. It pushes me to work harder. I just want to come back and make people proud. The last show I did was in December, so it’s been eight, nine months where I’ve just been writing in my little abyss, my little cave.”

Does that add extra pressure when it comes to creating a new record?

“Of course, but at the same time there’s only so much I can do. When I make music, I listen to it over and over again and when I do videos, I watch them over and over again. But the second it’s out in the world, it belongs to somebody else. That’s the way I see it. I like for people to be able to take my songs and have it make sense for them. The music has to live by itself. I’m reluctant to explain what a song means to me because I don’t want my story to influence that”.

It must be so difficult being in the public eye and being popular, knowing there is this standard and there is always going to be this commercial weight – the new song or album has to be bigger and sell better than the last. Whilst, as I mentioned, a lot of contemporary Pop artists are producing quite sad and slow music, Dua Lipa is sort of going the other way: the tunes you hear on Future Nostalgia are, largely, the perfect soundtrack for kitchen discos and feelgood times. Of course, as a young woman, she cannot ignore subjects like relationships and deeper issues – such as empowerment and sexism -, but she perfectly blends the more serious with the fun. I think a lot of fun has escaped Pop. You just know Dua Lipa grew up listening to a lot of great Pop music. She has revealed that artists like No Doubt and Prince have inspired Future Nostalgia. Whilst mature, the album does let loose, and one gets this funky and sassy collection of songs that critics and fans alike are going crazy over! Dua Lipa has always been an advocate of making Pop music as fun as possible. When she spoke with The Guardian in 2018, that subject arose:

 “You want to be as honest as possible in the music you make,” she says, thinking not so much of her smash single New Rules, which Lipa did not write herself, as of songs such as Blow Your Mind (Mwah) and IDGAF, Lipa’s blunt, sweary postscripts on unhappy love affairs. She continues: “But then there’s the other side of it, when you do want a bit of a personal life, and you get upset that you’ve opened yourself up so much.” She shrugs inside the cream jumper, which unlooses some of her hair. “I guess it comes with the territory – a figuring-out of the right balance, how to be really content, y’know, in this see-through box I’m now living in.”

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Pop should be taken lightly, Lipa believes. “It has to be fun. You’ve got to enjoy it. You can’t get upset about every little thing.” Music after all is the escape – the real world has plenty of methods for upsetting us already.

And so we discuss geopolitics, and Lipa’s family history. She comes from a large family of ethnic Albanians, to whom “so much has happened”, she says, “in my grandparents’ lives, and my parents’ lives… When you try to come to it and grasp everything there, it’s a lot.” She does her best to boil down their complicated story.

Her mother, Anesa, was born to a Kosovan father and a Bosnian mother. In the 90s, war came first to Bosnia, where Anesa’s mother lived, and then to Kosovo, where by now Anesa was living with her fiance, Dukagjin Lipa. Dukagjin was the son of a well-known historian, Seit Lipa, who at that time was the head of the Kosovo Institute of History. When conflict began to brew in Kosovo, Seit’s career abruptly ended. As Lipa tells it: “Once the Serbians came in, they wanted a lot of the historians to rewrite the history of Kosovo. To change it – that Kosovo was always part of Serbia and never part of Yugoslavia. And my grandfather was one of those people who wouldn’t, so he lost his job, because he didn’t want to write a history that he didn’t believe to be true”.

I wanted to include a bit about her family, as we do not often consider that when we listen to artists and the music they produce. I like to go deep when reviewing, and I feel it is important to include (in a review) different sides of an artist. Although Dua Lipa’s music has always been fun, I think there have been some changes between her first and second album. In the Vogue feature, she explained more:

“Dua’s success isn’t simply accolade and awards driven; her self-titled album was – and remains – an absolute joy to listen to. The record delivers tune after tune, from heart-bursting ballads to self-empowerment anthems, with critics describing it as “a terrific debut” and the singer herself a “legitimate pop sensation”. Dua, who phones from LA on the morning of the Vogue shoot, is both considered and self-deprecating about her success, noting she wrote many of the songs as a teenager. “For the first record all I could do really was a lot of dance-crying,” she laughs (she does this often). “It was so much easier for me to write things that made me unhappy because they were things that stuck in my mind the longest.” Having just turned 24 in August, she promises her second album will be a little more “conceptual” and “mature”, before deciding with another exclamation that it’s also “like a dancercise class. It’s just fun!”. 

Not only is Dua Lipa bringing some much-needed fizz and kick back into Pop…she is also a role model that uses her platform to speak out. She has discussed sexism in the industry and how much harder it is for female artists. It can be a bit risky when it comes to talking about change and things one is passionate about, as record labels are very aware about the commercial consequences – a backlash on Twitter or a nervousness about an artist going off script or being controversial. Dua Lipa is not someone who will sit back and remain silent. She wants to see change in the industry, and this will give strength to so many artists. One of Dua Lipa’s biggest strengths is the fact that she is this big star, yet she can remain rooted and grounded. In this interview, Dua Lipa was asked about moving to London at a young age and how she managed:

“Lipa’s work ethic, down-to-earth nature and message of empowerment has made her a role model for girls and young women, and her background is just as inspiring. Her parents moved to the UK from Kosovo in 1990 after war broke out, and Lipa was born in Westminster in 1995. She lived in London until she was 11, when her father’s job took them back to the Kosovan capital of Pristina. Surrounded by an unfamiliar language and culture, she struggled to fit in but finally found a place she belonged in the city’s hip-hop scene. Determined to pursue a singing career in London, Lipa persuaded her parents to let her move back to the UK capital on her own when she was 15, where she stayed with a family friend and attended the prestigious Sylvia Young Theatre School – an institution which counts Rita Ora and the late Amy Winehouse as alumnae.

What was it like living alone in London at that age?

I loved the freedom I had and the fact that I could invite my friends home whenever I wanted to and without any restrictions on how late they could stay. But I hated having to take care of myself, preparing all my meals, doing my laundry and all those things because I didn’t have anyone else to do that for me.

What did you learn from the experience?

It made me become much more independent and helped me understand that if I wanted to make my dreams come true I had to get out of my shell and fight”.

Even though there have been changes and small steps regarding gender inequality in music, there is still a long way to go. Dua Lipa is someone who has experienced discrimination through her career. When she spoke with Vogue, the question of inequality came up:

“How else have you experienced gender disparity as a musician?

“There are so many incredible new female artists and so much incredible music coming from strong, amazing women that we’re making it too hard to ignore. It has been great seeing a lot more women being nominated at awards shows and winning really big. People are slowly starting to wake up but there is still so much inequality in the world. Sometimes I feel because I’ve been brought up in London I live in this little bubble. When I came to America, and travelled to other parts of the world, I saw it so much more. I get shocked that this is a reality. These are things I constantly speak out and fight for. Even when I have the understanding of inequality, it still shocks me”.

I think that Dua Lipa is a new type of Pop artist; a combination of the icons of the 1970, 1980s and 1990s, but she is doing things in her own way. I think a lot of big artists are confined and often live a very isolated life. I do not feel that is the case with Dua Lipa. It can be hard to live a ‘real life’ if you are a Pop star but, as she explained when she spoke with The Face last September, she manages to live a relatively normal life:

 “But isn’t partying with the festival masses and doing everyday things tricky when you’re famous? Lipa shrugs. ​“I just do it,” she says, adding that she thinks it’s important to ​“defeat the idea” that, as a celebrity, she can’t go out and do normal things. She considers fame to be something that she can simply relax her way out of. ​“In the beginning, I did find it a bit weird [being recognised]. I wouldn’t know how to act or what to say. Now I’m more chilled with it, it’s easier.” 

Even though she’s a mainstay of pop, only now does it feel like Lipa is unleashing the full force of her personality on the public. Beyond her engaging socials, compare her 2018 Billboard Music Awards and 2019 American Music Awards performances on YouTube and they seem worlds apart. A stiffer, more self-conscious performer has transformed into a fist-pumping powerhouse. More dramatic yet was her show-stopping, sapphic duet with St Vincent at this year’s Grammys, described as ​“really fucked up and sexy” by the American musician.

Lipa is something of a rarity right now as a British woman making global pop moves. She won a BRIT award earlier this year with Calvin Harris, for their summer banger One Kiss. Many singers in today’s charts only get a featuring on a producer’s track, but on One Kiss (as well as on the piano house single Electricity with Ronson and Diplo), Lipa isn’t a featured artist: she shares top billing with the producers. ​“As a featured artist, I’m there to add something to someone else’s sound, whereas I prefer to be able to create something with someone,” she says firmly.

Women in pop, unless they’re literally sitting at a piano – and often even then – are rarely given the credit they deserve as songwriters. ​“For so many years, people have claimed that pop is manufactured,” Lipa says, taking on a fighting tone of voice that indicates this is an axe she’s regularly been grinding. ​“But there have also been so many incredible pop artists. Gwen Stefani, P!nk, Alicia Keys – all these artists that were the it-girls of pop in the ​’90s and ​’00s, but were very much writing themselves. I would have hoped that the whole stigma of manufactured pop would have disappeared a long time ago, but it still exists. As women, I do feel like we always need to prove ourselves a little bit more, to earn our place”.

It is clear Dua Lipa is a role model for so many people. She has this powerful voice that asks for change; she writes incredible, exciting Pop, and she has this very relatable personality – not normally what you’d expect from a major artist.

I will come to discuss Break My Heart in a just a moment but, to end this section, I wanted to talk about Dua Lipa and her changing fashions. I am not into fashion myself – as it would be obvious to anyone who ever saw me! -, but I do think that fashion and identity are less prominent in modern music. I think Pop artists of the past were much more conscious about crafting a look, whether it worked or not. Not that modern artists are bland, but I do feel like there is less personality and colour in the modern scene. This article from earlier this year explains Dua Lipa’s changing trends and fashions:

“We may have just entered the ’20s, but it seems fashion is still largely stuck in the ’90s. After making a huge resurgence last year, the decade is set to inform much of spring/summer 2020’s style agenda, with trends like chain necklaces. Bermuda shorts and clean nineties lines all proving prevalent on the runways.

The appeal spreads far and wide—from fashion editorial to Instagram—but if there’s one person who’s a poster girl for the movement, it’s without a doubt Dua Lipa.

In addition to her award-winning music, the songstress has long been impressing us with her sartorial wild streak, too. From mesh and thigh-skimming sequins to elegant ballgowns and sharp suiting—much like Sarah Jessica Parker or Alexa Chung, it seems there's no trend Dua Lipa can't turn her hand to.

While many of her archival outfits err on the ‘80s side of things, her latest ensembles are each in their own a tribute to the ’90s. From bucket hats and puffer jackets to bright eyeshadow and hair tendrils, Dua looks are becoming just as iconic as the ones that actually inspired them”.

I do feel there is some great Pop out there but, as Future Nostalgia shows, there is nobody quite as strong as Dua Lipa! Look online at the reviews that have come in, and they are all four or five-star pieces! I shall now move on to reviewing Break My Heart – a song that I wanted to focus on as it is fresh off the press.

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The video for Break My Heart is pure 1980s. The song’s title (and Dua Lipa’s name) are on the screen, as we pan down to see her standing on a car roof. The entire video is full of giddiness, bright colours and these wonderfully cinematic scenes. A bad or unimaginative video can actually dent a song, and yet Break My Heart’s video is awash with beautiful colours and filters. The cityscape and sets look wonderful as the heroine moves around with this concentrated, slightly resigned look. With a bass line that reminds me of Queen’s Another One Bites the Dust; there is actually a sample from INXS’ Need You Tonight. One of the big strengths of Future Nostalgia is that it can splice in these samples here and there to beautifully add something familiar and bygone to a very modern and of-the-moment artist. Break My Heart is Dua Lipa assessing love and whether trusting again is such a wise idea. “I’ve always been the one to say the first goodbye/Had to a love and lose a hundred million times” shows the sense of defeat and exacerbation; that hyperbole and lack of clarity signals someone who has been messed around but wants to give her heart. She is falling, and the sweetheart says her name like she’s never heard before – and she wants to know whether he is falling too. The pre-chorus adds some tension, and one feels the composition shift and the scenery change. The heroine lets the guy know she can get whatever he wants from her, and there is this devotional and trusting nature that sits alongside history and a realisation that things can go wrong. All of this builds up to the chorus, which is as catchy and strut-worthy as any for many years. Using the bones of that INXS sample, you are helpless to resist its pull and allure. “I would’ve stayed at home/’Cause I was doing better alone/But when you said “hello”/I knew that was the end of it all” is delivered with that static rhythm and spring that makes the words pop and groove.

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I think a great song can be taken to new heights with a brilliant chorus and Break My Heart’s compelling chorus definitely lodges in the head! It is great to see how the song shifts sonically and emotionally; the song continues to bump and shimmer as Dua Lipa rides the wave and goes deep. A lot of modern Pop is quite emotionally vacant, yet Lipa genuinely invests the listener. “I wonder, when you go, if I stay on your mind” she asks in the second verse; she looks at the past and its heartache but seems to be committed to this moment – even if giving herself fully could result in hurt. Whilst the lyrics are interesting and are personal, I think it is the combination and vocal and composition that really makes Break My Heart fly. The production is big, the beats are firm, and there is that glossy-cum-sexy underbelly that is aided by that nod to INXS. Right from start to finish, you are moved and kept moving by what is happening. The video is an experience in itself, and it is pretty amazing seeing all the different scenes hang together – it is almost like a mini film; so much is packed in! I wanted to select Break My Heart for review, not just because it is the latest single from Future Nostalgia, but I think it is the best song on the album and the one that hit me hardest – do check out every track on the album, as there is so much variety and quality. When you hear Break My Heart once, you will want to go back and spin it again and again, as it has that incredibly addictive nature. At a time when we all need a boost and some cheer, Break My Heart, whether it intended to or not, provides just that.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Charles Dennington for Vogue Australia

I cannot add too much to what has already been said regarding Future Nostalgia. Dua Lipa has produced a visceral, emotional, fun and colourful album that blends together Pop from the 1980s and 1990s; it puts in some Disco, and mixes that in with something that is distinctly Dua Lipa’s. I think Future Nostalgia is one of the year’s best albums, and it will remain in that position for a very long time. I would encourage people to buy the album – there is a link at the top of this review – and there are tour dates that you can check out. Of course, things may well change given what is going on, but there is no reason to suggest Dua Lipa cannot fulfil the dates she has announced. There will be no/very few festivals this year, so do go and see her perform if you can. Whilst Dua Lipa’s second album is out in the world, I feel it gives other Pop artists an opportunity to look at what they are producing and, at this difficult time, ask whether they should be providing music that is more fun and together. We all need something uplifting, and you get that with Future Nostalgia. There is also a lot of personal revelation, some great attitude and plenty of confidence. Even though there are a few writers and producers in the kitchen, it is very much the command and force of Dua Lipa that shines through. It will be interesting to see where she goes from here, and how she moves on from her latest album. Right now, she will want to get back on the stage as soon as possible and ensure Future Nostalgia reaches as many people as possible. Although there is a lot of uncertainty in the air right now, the brilliance of Dua Lipa’s music strong and assured. It is great to have such a great album out from…

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BRITAIN’S reigning Pop queen.

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Follow Dua Lipa

TRACK REVIEW: Sinead O'Brien - Fall With Me

TRACK REVIEW:

 

 Sinead O’Brien

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Zac Mahrouche

Fall With Me

 

9.5/10

 

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The track, Fall With Me, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GyHMcoYqhSM

GENRES:

Punk/Spoken Word

ORIGIN:

London, U.K.

RELEASE DATE:

11th March, 2020

MUSIC WRITTEN BY:

Sinead O’Brien, Julian Hanson & Oscar Robertson

PRODUCED BY:

Dan Carey

ENGINEERED BY:

Alexis Smith

MIXED BY:

Dan Carey

MASTERED BY:

 Kevin Tuffy

LABEL:

Chess Club

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I have been concentrating a lot…

PHOTO CREDIT: Louise Mason

on mainstream artists for reviews lately, and I think there are some great newer artists that warrant attention. I have been keen to review Sinead O’Brien, as she is someone capturing a lot of love right now. I will come to the review of her latest track, Fall With Me, in a minute, but there are a few things to uncover when it comes to her music and start. In terms of sound and style, it is hard to define O’Brien’s music. She is a Punk artist, but there are elements of Post-Punk and other genres. Maybe it is best not to label artists when it comes to sound, but I think there are elements of the great Punk artists, some wonderful poets, and artists like Patti Smith. It is a wonderful blend, and I am especially drawn to her love of words. All songwriters, in a sense, are poets, but O’Brien is someone who has that deep affection and curiosity regarding language. A lot of new artists coming through are being noted because of their blend of spoken word and Post-Punk elements. Sinead O’Brien is fearless when it comes to words, and the way she writes and articulates her feelings is amazing. I want to bring in an interview from October of last year, where O’Brien’s poetic nature was discussed:

“Packing grace and grit in equal measure, Sinead has already built up a fearsome reputation for her unique blend of spoken word delivery and post-punk principles – something she certainly never envisioned herself pursuing as a convent school student in Limerick.

“I always had an interest in English, but I had some pretty tough teachers,” she explains. “The way poetry was taught in school didn’t interest me at that point. It was all about learning the poems off by heart. The fact that we were supposed to be analysing the poet’s intention kind of disgusted me, too. To me, it was up to everyone to find their own interpretation.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Matilda Hill-Jenkins

“When it comes to the word ‘poetry’, people get so uptight,” she laughs. “I’m quite loose with the word – I’m definitely not calling myself an academic. But I don’t think anyone should be afraid to use their words, because there’s no better way to express yourself.”

From there, Sinead found herself sharing a stage with legendary punk-poet John Cooper Clarke.

“He’s wild,” she laughs. “Being Irish, I’m quite polite, especially when I get to meet these big personalities. So I was giving him all the space in the world, but no – he wanted to bring us back to hotel and buy us drinks – and chat and sing with us the whole night. It was the most brilliant, inclusive experience ever. It showed me that someone at the top of their game can still be so generous”.

I spent my childhood writing poetry, and I always felt that, even when we were encouraged to write, there was a sense (from some other kids) that it was not cool. I wonder what would have happened if I continued writing poetry, as I was quite good back then. I wonder whether poetry is included in the curriculum, and how children are taught these days. I listen to a lot of music, but it is not too often that I reflect on the lyrics that hard. Maybe that is because I am hooked to the vocal and composition, but there is something about an artist who puts the words to the front that grabs me. Poetry and songwriting are different, so one will experience a different sensation when they experience song lyrics compared to poetry. Many songwriters find it hard to write in a poetic style, as they feel too constricted. Likewise, I think it is hard for a lot of poets to be as expansive and musical as artists. Sinead O’Brien can bridge the two worlds, and it is evident poetry was a big part of her early life.

When she spoke with GoldenPlec in August last year, the theme of poetry and its influence on her lyrics came up:

 “<<GP>> You're obviously a fan of poetry. What writers in particular influence your lyrics? What else has an impact on how you write/what you write about?

Poetry is something I look to for structure and form. Like a choreographer might use a classical ballet as the framework to create something new, I see poetry and song structure in that way. Like a tool.

Content, however, comes from outside of that. It’s one thing having something to say and quite another to find your own particular way to say it. That’s style. My favourite poets to read and re-read would be T.S. Eliot, W.B. Yeats, Frank O'Hara. I love Joan Didion for her direct voice and her almost ‘documentary' style, Camus and when I get completely crazy and want to go into a wide-open space I dive into philosophy.

I write in a quite realistic style, there is a lot of ‘I’, ‘You’, ‘We’. Real people. The subjects are everyday-universal but I want to give a very particular and individual voice to that”.

Although O’Brien is now based in London, she has had an itinerant life so far. She is an Irish artist, and I have a particular love of Irish acts. Of course, there is a great scene coming from Ireland right now. Bands like Fontaines D.C. are proving – if it needed to be – that Ireland is a nation with as much variety, quality, and passion as anywhere else in the world. Not only does O’Brien’s discovery of poetry move me and provokes all sorts of images; I also wonder about where she lived and how the people and landscape impacted her. I can envisage the young O’Brien reading poetry, playing records, and scribbling notes and thoughts.

PHOTO CREDIT: Zac Mahrouche

Maybe she did follow chart music and was hanging with friends who listened to that kind of stuff, but I get the feeling she was drawn more to artists and voices who were more concerned with feel and the depths of language, rather than melodic hooks and accessibility. In terms of her surroundings, the native tongue and the warmth of the people would have hit her. I think geography and upbringing is hugely influential when it comes to the music you make. I am not suggesting she drips Ireland and that is the only thing of note. What I mean is that Ireland her young life is all part of this magnificent mix and unique D.N.A. In terms of O’Brien and where she lived, what was covered in an interview with Loud and Quiet back in October of last year:

 “O’Brien was born in Dublin before the family moved west to Limerick where she lived until she returned to the Irish capital to study in her late teens. Her love of words and music began to develop at an early age, though they wouldn’t marry until much later. Sinead tells the story of how, when she was five or six, she would return from school with her ‘spelling book’ bulging with advanced new entries. Her parents grew suspicious and checked with the next-door neighbour (a primary teacher). “My dad was like, ‘she’s giving herself extra homework so that she can be better!” I was pretty keen on homework in general. I had a school bag before I had a school.”

Music wasn’t far behind either. “I was sitting in the car with my mum, I was six, and I completely remember. I just had this notion – I want to learn piano.” Initially, lessons were at a chaotic School for Music before she swapped those for the more formal private tutorials administered by a stern old-fashioned antiques dealer. “She took care of my hands,” remembers O’Brien. “Sometimes she would even take my nail varnish off. It was etiquette – you come like this to the class. I absolutely loved it.” She kept taking lessons until she was 18. “I’ve always done best under very tough teaching,” she says. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Lola Stephens

By her late teens the allure the big(ger) city – “my New York or something” – was growing. She had enlisted at college in Limerick, but after one year transferred onto a course in Fashion Design in Dublin – an intensive group with four teachers and twelve students. The rigorous mentoring style suited her, and towards the end of her studies O’Brien was selected to work at Dior in Paris for five months”.

I will come to fashion in a bit, because that is another interesting facet of Sinead O’Brien. One of the reasons why I was drawn to music and poetry as a child was because of the routine and rather mundane nature of school. I loved being there, because I got to meet some wonderful friends, and it was a very important part of my life. I think the fact that children are taught the same things and everything is very rule-bound means that, invariably, those with big imaginations will want to break free or find some form of meaning and individuality in other forms. For me, music was a different world that broke all barriers, and it provided lessons, textures and possibilities that I could not get from lessons. Likewise, I feel O’Brien’s educational experience was one that provoked her to explored music, poetry and fashion. In October, O’Brien spoke with So Young Magazine, and she talked about her school life:

“What’s special about where you’re from? Has it inspired your music?

Limerick (home of The Cranberries & Richard Harris) named after a form of poetry which was used by writers and poets including Joyce, Lewis Carrol and Mark Twain.

Growing up, I went to an all girls catholic school. My art teacher was the last remaining nun who was surprisingly focused on helping me get into art school. It was quite picturesque – six hundred girls in floor length skirts, ties done all the way up, marching up and down six flights of stairs in this big beautiful 19th century building.

PHOTO CREDIT: Matilda Hill-Jenkins

I looked for points of differences amongst the uniformity. The city has influenced me strongly too – it still does. I went to a lot of gigs during those years. When bands from London or Tokyo which no-one had ever heard of would come – it felt like a time of discovery. Laying the foundation for my own musical taste and ideas. The music you listen to – its such a commitment, it almost cut people up into distinctive groups, dividing and coming together. Flocks of young animals just trying to understand. When I come back to Limerick I pick up just there, where I left off. I keep coming back and understanding and discovering. It’s coming back with purpose, reflecting who I am now against the place I grew up. It’s a very sensitive and almost invisible process but something precious.

What led you to start writing and performing songs?

I moved to Paris in 2012 after graduating from Art school in Dublin. A friend saying goodbye casually suggested that I write an online piece and call it ‘freak watching in the city’! I started to write short pieces during my off time from beneath rainy cafe awnings, inside the Pompidou centre, at my home on canal St Martin and every place between.  I love to observe and write my environment and found a kind of humor in it at that time. To me it was almost ridiculous – to be a ‘stranger’ noting down strange things. I found it surreal and really connected with that. It’s quite theatrical to say ‘here I am and this is what I’m seeing’. Like opening a curtain and revealing your world. Impact and drama. I alway find a sense of drama in the everyday. It’s interesting and gritty.

The pieces began to take on the shape of poems and I began working on them to give more symmetry and form. It’s not like you know why or what you’re doing, just a piece or work which needs working on. It wasn’t until I had several notebooks full that I felt a reason to perform”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Zac Mahrouche

I sort of think that O’Brien’s life and progress into music begs for some sort of television or film drama. Few of us think about an artist’s early life and how that moulded them. Today, we are given music and we listen at such a fast rate; how regularly do you stop and think about that artist and how they got into music? I love the fact O’Brien had this strict school life, but she was this artistic and slightly bohemian soul who yearned for poetry and fashion; one imagined she would have felt more at home watching people walk past a café, or taking a stroll down a picturesque street. I suppose that, even as a child, O’Brien was dreaming of the city and what it could offer. Fashion is quite a big part of O’Brien’s work and music. She always looks very stylish and cool when she is being photographed; she is a stunning woman with incredible beauty, but there is this edge and powerful image she projects. Mixing sophistication with something distinctly her own, the eye is drawn to the women behind the music. That world of fashion and poetry sort of blend; it is so different to everything else in music. I think so many young artists are either flaunting flesh to sell music, or there is not a lot of consideration given to image and standing out. Sinead O’Brien is a songwriter who can be called and Irish Punk; she could be seen as someone who embraces the unknown. In my view, O’Brien is someone you cannot tag and limit – unlike so many of her peers. Whilst words and the masters of the past have helped shape her, I think people are just as worthy. O’Brien has this fascination with people and just seeing the world rush by.

PHOTO CREDIT: @hotpress

Returning to the interview from Loud and Quiet, O’Brien talked about her time in Paris and how, when she could, she would frequent a café and note down her observations. It is really interesting to imagine O’Brien people-watching:  

“However, it wasn’t just in fashion where O’Brien became well versed in Paris. During any spare time she’d indulge in the French tradition of drinking in cafés and watching the world go by. “Cafés – my second home,” she quips. As a distraction she began writing short observational poems. “At first they’d be more humorous – they were my way of entertaining myself. I would laugh and then maybe share it with a friend or something.” Together with a pal they came up with a title for these playful short passages: Freak Watching In The City. Sometimes she’d share these stories with mates, posting her work on Facebook. They’d do the same. “I liked the back ’n’ forth.” Soon that work took a more philosophical turn, or in O’Brien’s words, “became a bit bigger than funny shoes or something like that… but still looking at the daily things. The grit of it. People’s coming and going”.

I will get to reviewing very soon but, rather than introduce you to an artist who has been tipped for success and give you a few lines about Fall With Me, I wanted to give some time up to explore a brilliant artist and really interesting woman who has so many layers. Whether it is her discovery of poetry, the desire to study fashion, or how strict her school life was, O’Brien is not one who wants to be restricted and narrowed. A lot of artists like to remain in their comfort zone and do the same thing, but O’Brien is an artist who does not mind being exposed and leaving herself open to fear and uncertainty. I think that can really push an artist and lead to something beautiful.

PHOTO CREDIT: Matilda Hill-Jenkins

It was inevitable Sinead O’Brien would be discovered and would find a home for her music, but she is not like so many artists around her. If she was given a lot of time to record or told what sort of songs to write, that would have been very hard to take. Her meeting with Dan Carey – the main guy at Speedy Wunderground – was pivotal. It seemed like she had found this natural home; an environment that allowed her to record how she wanted: a sense of speed and this urgency; a quite raw and almost live-sounding style of recording. I want to quote from an interview in DIY, where O’Brien talked about meeting Carey:

“Meticulously thought-through and writing from the position of unguarded narrator (“I sometimes have these realisations when I’m performing where I feel naked, but that’s a good thing. I like the exposure; I like daring to be scared”), Sinead’s early output soon caught the eye of expert talent spotter and Speedy Wunderground main man Dan Carey, who brought her in to record debut single ‘Taking On Time’ last summer. Now, the pair have just finished laying down her debut EP. “He just knows how to get your thing into being and make something more like you than you ever even knew. He knows how to get you to become so alive and then you freeze it there,” she enthuses. “That sense of confinement [Speedy Wunderground tracks are all recorded within 24 hours] and limit is where I thrive; I think that makes me explode”.

Before moving along to Fall With Me, I want to end this section by exploring O’Brien’s writing process. One imagines O’Brien would have just moved from writing her own poetry to bringing that into the studio. Like inspirations and early life, I think it is interesting to see how O’Brien’s music has progressed, and how she has got to this stage. 

PHOTO CREDIT: Zac Mahrouche

A few days back, an interview was published in The Quietus. This is an interesting section of the interview that tells how she met some very important collaborators:

“More crucial than either that gig, or even the Windmill show, however, was her meeting Julian Hanson, with whom she now writes and performs (Burns’ role was a one-off). After first meeting one night in the MOTH Club in Hackney and swapping numbers, Hanson “started to come into my life as a dripping tap,” she says. “He used to come over sometimes and he’d play the guitar on the floor of my tiny box room, and at some point I just started reading against him playing. It felt really good, I think we were a bit shocked about what the clash ended up being. I hate the word random, but when you put two random things together, sometimes it takes a bit of a while to understand what happened – if it’s a good thing or if it’s just a nothing. But I think that once we started to lock in, and work together, at the same time as becoming really good friends, it kind of made sense.”

From there, O’Brien and Hanson, who is based in Nottingham, as well as London-based drummer Oscar Robertson, began endlessly swapping references and trading long voice messages as they built upon that brilliant early collision, O’Brien’s instincts for finding the music in her writing growing sharper and sharper as her and Hanson’s understanding grows. “Every single day, every hour I have spare, I’m writing,” she says. “Whether it’s in my notebook or my phone or whatever, and I’m always listening to music. Sometimes Julian sends me little snippets of guitar, and I start to get a feeling for what might be the hook of a song. As soon as I have something where I can imagine what it looks like, I book a train and go see Julian in Nottingham, or he comes to me. He never listens to the playlists I send him, he wont listen to any of the references I have, which is brilliant, because he can never hear what I heard. We question each other a lot, we carve and shape things together, intrusively in a way, but it’s very welcome and wanted in that way. It all comes down to the fact that I love everything he does”.

PHOTO CREDIT: NME

Sinead O’Brien’s music seems almost like these important speeches; almost Gospel-like in a way. To start with, Fall With Me sees O’Brien backed by a sort of spacey electronic sound as she talks about this most basic of cities; this is a chance for people to join with O’Brien and surrender. When talking about the song’s inspiration, O’Brien said that she wanted people to sink and imagine, just for a moment, what it would be like to surrender and give yourself over to that pleasure. “You can’t imagine/This state that we’re in” is an intriguing mantra and thought that makes me curious whether the ‘state’ refers to what is happening in the world at large, or whether she is talking about surrendering and what that feels like. The chorus sees O’Brien repeating the song’s title; it becomes more hypnotic and strong every time the words are sung. Backed by guitar and drum, it is a gear switch from the opening moments. Going from this naked and poetry-like start, the song evolves and grows. Our heroine will takes us further; “Lullaby in reverse”; let this lullaby, as she says, “subvert your feelings” – words delivered with such meaning and potency, that you keep going back time and time again. Ever since I heard O’Brien’s music, I have been amazed by her lyrics and how powerful they are. One immerses themselves in songs, and imagines scenes unfolding. In terms of specific inspiration and meaning, I think there is room to interpret. O’Brien talks about spring arriving after the snow; these giant leaps happening. Like poetry, one can speculate as to interpretation, but everyone will get something different from the same words. This very basic city – whether referring to London or somewhere else – is just one place to go.

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I get the sense there is this pining for movement and not being rooted. O’Brien, as someone who has lived in different places in her life, cannot be tied to one city, and I think she finds peace and meaning experiencing different people and places. I love how O’Brien’s Irish accent adds something special. There is this romantic-cum-conversational sound to her voice that resonates. “Is this what it feels like to speak too freely?” is another line that jumped out. Again, I was wondering what that line referred to and whether O’Brien was referring to political and big conversation, or just speaking freely in her personal life. “Confusion is the war on us” is another brilliant line – in a song full of them -, and I start to piece together different interpretations and possibilities each time I play the song. O’Brien declares that she doesn’t want to wait any more. I feel this desire that the heroine has to break away from the conventional and there’s that need to surrender and let go. I am not sure what the act of falling would entail. Whether it is a sort of meditative release, or something more provocative and revolutionary, one is invested and engrossed. The final stages combine some guiding and illustrative bass, beats, and guitar, as O’Brien’s words continue to stir the mind. I have listened to Fall With Me a number of times, and I think it is a song that unveils itself the more you investigate. I know O’Brien has a gig at London's Chats Palace on 21st May, and many people will want to hear Fall With Me on the stage. This is another fantastic and triumphant song from a super-talented artist who is gaining more followers and fans by the week. I think she is one of this year’s most promising artists, and there is going to be definite demand for an E.P. or album from this brilliant songwriter.

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PHOTO CREDIT: DIY

I have talked a lot about Sinead O’Brien’s early life, and what she is putting out right now. She has been tipped by so many publications – including NME -, and everyone can see this exceptional artist who will have a very long future. I wonder whether O’Brien will get an official website soon, where she can combine all of her work, thoughts and information. Also, I think there is talk of an E.P. coming, because she has released some great singles that would melt together superbly. On that note, many might wonder whether an album is coming and what she has planned regarding more music. The Irish poet and songwriter has made big strides through the years, but she is now based in London. I wonder whether a new setting will guide her music. Of course, O’Brien is no stranger to London, and it seems like movement and experiencing new cities suits her well. Returning to the GoldenPlec interview, the seduction of cities was covered:    

 “I used to come to London every summer while I was studying in Dublin. I love cities and needed to feel that big expansiveness in contrast to where I grew up. I appreciate the appeal of both places very much now. But I needed to follow that feeling so after Paris in 2013 I moved to London for my first design job. A lot of my close friends from home were here too so it was easy. Like having another base.

I’m also quite easily adjusted to places, I absorb the newness and collect as I go. I don’t leave where I've been behind - I add to it. So, in a way, I feel like I have built up a collection of places (Limerick, Clare, Dublin, Paris, London) I feel a strong connection to”.

If you want to see O’Brien tour, check out her movements. Of course, I am not sure how things are going to change for her and every other artist at the moment, what with the coronavirus. It is a challenging time, so gigs might get cancelled. I hope there are plenty of gigs for Sinead O’Brien this year, as she is a wonderful artist who produces these incredible shows. Gigwise caught her in London last month, and they were stunned by what they witnessed:  

“Visuals are as much a part of the set as the punch of the music. Bathed in a sanguine light, Sinead appears on stage in a luxuriously draped silk gown the colour of rust – emphasizing the fluidity in which she floats around the stage, waif-like. A dancer fills the space of what would be a pit given the right circumstances, but instead she is interpretive and mesmerizing, adding an entirely new sense of creativity to the proceedings.

Whilst there is a delicacy in the artform of performance, there is no denying that there is a commanding power that emanates from the poet. As the musician’s wax and wane in crescendo, Sinead’s hands are the silent conductor subtly flickering in unspoken communications to let the band know that it’s time to simmer down and let the words carry their weight. Apart from a few words of thanks the set is fast-paced, carried by the urgency of Sinead’s distinctive craft and the intensity of her gaze.

Serving as a transportation to times far gone, but yet to be lost, SET Dalston was host to an unforgettable night for those who are enticed by the idea of pushing creative boundaries and carving our spaces for themselves in a world that is often resistant to change”.

There is a bright future ahead for O’Brien - and I am looking forward to seeing where she heads. There is going to be more material, and many people will watch her closely. There is something different about O’Brien and what she is writing. Her music is deeply moving and interesting; the way she delivers her words is amazing, and I just know O’Brien will keep on growing and storm the music scene. She is fairly new out of the blocks, but I think this year will be a massive one. Once the coronavirus problems subside, O’Brien will be very busy indeed. If you have not heard and followed this amazing artist yet, rectify that and get involved. Unique, poetic, and incredibly passionate, Sinead O’Brien is an…

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AMAZING talent.

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Follow Sinead O’Brien 

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TRACK REVIEW: Deacon Blue - City of Love

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Deacon Blue

City of Love

 

8.9/10

The track, City of Love, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-kwypo7qcc

GENRES:

Pop/Rock/Blues

ORIGIN:

Glasgow, U.K.

The album, City of Love, is available here:

https://open.spotify.com/album/75RG9WCDjD3hyNlppcArck?si=B06kaENaS9Kr0SgQ6WFt7Q

RELEASE DATE:

6th March, 2020

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I have always admired Deacon Blue…

and held their music very dear (and they are named after my favourite song). Maybe it is the fact the band named themselves after a Steely Dan song (Deacon Blues is from their 1977 album, Aja), or because I have always felt uplifted by their music. I can recall one of my first music memories; I heard their track, Twist & Shout when I was a child whilst my family were leaving Madame Tussauds. I have a fond respect for Real Gone Kid, as it was one of those massive songs that was part of my childhood. Although a lot of Deacon Blue songs looked at the political, they were able to bring in the personal and do so by providing these incredible choruses, singalong moments and timeless moments. Some might argue their peak was in the 1980s, but the band are still performing and have just released the album, City of Love. Ricky Ross leads with Lorraine McIntosh, James Prime, Dougie Vipond, Gregor Philp, Lewis Gordon and Timbo Jones part of the band. The Glasgow legends are still going strong, and there are many different things I want to cover off before I review the title track from their latest album. It is International Women’s Day and, as such, it is a time to highlight brilliant women in music whilst also asking for equality and change. I am publishing a feature later pertaining to my favourite female artist, but I hope days like today push the industry into action; so that women are not denied and overlooked like they are now. I think one of Deacon Blue’s greatest strengths is the fact McIntosh provides this female perspective. There has always been a close creative and vocal bond between her and Ricky Ross, and a lot of Deacon Blue’s finest moments happen when Ross and McIntosh are side-by-side; where you get these two singers weaving in and out of one another. Most of the bands I grew up listening to in the 1980s and 1990s were male. There were some female-led bands – like Republica; female bands such as The Bangles -, but most of what was being played was male bands. Aside from acts like Prefab Sprout, I did not often hear bands where there was this vocal harmony between a male and female singer.

IMAGE CREDIT: BBC

More than merely having Lorraine McIntosh and Ricky Ross sharing vocal duties, the two are married, and there is that huge respect between them. McIntosh is an essential part of Deacon Blue, and I think the band have got to where they are because of her invaluable role. She is an incredible force and voice, and someone who adds so much to the best Deacon Blue songs. I also think Ross, as the primary songwriter, approaches a lot of tracks from a female perspective, knowing McIntosh is by his side. On the new album, City of Love, there are a lot of personal moments, and McIntosh sounds as rich, dynamic, and stunning as ever. I was not expecting a Deacon Blue album this year, but the band has been concocting the stunning City of Love for a long time. In this interview, they talked about the process and discussed how things have changed regarding recording:

“When did you start working on the songs for City Of Love?

“It was a long process, actually. We’d only put out Believers in 2016 and I was writing solidly again by the summer of 2017. Writing without much of a goal or an end date. We initially planned to record in the summer of 2018, but I wasn’t sure we had what we needed, so we just kept going…”

Did that mean you ended up with a lot of songs?

“We always have a lot of songs. It’s always been that way. Gregor (Philip, guitarist) and I always seem to end up making a lot of demos. This time though we had the two singles right from the off, ‘City Of Love’ and ‘Hit Me Where It Hurts’, so they were a real ballast to build the album around.”

It’s an 11-track record though, were you quite brutal about what made it?

“If anything, I think we overcut! There are a few songs that will definitely still come out and we’ll hope to release them in time.” 

PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

Has the process of recording changed much for Deacon Blue over the years? Or is it a similar way of working?

“Weirdly, we’ve come back to the way we made Raintown all those years ago. We try to do things as live as possible and to keep the overdubs to an absolute minimum.”

You self-produced the album, what did you decide on that approach?

“We’ve worked a lot with Paul Savage over the years and we felt that we’d got as much as we could from that. We had a great engineer and the demos Gregor and I had made were sounding so strong and focused that we weren’t sure what a producer could bring.”

Was it strange working without a producer?

“A bit strange. I do like having someone around to be a sounding board. But the most important thing in making a record is that you’ve got a clear sense of what you’re doing and what you want. Sometimes you need a producer to help you get there, but we had such a strong sense of where we wanted to be that it worked with just us.”

What kind of album is this lyrically? Is there a theme?

“The springboard was all from the song ‘City Of Love’. I’d discovered that the bones of Saint  Valentine are kept in a church in the Gorbals part of Glasgow, which is where we’d made the album. That gave the album a feeling. It’s a feeling of reconciliation and bringing people back together. I wanted to tell different stories of love. That really anchors the record, you’ve got the title track opening it up and then ‘On Love’ closing the album.”

IMAGE CREDIT: Classic Pop

Was the album always going to be called City Of Love?

“It was there from early on. If you get something like that, something to build around, then it’s great to have it and really work to it. We had that this time, but you don’t always get it. Sometimes we’ve had the album done and been looking at the artwork before we’ve chosen what to call it.”

You’ve got a big tour ahead of you in the autumn, how’s your live set coming together?

“It was interesting, we were in Australia when the first single dropped and we put it straight in the set and people really went for it. Over the last few years, I feel like we’ve got a real momentum about the new material and we’ve reflected that in the set. That said, you always want people to go home thinking they’ve heard a ‘Greatest Hits’ set. We’ll be trying to do that too.”

Finally, last time you were back writing a few months after the album dropped, are you already collecting songs for the next run?

“I am collecting songs again. But not for Deacon Blue…”

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I wanted to bring in that interview, as it gives context regarding the album. If you are not familiar with Deacon Blue, albums like Raintown (1987) and When the World Knows Your Name (1989) are great starting places. Although the band is older than they used to be, there is still that distinct sound and brilliance that was evident and strong decades ago. Rather than review a song and tip to the album, I wanted to go deep and shine a spotlight on Deacon Blue. I think their popularity on the road, and the fact they appeal to different generations, means they will always have a place in people’s hearts. A lot of their songs do tug on the heart, but it is the feel-good factor that balances with that which is particularly potent. I have not seen Deacon Blue perform, but I will try and catch them on the road when they come to London next. I will conclude by talking about their touring plans for this year, but anyone who has ever seen the group on stage will attest to the fact they produce a hell of a show! I found this review from 2018, where the band played the SSE Hydro in their native Glasgow:

 “Oh, there are singalongs. You can imagine. Thirteen thousand people hollering 'Real Gone Kid', 'Wages Day', 'Fergus Sings The Blues', 'Loaded' and 'Dignity' is a communal thrill for the audience, and for the band, going by Ricky Ross's reaction. (Has a man ever shouted the word 'Glasgow!' into a crowd, and been met with such a rapturous rammy, or broken into a wider smile?)

More than anything, they feel like home. At one of many lovely points in this celebratory show, that very word – 'Home' – flashes up behind the band in neon, and incites both a deafening cheer and an onset of greeting across the arena.

But while they're familiar, and still elicit unbridled affection, Deacon Blue will never settle for retreading old steps, or shadow-dancing with old songs. They casually shirk the heritage route by interweaving 80s and 90s favourites with tracks from excellent recent albums The Hipsters, A New House and Believers, all released in the past six years.

Further defying the passage of time, the silhouettes of original members Ricky Ross, Dougie Vipond, Jim Prime and Lorraine McIntosh cut as youthful a dash as ever, presumably due to something in the water. Probably the rain.

A point to note about Lorraine. When the band broke through, in the late 80s, one of the things that elevated them from their fellow Glasgow melodists was the fact Deacon Blue had a female voice and vantage point. Singer, musician, dancer, muse, feminist and force of nature: she'll always be a well-loved linchpin brandishing a tambourine. To quote a somewhat enraptured man in front of us on Saturday night: 'She's still amazing and totally on it.' Well, quite”.

The fact that review mentions McIntosh as a central force and essential female perspective comes back to my first point regarding Deacon Blue’s key strength. They are, as the review also states, so youthful and they have not really slowed that much since the 1980s. I will come to the present day very soon, but I am going to step back to 2012 in a second, as there was this gap in the timeline where the band sort of stepped away. The Hipsters arrived eleven years after 2001’s Homesick. I want to source from this interview, as it provides some context, and explains why there was this pause from the band:

“We turn our attention back to Deacon Blue and speak about the fact that it has been 11 years since their last full length studio album and two and a half years since Ricky announced the band were taking time off from their concert schedule to make time to write and record a new album. I ask if the process took longer than expected. "Yes, it has taken a while," he laughs. "I initially thought that if we did an album it would come out last year. I kind of knew that 2012 was an anniversary year even though the anniversaries are a bit vague.

Did we get together in '85? Yeah, kind of." The first Deacon Blue gigs took place that year even though the line up changed right up to the release of 'Raintown'. "We sort of got together in '86 but our first album came out in '87." It was only after the debut album's release that Lorraine became a permanent member of the band. "So this is sort of the 25 year period. We wanted to do something around this time and if we were going to do a tour - I just felt that we could tour and a certain amount of people would come and see us doing old material, but I felt that to go out and tour with old material again would be really hard especially when we are always writing new songs and not to do any of that stuff would be really hard. I just thought that's depressing and you don't want to go out on a tour and feel like that. Much as it was really lovely to do some of these things, it was always good to do new material whenever you had it."

Ricky begins to chart the long and winding process which led to the album being written, demoed and recorded. "It was about two years ago in the summer I had a meeting with the guy who was going to become our manager, and he did it for a year and then it didn't work out but in a very amicable way. But he sort of inspired us and said, 'You've got to make a Deacon Blue record'. I was really going in to talk about the next McIntosh Ross record as Lorraine and I had a couple of songs already demoed and we had some stuff written for that and I was thinking that was the next project. As it happened he said, 'No, you've got to make a Deacon Blue record'. I thought, 'Well if we're going to make a Deacon Blue record I'm damn sure we're going to make a good one and I really need to knuckle down'.

I just thought if it's a Deacon Blue album we've really got to concentrate on it. I sort of control my own schedule. Normally I would be writing for other people and I just thought, right, Lorraine's going off on tour, she's off in a play, I'm just going to put the next few months aside and work on writing songs and every few days or so I would get one down and I'd phone Gregor and say 'Do you fancy coming through, Lorraine's away and I'm looking after the kids, come and stay and we'll work on songs'. So it was great. I would get up in the morning and get the kids to school and Gregor and I would work and we'd stop at tea time then later on get Seamus to his bed because he's the youngest one and then invariably we'd go back and start recording again. So it was really great for working, having the studio in the house. That was really when a lot of the work was done, 2010 and 2011, I would say".

I think the band is often considered as a produce of threw 1980s, or that they are out of step with the music of today. Although their music is more at home on BBC Radio 2 – nothing wrong with that! -, they write music, I feel, that is deeper and more compelling than a lot of what we hear elsewhere. They have that history and experience that means they can speak to their existing fanbase, yet they are bringing in younger fans and new support. I feel a lot of people are too narrow regarding tastes, and they will often rubbish a band like Deacon Blue because of their age or the fact they are not fresh on the block.

PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

At a time where a lot of the best music is happening away from the mainstream, I feel music listeners in general need to throw some respect the way of bands who have been grafting for years. It is hard to endure in the music industry, and so many bands split up and struggle to remain afloat. There are others that break away and come back together, but Deacon Blue have had this family bond and solidity for decades. Although they have seen some members come and go, the core of Deacon Blue remains pure and solid. If some of the best moments from Raintown are defined by social commentary and politics, the new album, City of Love, seems more about the personal. Maybe it is an over-simplification, but I do feel that the Deacon Blue of today still has that fire in the belly. As a Scottish band, the subject of independence must be of importance. We have a Tory government, and they will be among many who feel aggrieved we have left the E.U. In an interview with The Big Issue a couple of days back, Ricky Ross and Lorraine McIntosh talked about changing politics and how they approach what is happening at the moment:

“I think a lot of people think, undoubtedly, that we are in a horrible position politically at the moment, because we have a Tory government in control. Even people who don’t believe in independence as an idea seem to think of it as the direction of travel now.

“There’s a lot of stuff to learn before you get to that point. There’s hope, definitely, but you have to reflect and change, adapt to the circumstances. You have to deal with the government that’s there, because they’re there for five years, maybe 10. You can’t just go on a constant ‘anti’ stance.”

It’s as true for their fanbase, too – a large and loyal following, which has, over the last 10 years, returned them to arenas like Glasgow SSE Hydro, Liverpool Arena and London Royal Albert Hall, where they’ll play on their winter European tour.

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The enduring appeal of their music is in no doubt – the new album’s title track City of Love was on the Radio 2 A-list for four weeks over Christmas – but, in Brexit Britain, political presumption is less predictable, as they discovered on tour in 2016.

McIntosh says: “When you start off you have nothing to lose. You can be who you want and say what you want. Ricky would talk about politics all the time, we’d go to towns in the north and he’d be campaigning for Labour, talking about Margaret Thatcher, and you felt that these people were all with us.

“But things have become much more complicated. A few years ago, when we did the song Birds [from the band’s 2016 album Believers, their most successful release in 25 years] Ricky talked about refugees washing up on the shores of places like Italy, and one night on the tour someone shouted, ‘Send them home.’ That really depressed us. It reminds you that things aren’t black and white, left and right.”

Many of the songs on their 10th studio album, their fourth LP in eight years, deal more in the intimate and the personal, than the ostensibly political.

In Our Room peeks through the window on the early days of the couple’s relationship (their marriage is Ross’s second, and they now have three grown-up children), sleeping on mattresses on floors of tenement flats with stains on the ceiling. Intervals is the lightest of pre-fledging parental reassurances to a young adult; Weight of The World a shimmering eulogy and last act of remembrance for a lost soul.

Yet it’s the album’s finale, On Love, which most catches the breath. Delivered partly in spoken word by Ross, it’s a seven-minute sepia-toned daydream of autobiographical reveries on lost love.

Wistful and unconventional, it’s one of the most affecting songs in the band’s 30 year catalogue, a universe away from Greatest Hits territory.

“When I was a student English teacher, there was a guy I worked with who’d talk about some of the essays he got as ‘a stream of unconsciousness’,” he says, with tongue in cheek self-deprecation.

“It’s a series of events from childhood to my early life, which are ostensibly all disconnected,” explains Ross.  “But it’s why I consider this to be the album of my life – it’s allowed me to tell the stories I’ve held back from Deacon Blue before.”

It is, he hopes, also an album in which the essence of a hymn he sang in his childhood, Away Far Beyond Jordan, resonates, too.

“I always thought it had a poignancy to it, that part about ‘if you get there before I do, look out for me, for I’m coming too.’ It’s a simple childlike verse but I think it’s the hope that everyone has”.

I will move on to review the title track from City of Love – which has been out for a while, but it is a song that I am keen to explore -, and I would urge people to spend some time with Deacon Blue, exploring their new album and their past material.

PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

City of Love, one might expect, would start with a gentle coda or building introduction. Instead, there is this symphonic rise from strings, and a firm heartbeat that provides this urgency and sense of acceleration. At once, one is picturing all sorts of scenes as the music swells and takes you away. Ross, as a vocalist, sounds richer than he ever has. I was intrigued by the first verse: “Lost the will for keeping on/Just as the winter is dragging/What can I do with all of this?/Where can I put what I'm carrying?”. I assume there is a general weariness emanating from Ross; the lead is feeling a certain fatigue that is hard to ignore. Maybe Ross is feeling the effects of changing politics and division that is happening around him. It seems that the city of love is all that remains. Whether he is referring to Glasgow, or whether it is a general concept, one feels lifted by the chorus. He has not given up hope that there is connection and affection, but it hard at the moment. Deacon Blue have always been able to combine the personal with the spirited, and City of Love switches from the heartfelt to the uplifting with nary a moment to spare. Ross and McIntosh’s voices combine in the chorus, and that stunning composition continues to elicit shivers and it keeps the blood pumping! I think the energy and drive of the song is one of the biggest assets. Ross is propelled and compelled; he speaks of carrying on and not giving in at the end of the day – “No one can stop you, not until/You reach the end and lay down your burden”.

Many people will be able to identify with the lyrics and, the more the song progresses, I feel the city of love being referred to is more of a feeling of hope, rather than a defined geographical location. The chorus is not among the catchiest the band have penned, but it is definitely one that stays in the mind and gives City of Love a huge sense of importance and memorability. There are some lyrics that are not as direct; those that make you wonder what is being referred to. “Hold on/He said/She knows/It made sense/Don't go/Too far/You can't know/What matters” got me thinking. I love the way the lines are delivered, and the fact there is this sort of cryptic angle. The familiar and warm blend of vocals one hears definitely creates a smile, but I kept coming back to City of Love regarding lyrical interpretation. Of course, the whole story of the City of Love cannot be distilled to a single song: one must listen to the whole album to get the bigger picture. I think the title track is one that reacts to the public and personal struggles of today, and lets us know that togetherness and understanding is all that is left. The simplicity of the sentiments and the directness of the messages fuse with some more complex and oblique words. All in all, City of Love is a great song that shows Deacon Blue are still essential and can pen songs that are different to anything else around. I have listened to the whole of the City of Love album, and there is barely a weak moment to be found. There is so much variety, and so many fascinated songs to highlight. I want to focus on the title cut, as it is highly memorable, and a song that keeps me guessing. It is good to have another album out from the Scottish band. Let’s hope they keep releasing music for a very long time to come!

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In terms of gigs, keep an eye on their schedule, and go and see them if you can! It is a few months until they are back on the stage, but I will go and see them when they come down to the South. I have been a fan of theirs since the 1990s, and I cannot wait to see where they head next. Of course, there is no reason to believe they will stop making albums, as they have a lot to say. I have talked about City of Love as being personal, but there are more political moments. Politics will always be crucial to the band, and they cannot ignore what is happening to the country. I feel a lot of modern music is pretty heavy and serious, and artists are all keen to explore politics, mental-health and the state of the world. That is fair, but when you have so many people doing it, it can get a bit much and hard to digest. One looks for something more spirited, or music that has a more tender and soft side. Deacon Blue are masters of the upbeat, and they blend that with songs that get under the skin and move you. City of Love is a fantastic album that has garnered some strong praise, and it is clear that Deacon Blue have a huge fanbase. I will leave things there, as I have talked about the band a lot. I do think radio stations need to be a bit more flexible regarding playlists and the type of artists they play. This assumption bands like Deacon Blue are reserved for a set demographic is a bit ridiculous! Their music is not only for those of a certain ilk or persuasion; instead, it is designed…

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FOR the world.

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Follow Deacon Blue

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TRACK REVIEW: The Strokes - Bad Decisions

TRACK REVIEW:

 

The Strokes

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Bad Decisions

9.2/10

 

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The track, Bad Decisions, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5fbZTnZDvPA

GENRE:

Indie Rock

ORIGIN:

New York, U.S.A.

RELEASE DATE:

18th February, 2020

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The album, The New Abnormal, is available from 10th April, 2020. Pre-order here: https://smarturl.it/TheNewAbnormal?iq

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THIS is the first time I have…

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assessed The Strokes, but now feels like a perfect time to focus on the New York band. At the moment, The Strokes are preparing for a gig in Belfast on Monday, and they then head back to North America. Looking at their tour schedule, and it seems like the guys could slot in a performance at Glastonbury. The line-up is yet to come, but one wouldn’t bet against The Strokes being added! It seems strange to think that their debut album, Is This It, is almost twenty – it turns twenty in July next year. Right now, it is still a cool-if-unruly teen, and I will focus on that in a minute. I want, first, to discuss The Strokes as a live band, as they have just played London. I do not usually go to live gigs, but it seems like their performance at The Roundhouse was glorious. In terms of cool bands who can thrill the crowds and produce these epic sets, there are few who move like The Strokes! Granted, the band have been performing together for years, and they have more than enough hits under their belt to give the fans what they want. Bands who have been gigging for so many years could get complacent and phone in their set; they could just do a pared-down set and leave things at that. As it is, The Strokes give value for money and deliver something sensational. I want to concentrate on a couple of different subjects – one that I have featured a few times -, but here are a couple of reviews from their Roundhouse gig. This is what The Guardian had to say:

“After a terrific run through You Only Live Once, a song plucked from the place where classic rock bumped up against new wave, Julian Casablancas starts singing something unrecognisable. Albert Hammond Jr joins in on guitar, and gradually the other three try to work out something to do. It doesn’t seem to be a song from the forthcoming new album, The New Abnormal, given that three of the band are barely playing it, but in an example of work-to-rule that would have impressed a 1970s trade unionist, the band count it as one of their 15 songs for the evening, leave the stage one song before the end of the written setlist, and drop The Modern Age from the encore.

IN THIS PHOTO: The Strokes live at The Roundhouse, London on 18th February, 2020/PHOTO CREDIT: Jenn Five/NME

The two actual new songs played, though, are glorious. The Adults Are Talking begins, like some relic of an early 80s John Peel show, with skeletal drum machine and guitars so spindly that they seem barely able to support themselves, then builds until the guitars interlock like electrical currents tickling each other into life. Bad Decision is gloriously and expansively melancholy, camped halfway between Blondie’s Union City Blue and Generation X’s Dancing With Myself (Billy Idol and Tony James have been given a songwriting credit).

Inevitably, though, it’s the four songs from Is This It that set the crowd alight, even if the dancefloor is too packed for much in the way of movement. And you realise just how odd a proposition they really were: guitars so trebly they could pierce ice, Casablancas’s voice a dishevelled slur. There’s been greatness since, too. It hasn’t all been a 15-year decline”.

NME were in attendance to see Th Strokes kill The Roundhouse, and they took some cool snaps whilst there – The Strokes’ social media pages are not stuffed with great photos by and large. Here are a few snippets from the review:

“Good old London town,” smiles a typically laissez faire Julian Casablancas in full lounge lizard mode, before recalling to the sold-out Roundhouse crowd how the capital first took The Strokes to their bosom when they led the indie revolution at the turn of this century. “America had no love for us back then,” he purrs. “Only the sharp minds of the British could understand the nuances of our music.”

This last-minute show to celebrate the announcement of their long-awaited new album ‘The New Abnormal‘ does feel like something of a homecoming. It’s the party they deserve but weren’t fully allowed when they were last in town at All Points East, where they were dogged by sound issues (but still played an absolute blinder). But in high spirits and striking a fine balance between leaning on their legacy and showcasing promising new cuts with fire and compulsion, this is the most fun and vital that The Strokes have felt in 15 years. The chemistry is back, and we are here for it.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Albert Hammond Jr./PHOTO CREDIT: Justyna Hammond Jr.

Let’s take a minute to talk about how good the new stuff sounded. ‘The Adults Are Talking’ has the free and easy spirit of anything from ‘Room On Fire’ but a little wiser, ‘Bad Decisions’ landed like an instant classic, and they also aired an unknown jazzy little number that suggests ‘The New Abnormal’ could take us down some very strange lanes…”.

It is remarkable that the band are still touring and giving us these fantastic performances. I am not sure whether The Strokes are coming back to London or the U.K. later in the year, but it would be nice if they appeared on a few festival line-ups. Bands like The Strokes are uniting generations. People like me (in their thirties) remember their debut album coming along and feeling this very raw and cool thing – I keep using the ‘cool’ word, but it is applicable in every case! There are older fans – the middle-aged – and very young fans who have either bonded with The Strokes recently or have been there since the start. Live performances can bond people in a way social media and the Internet cannot. Now that music is less about physical sharing and that social connection, I think there is something quite cold and distant about music-sharing; we do not chat about songs and artists the way we used to. I think gigs are one of the few remaining elements of the past that has remained pure. Sure, a lot of people are filming gigs on their phones, but there is that joy and magic of being in the same space as people, having this shared experience. I know bands like The Strokes realise how important live performance is, and how it touches people. A subject I have mentioned a few times in various reviews is the state of Rock. One cannot class The Strokes as purely ‘Rock’ – they fit into other genres -, but there was great excitement when they unveiled Is This It in 2001.

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IN THIS PHOTO: The Strokes in 2001/PHOTO CREDIT: Phil Knott

In 2002, The Libertines released their debut, Up the Bracket, and were often compared to The Strokes. It was a rich time for Rock where young bands were mixing in the Punk sound of the 1970s but taking from the here and now and mixing this potent brew. Like The Libertines, The Strokes put out a debut that was fresh and basic, yet there was familiarity – some elements of bands like The Stooges and The Velvet Underground. The Strokes did not wear their influences too heavily; instead, they recorded an album that seemed to capture a spirit and desire in the air. There were other great Rock bands around in 2001 – The White Stripes (a duo) were at their peak -, so I don’t think it was wholly down to The Strokes to ‘save Rock’. There is this ongoing debate as to whether Rock is dead and who can save it. The Strokes arrived at a time when their U.S. contemporaries like The White Stripes and Queens of the Stone Age were ruling. Here, we had Muse and Radiohead showing that Rock was not only alive, but able to bring in other genres in a way a lot of the 1990s’ Rock did not. I do feel The Strokes are unfairly burdened with the responsibility of saving Rock; I don’t think they truly believed they were the only decent Rock band and they were saviours. I do think people unfairly criticise The Strokes for declining since their debut and not leading Rock to giddy heights for years. I will argue against the assumption The Strokes’ music was only relevant in 2001 but, before then, it is clear that the band helped ignite a new wave of Rock artists in the U.K. In fact, as this article shows, The Strokes caused a sensation and inspired musicians, fans, and label managers alike:

“Kelly Kiley (manager of Rough Trade Records): “I’ve never known a band to get security so quickly.”

Laura Young (blogger): “The first time I ever saw the Strokes, in the middle of the show, Julian started staring off into the distance. Then you just see him jump into the crowd, and there was a kerfuffle. He was getting into a fight. Very quickly, one of the bouncers came in and broke it up, but I was like: ‘Oh my God, this is so awesome.’ They had this reputation in the press of being bad boys. Drinking a lot, getting into trouble. That was their whole persona, cool New York, don’t-give-a-fuck type of dudes.”

PHOTO CREDIT: NME

Carl Barât (frontman, the Libertines): “They were on Rough Trade in England and that was a big thing. And we had been to see a gig in Liverpool. We jumped the train. Their EP had just come out and we stole it from the shop in the station and we were looking at the lyrics on the way up. We were like: ‘These motherfuckers from America – we wear those clothes! We do this!’”

Mark Ronson: “I remember asking someone what the Libertines were and they said that they were like the British version of the Strokes, and I remember being like: ‘Well, I have the Strokes, I don’t really need the British version.’ I know English kids who are seven years younger, who that band was so seminal for that they’d cry if Can’t Stand Me Now comes on at a certain point in the evening. It didn’t grab me, and like I said, if this is the British Strokes, well, we have the Strokes. I wasn’t super interested in it.”

Conor Oberst (frontman, Bright Eyes): “That summer, the summer of 2001, was really the summer of the Strokes over there. We were touring England and that’s where I first saw someone walking around with that original T-shirt. I thought: ‘The Strokes. Do they mean, like, have a stroke? Or a pool stroke?’ It kind of looked like the Storks if you looked at it wrong. The record wasn’t out in America yet but in every club we were playing, they’d be playing it as we walked in the door”.

A lot of people felt Rock sort of ended when the 1990s did, but the first couple of years of the new millennium were full of life and excitement. It was great being around, and I feel The Strokes are responsibility for so much of the great music around then – whether it was their own or another band’s. Listen to their latest track, Bad Decisions, and it is clear The Strokes are still hugely relevant and contributing something terrific to the scene. Maybe Rock has declined since the start of the 2000s – it definitely has – and there are far fewer great bands standing in the mind. Today, there are a lot of groups splicing genres and there are some promising newcomers, but the mainstream is not as alive with Rock giants like it used to be. That said, I am listening to so many bands today that owe a debt to The Strokes and one can hear their D.N.A. in so many newcomers. I am excited to see where The Strokes head next and what we can expect from their forthcoming album, The New Abnormal.

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IN THIS PHOTO: The Strokes in New York City in 2001/PHOTO CREDIT: @CodeSmyth

Too many people seem to be of the opinion that The Strokes were all about the 2000s (the first decade of the twenty-first century) and that is it. Albums like Room on Fire (2003) and First Impressions of Earth (2006) have some great numbers on them, but there was so much pressure on the band’s shoulders after their debut – so many people wanting a repeat of Is This It. There was a lot of love for The Strokes when they broke through, but there was snobbishness from various corners of the press; the feeling that the band were all about style and attitude and had no substance. This is what NME wrote in 2011:

“Of course history is littered with brilliant albums made by rich people but I can guarantee you that none of them are the work of the indolently navel gazing, clothes horse, fuck puppet sons of the already famous who wouldn’t know what the word ‘struggle’ meant unless their amanuensis looked it up for them in a fucking gold-plated dictionary.

The malign influence of this album was twofold. Firstly, in real terms, it opened up the floodgates for dead-eyed, style over substance, stadium indie groups, who leaned heavily on classic music from the canon but with all rough edges smoothed off to make it more palatable for mass consumption. (Hello The Killers, Kings Of Leon, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club etc.)

Secondly, in aesthetic terms, their legacy bequeathed to the UK indie scene over the following decade cannot be underestimated either. They set a blueprint for lager-sodden underachievement, unthinking narcosis and the actual music being relegated to tertiary importance behind identikit thrift store clothing and studied urban ennui with a side helping of downward mobility.

Regardless of what they sound like, we can thank The Strokes for the ‘will this do’ imbecility of Razorlight, The Others, Dirty Pretty Things and many more to boot. There were loads of great NYC bands we could have clasped to our collective bosom a decade ago including Liars, Les Savy Fav, Oneida or Black Dice instead of Little Lord Fauntleroy And The Overdrafts (just as there were loads of better albums in 2001 by the likes of The White Stripes, Jay-Z, Prefuse 73, Lightning Bolt, Missy Elliott, Fantomas and Roots Manuva)”.

All brilliant bands evolve, and The Strokes churning out various approximations of their debut would have been met with criticisms and boredom. What they did was to move their sound forward and not replicate what came before. Maybe that is why The Strokes got so much unfair criticism:

“When a band represents a certain thing at a certain moment in time, our expectations of how they should sound and what they should do are crystallized. The Strokes were supposed to be scrappy New York dudes playing throwback, Velvet Underground-inspired garage rock; is it unreasonable for us to expect that they’d do that forever?

The thing that tanked the Strokes’ mainstream success is that they stopped wanting to make straightforward rock records. And could you blame them? They learned to play their instruments and began expanding their palette of influences. In a sense, the Strokes stopped pretending to be musicians.

Casablancas has historically been a brilliant songwriter, but his virtuosic tendencies pushed him to make music that was more complicated than it was listenable. His first solo album, Phrazes for the Young, has a few bangers on it (see "11th Dimension", which sounds like David Bowie’s “Rebel Rebel” tripping on synths). The follow up, Tyranny, is a dissonant hour of muddy guitars and drum machines. Releasing the ten-minute-long “Human Sadness” as the album’s first single feels a little bit like Casablancas giving the middle finger to anyone who yearns for the early days of the Strokes”.

Everyone is entitled to their onions, but I think The Strokes have released several brilliant albums, and their legacy and importance extends far and wide. The sort of urgency that we have in Grime and Hip-Hop used to belong to Rock. Now, Rock is either watered-down or sanitised. It has become less risky and, when you look at the bands out there, how many of them are as thrilling and cool as The Strokes?! How many bands today are singing about boozing, living whilst you’re young and the thrill of unexpected?

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IN THIS PHOTO: Julian Casablancas/PHOTO CREDIT: Brett Rubin

The Strokes’ influence extended beyond their music. They were a band that the world needed in 2001; a return to the classic days of Rock and Punk where you could get these hot bands that could write tunes that were indelible. NME explain more in a 2009 article:

“Given that they also provided the noughties with one of its finest albums, to say The Strokes’ lasting legacy is that they gave indie a nice makeover might seem harsh. But it was WAY more important than that. Mirroring the mid-’70s, rock’n’roll post-‘Kid A’ had become awash with seriousness and everyone believing that the future, post-Britpop, was anti-image, anti-nostalgia.

But what they encapsulated and gave back to us for that first amazing couple of years was that sense of rock’n’roll being a 24-7, living-for-the-moment lifestyle choice comprised of clothes, fucking, snorting, drinking, dancing and great records in equal measure. To stand in an indie disco around that time, surrounded by folk who all looked as fabulous as you did, all singing the “Alone we stand/Together we fall apart” line from ‘Someday’ was truly joyous.

It meant something, and something that was to loom large over the whole decade. That so many of these people went on to form bands – Arctic Monkeys and The Libertines to name but two – is proof positive that it wasn’t all about the cut of the cloth. The Strokes’ gift to the world was to make it fall in love with rock’n’roll once again, in all its ridiculous glory”.

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Before I get to reviewing The Strokes’ new single, Bad Decisions, I have not name-checked their lead, Julian Casablancas. He can be a divisive figure, but I think he is a really interesting person who has a lot to say. I think a lot of the flack that came the way of The Strokes resulted from this impression that the band were a bit empty and shallow; maybe they were just preening and did not have the wit and intellect of some of their heroes. I just quickly want to source from an interview Casablancas gave to Vulture back in 2018. He talked about the state of modern Pop music, and the role of the Internet today – and he hinted at the future of The Strokes:

 “Why are you disappointed in the internet?

I really believed that the internet’s capacity to let people access the best of the best of music — from underground stuff to music from all over the world — would’ve been a positive influence, that music would’ve evolved like never before. Instead music has been co-opted by some kind of capitalist profit game. I thought the internet would help balance the relationship between quality and the mainstream, but it’s gone the opposite way. Quality is being sucked out of music. One Direction will have 4 billion views and the best artists of today will only see a fraction of that attention. I’ve talked about this before, but there’s an exact parallel between music and politics.

Why?

Because if you grew up in a world where Ariel Pink was popular then you would say “I don’t see how Ed Sheeran can be popular.” People grow up with norms knocked into their heads. And I’m not trying to diss Ed Sheeran or any pop star. Ed Sheeran seems like a nice, cool guy and I have nothing against his music. Let him sell a billion records. I’m just saying I don’t understand why there can’t be a world where Ed Sheeran gets 60 percent of the attention and Ariel Pink gets 40 percent. Now it’s almost like Ed Sheeran gets 99.5 percent of it. The creative bands have been pushed so far into the margins. But my bigger point is that whether it’s music or politics, right now we’re mired in whoever’s propaganda is loudest. I’m sorry — I’m not good at explaining things.

PHOTO CREDIT: Nigel Parry for Vulture

No, I understand you. Is the imbalance you just described discouraging? Or does it make you want to try harder to break through?

Well, here I am. I’m trying to convince someone who I think is smart that technology and algorithms don’t have to erase truth and quality. That’s all I’m saying to you. Because if you don’t think that’s what’s happening, you’re not seeing what’s going on. If you’re asking what’s personally interesting to me, this is it. I’m happy to talk music more if that’s what you want.

Given where your interests lie, is being in the Strokes at all inspiring?

That’s not where my focus is. To me, the Strokes — I was thinking about it earlier today. I may have been fooling myself but back in the beginning it was good and I was loving what we were doing. I just wanted to musically progress in certain ways. You have to be super hard with yourself. We would do demos and people would want to put them out and I’d be like, “This is not good. Let’s move on.” I did the same thing with the Strokes. I was like, “This is fine but I want to move forward.” I want to evolve and do something even more challenging: Black Sabbath, Nirvana, some Doors stuff — music that’s not mainstream but breaks into the mainstream”.

I have a lot of respect for The Strokes and Casablancas. I think, at a time when there are a lot of important artists speaking up and out, Rock is a little quiet on that front. I have not quite had the same thrill I experienced when the likes of The Strokes and The White Stripes came along. Maybe it was a result of the energy and influence of the 1990s, but there is a great opportunity to revive the sort of brilliance The Strokes gave to the world – and continue to do to this day.

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Bad Decisions is The Strokes’ new track, and there is something reliably familiar about the track. It has a feel of their earlier work, and I love the video for the song – the band are projected from a T.V. and advertised as clones; the aesthetic mixes the present with the décor of the 1950s or 1960s. I am not sure how much the band have revealed about Bad Decisions’ origins and what motivated its creation. “Dropped down the lights/I’m sitting with you/Moscow 1972” is the opening statement and, instantly, one wonders what that refers to. Certainty, the video does not give too many clues. In terms of compositions, it springs along nicely and, again, is fairly familiar to some of their previous work. Maybe fans might have been expecting something a bit more cutting or different, but I think the composition works just fine. Casablancas is his reliably cool-yet-drawling self. The reason I have mentioned The Strokes’ debut album and their impact is that, here, they sort of combine elements of Is This It with something more modern. “Always singing in my sleep/I will leave it in my dreams/Oh, making bad decisions” sort of adds to an air of mystery, and I was wondering whether Bad Decisions in any way related to a relationship that was going through struggles or the hero was rueing a lack of ambition or bravery. The more you listen to the song, the more you appreciate the band’s performance and the lead vocal. The composition sparks and jumps. It is never too intense and, whilst Bad Decisions does not have a huge chorus, you are invested because of its coolness and intrigue. Casablanca broods and emotes; he seems detached at first, but it is clear he is wrestling with something. It is easy to get distracted by the video, but I think it adds something to the song. It is funny, but you think about replica bands and commercialism; one wonders what message the video is sending and, when paired with the song, maybe it takes your mind in different directions.

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IN THIS PHOTO: The Strokes in 2006

I have heard the song a few times, and I keep re-evaluating my thoughts and impressions. It appears the hero is making bad decisions for someone – possibly his lover -, and, when lyrics like “I hang on everything you say/I wanna write down every word” are delivered, I wonder whether that is to do with adoration, or the hero is conscious of the mistakes and downsides. One is hooked by Casablancas’ vocal and the various different feelings one picks up on. I started thinking about a relationship where the two are in different places – “Never listenin’ to you” -, and it seems a breakdown in communication and ignorance is raising its head. I am not sure whether things are as simple as that. The video’s images of the band being cloned and there being this slightly eerier element makes me wonder whether global politics and the U.S. government are under the microscope – in the sense that there are different expectations and two different sets of morals. I would advise people to take a few listens to Bad Decisions, as it is one of those tracks that grows. It is not up there with the classic Strokes songs, but it does have plenty to recommend. As the band have an album coming up, many will ask whether the rest of the material has the same feel and flavour as Bad Decisions. I think The Strokes are producing, at the moment, some of their best material in a long time. I have been a fan of the band since the start and, whilst I have dropped out a bit here and there, it is great to have them back and producing great material.

The Strokes are touring this year, and the highly-anticipated The New Abnormal album arrives on 10th April. Comedown Machine gained some praise, but I think the two singles we have heard from their upcoming album – At the Door is the other – show the band are hitting their stride again. The Strokes will never return to there Is This It debut because that album was a particular moment in time. I think The Strokes are far stronger than their debut, and they are still extremely important and relevant. Anyone who attended their gig at The Roundhouse a few days back knows the band are still phenomenal and join people together. They were leaders of a wave of brilliant Rock that emerged at the start of this century. Maybe they have had a few weak moments through the years, but the fact they are still together and releasing fantastic music is because they need to be heard and are important to so many people. If they had copied Is This It in order to gain commercial acclaim, I don’t think the band would be together today. I shall leave things here, but it is great to see The Strokes moving forward and looking into the future. As I said near the start, it is odd to look back at Is This It and realise it is almost twenty years since it came out. Whilst many of The Strokes’ contemporaries have faded away or do not have the same punch they used to, the New York band still burn bright (The Libertines, I understand, are planning a new album this year). Say what you want about the Julian Casablancas-led band but, over eighteen years after their debut album came into the world, the boys...

STILL sound so damn cool!

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Follow The Strokes

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IN THIS PHOTO: The Strokes live at The Roundhouse, London on 18th February, 2020/PHOTO CREDIT: Jenn Five/NME

Official:

https://www.thestrokes.com/

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/thestrokes

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/thestrokes

Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/thestrokes/

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TRACK REVIEW: Billie Eilish - No Time to Die

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Billie Eilish

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IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Eilish in 2018/PHOTO CREDIT: Ben Hassett for PAPER

No Time to Die

9.5/10

 

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The track, No Time to Die, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB_S2qFh5lU

GENRE:

Alternative Pop

ORIGIN:

Los Angeles, U.S.A.

RELEASE DATE:

14th February, 2020

LABELS:

Darkroom/Interscope Records

WRITTEN BY:

Billie Eilish/Finneas O'Connell

PRODUCED BY:

Finneas O'Connell/Stephen Lipson

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The film, No Time to Die, is in cinemas from 3rd April (U.K.):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5SxyQ-9YDA

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EVEN though I reviewed Billie Eilish…

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PHOTO CREDIT: Harley Weir for Vogue, March 2020

around this time last year, I feel it is worth returning as, since then, a lot has happened! She has just released the theme to the latest James Bond film, No Time to Die. The song of the same name is here, and it is gaining a lot of love! I will talk about James Bond and the themes; I also want to address Eilish as a modern Pop sensation and how people need to give her space – also, I want to look at artists and personalities that seduce; a bit about women in music and why Eilish is a born headliner. One is not supposed to quote other reviews when it comes to something like this, as it takes away from your opinion and, yeah, is not often done. People do not review singles these days but, as it is a special occasion, some have. I want to bring in a few reviews to show what people are saying and, with one of music’s most prestigious and toughest gigs at her feet – composing the Bond theme -, how Eilish’s effort is being assessed. This is how The Guardian judged Eilish’s efforts:

“Like her cover of Yesterday at the Oscars ceremony, No Time to Die sees Eilish taking a respectful approach. There’s a sense that this may all be part of a concerted effort to broaden her appeal to more mature audiences. It’s a moot point whether such an effort is really necessary – her multi-platinum debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? won praise from quarters that don’t ordinarily take much interest in music that appeals to teenage girls – but either way, the glitchy electronics of that record have vanished here, replaced by tasteful orchestration and nods to Bond tunes past.

There’s a vague hint of the opening of Diamonds Are Forever about the intro, an interpolation from Monty Norman’s James Bond theme and a guitar part that carries a distinct echo of Vic Flick’s iconic twang. Yet Eilish has stamped her own identity on the song. The tendency for vocalists tackling a Bond theme is to belt it out, as if in homage to the most famous Bond singer of the lot: Shirley Bassey is known for many things, but subtle understatement isn’t among them. Eilish, however, opts for her standard close-mic approach in which surliness does battle with vulnerability.

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It fits what she’s singing. The days when the lyrics of Bond themes invariably came laden with woeful double-entendres pertaining to the hero’s sexual prowess are long gone. (It reached a deranged pinnacle on 1974’s The Man With the Golden Gun, which required Lulu to note “he has a powerful weapon” before wondering, “Who will he bang?”) More recently, the lyrics of Bond themes have occasionally tended to the baffling – the question of what on earth Adele is rattling on about hangs heavy over the otherwise great Skyfall.

No Time to Die, however, smartly refracts the Daniel Craig depiction of Bond – dark, solitary and tormented beneath the cool exterior – through Eilish’s signature brand of teen angst: “I should have known I’d leave alone – it just goes to show that the blood you bleed is just the blood you own.” What 007 himself would make of it is an intriguing question, but No Time to Die is a confident, appealing addition to the Bond theme canon”.

Reacting to the buzz and electricity around No Time to Die’s theme song, this is what the BBC wrote in their review:

“Eilish wrote and produced the title song with her elder brother Finneas O'Connell late last year. Speaking at the Grammys in January, she said working on the franchise had always been one of their goals.

"Subconsciously and consciously, we've been trying to write a Bond theme for our whole lives," she told E! News.

Shrewdly, the duo retain their dark, off-kilter style throughout the song, while incorporating several of the film series' musical touchstones - swelling strings, discordant brass, and, best of all, it finishes with the distinctive minor 9th chord that closes out Monty Norman's original Bond theme.

Lyrically, they touch upon the psychological toll of 007's licence to kill, with the observation: "The blood you bleed is just the blood you own".

But the song is very much about a romantic betrayal. "Was I stupid to love you? / Was I reckless to help?" asks Eilish in the bridge.

The musician is known for her intimate, designed-for-headphone vocal style, but she rises to the challenge of the song's soaring climax, with her early vulnerability transforming into strength and resolve.

It's easily the most audacious and atmospheric take on the Bond theme in living memory”.

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IN THIS PHOTO: Billie Eilish photographed at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA

So far, the reviews have been glowing. I am reviewing the song after a few listens, and I think a lot of people have reacted after the first listen. I feel the track grows stronger the more you listen but, when The Independent heard the song, this is what they thought:

But “No Time to Die” is a song that proves Eilish has a versatility that extends beyond the ghostly, ASMR-lite electronic sound of her debut album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?. She pushes her vocals further here than on anything she’s previously released – while she begins in her trademark style (something between a mutter and a quavering wail), she hits an impressive belt at the song’s climax.

The song is gratifyingly subtle compared to the try-hard nature of Sam Smith’s effort, “Writing’s on the Wall”, which threw every Bond trope they could think of at the wall in the hope that something would stick. It’s not as good as “Skyfall” (some would argue Adele’s indecipherable lyrics bring the song down), although the two share similar elements, such as a move from stark piano into tense, shivery orchestration.

The lyrics, meanwhile, cleverly play on Craig’s portrayal of 007, which has increasingly delved into the more toxic side of Ian Fleming’s character – Bond’s tendency to isolate himself, and how his cold, almost cruel treatment of those closest to him stems from a fear of placing them in danger. “I’d fallen for a lie,” she sings, “You were never on my side/ Fool me once, fool me twice/ Are you death or paradise?/ Now you'll never see me cry.” “No Time to Die” is by no means a bad song, in fact, it’s one of the better Bond themes we’ve had in some time.

I have brought in other reviews for two reasons. For one, the Bond theme is this esteemed and precious thing that is almost more important than the themes themselves. Everyone has their own opinions regarding what constitutes a classic Bond theme but, appropriately, I want to chat about the Bond theme legacy and how Eilish fits in.

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Most people think the all-time best Bond themes are those that have belt and drama. Think of efforts by Shirley Bassey for Goldfinger and Paul McCartney & Wings’ Live and Let Die – these race and have all the excitement one would expect from a Bond theme. That said, not every Bond theme with energy and swell wows critics. Madonna’s theme for Die Another Day and Sheryl Crow’s excellent Tomorrow Never Dies were panned, but I think both are underrated – especially Crow’s effort. You can tell from the songs I have quoted that the word ‘die’ is a common theme and, through the years, the 007 spy has claimed more than his fair share of lives – and hearts for that matter! I think Bond has become darker and more serious as time has progressed. Yes, there are still the same cheesy jokes, the fast cars and women who fall under his spell, but the franchise has become tougher and less reliant on that classic image we have of Bond. Because of that, the Bond theme has had to adapt and reflect the modern Bond. I think Eilish’s theme fits perfectly with Daniel Craig’s portrayal as a more troubled and no-nonsense Bond. By the time this review is published (15th January), a lot of the early heat will have died down and it gives people a chance to hear the track again. I think No Time to Die is a great song that is not as rapturous as the very best Bond themes, but it is the best effort we have seen in many years – which seems to be the consensus among fans and critics. There is a lot of snobbishness concerning the Bond theme. Many want that epic sound that the likes of Shirley Bassey provided but, as the character has evolved through the years, it would be jarring having a big showy number. That is not to say Bond has become a house cat or lost his wit and cool. I think the biggest development through the years has been great, and it has brought James Bond to a whole new audience.

I think Eilish was a great choice to compose the Bond theme, as her music suits the new Bond; she can write a ballad that is very smart and cool – and it has plenty of nuance and arresting moments. Billie Eilish is barely eighteen; composing the Bond theme is a big honour – one that is richly deserved. I shall come back to Bond when reviewing the track, but I want to spend some time with Eilish. I am going to bring in a few interviews involving Billie Eilish because I think it gives her music context and, like all my reviews, I focus on the artist as much as I spotlight the actual song itself – a few paragraphs is not fitting for a huge artist who has a very bright and long future. Think of all the accolades Eilish has already accrued: Eilish's debut studio album, When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? (2019), debuted atop the Billboard 200 and became the best-performing album of 2019 in the U.S. It also reached number-one in the U.K. Her accolades also include five Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards; two Guinness World Records, and three MTV Video Music Awards. She is the youngest person and first woman to win the four main Grammy categories: Best New Artist, Record of the Year, Song of the Year, and Album of the Year in the same year. There are Pop superstars like Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande and Charli XCX, but Eilish is younger than then, and she has only released one album – and is already considered an icon and legend of the future. It is scary to think how far she can go and, whilst I have dismissed the notion that we will see icons like Madonna, Michael Jackson, and Prince again, is Eilish the modern times’ best shot? Certainly, she has already accomplished a huge amount, and I think this golden streak will continue. Eilish has a very cool and mature head on her shoulders; she is laidback and funny in interviews, so one knows she will not get too ahead of herself and take her time when it comes to her second album.

I have written a feature about Eilish recently, begging people to give her space and time to relax this year. At a point in history where an artist can get their music out there instantly and can be made a superstar before they blink, there is a lot of expectation and passion at Eilish’s feet. It is wonderful to see, but I hope people do not push too far and allow Eilish opportunity to enjoy normal life for a bit because, if not, her career could take a different turn and the pressure could get to her. I want to bring in the first of two interviews in this section that shows how Eilish is coping with social media and expectation – and how grounded she is. Early last year, NME sat down with Eilish at a time when she was blossoming but hadn’t become the much bigger star she is today:

“She’s a teen – she’s meant to be rebellious – but Billie has an endearing ‘fuck you’ attitude that only a handful of people can carry off. Want proof? After a long day of shooting, she’s been asked by US TV network NBC to film a spritely ‘Happy New Year’ message to be shown on their New Year’s Eve coverage. She tries and fails several times to nail the happy-go-lucky attitude the network wants. On the seventh try, she looks like she’s about to nail it. She reaches the end of the clip and blows a kiss to the camera to sign off, then immediately flips the bird directly to camera. Her mum, Maggie Baird, who’s been with us all day, is exasperated – the clip is useless. “You need to leave a beat at the end of the clip for them to edit away,” she tells Billie. “I did,” Billie replies. “This is my beat” – and she throws up the middle finger once more.

Billie grew up in Highland Park, an LA neighbourhood 30-minutes away from The Graceland Inn, West Hollywood, where NME’s shoot is held. When not on the road, she still lives there with her older brother Finneas, who co-writes and produces Billie’s material and has had acting roles in TV shows such as Glee in the past. Her parents, Maggie Baird and Patrick O’Connell, also both actors, follow Billie on tour as much as they can.

PHOTO CREDIT: Ethan James Green for Vogue, March 2020

Her home, then, was her sanctuary – and her school. It’s the only place where she reckons she could have become the artist we meet today. “If I went to [public] school, no one would take me seriously and that’s terrifying to me,” she says. “There are so many people who come to my shows, who bring their art of me, or video edits and I’m thinking, ‘Why aren’t you an editor? Or, ‘Why aren’t you a fucking video director?’ It’s not an age thing for me; you can have these ideas at any age. There are geniuses everywhere,” she says.

Billie is smart and hyper-aware of the conversations happening around her. But in the age of social media, which has been a part of her life for as long as she can remember, trolls, abuse and misconceptions are rife. Does she spend a lot of time reading what’s said and written about you online?

“There’s an article online about me and if you look at the comments they say: ‘the industry is ruining her! It’s killing her! She has no spark in her eyes! Her smile is not as big!’ Come on…”

Billie’s aware of everything that’s going on in her comment sections – almost to a fault.“ I used to read every single comment and every picture I was tagged in and respond to every single DM, but now I barely go on Instagram because I can’t handle that shit,” she says. “Fuck that shit. I just don’t wanna see all the horrible things people say. I don’t wanna see that I should have died instead of this artist. It takes not looking at my phone to stop myself from engaging. I had to delete Twitter in March because of it. Nobody is going to win. If somebody said something to me in person, I’d beat their ass”.

Eilish could easily crumble under the pressure and fame that has come her way but, as one becomes aware of when reading interviews, she can play the game and realises that her music will attract some negativity and unkind feedback.

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She does not glorify death or pain, but her songs can get quite dark and, at a time when mental-health is in the spotlight, a lot of people – parents especially – might take umbrage and wonder whether the artist is a good role model. Eilish is a teen herself, remember, so she knows all too well about what she writes. Here, in this recent interview with Vogue, we learn more about a complex but accessible star:

“While Eilish has been open about her depression, which first struck at around this time, she insists that her penchant for dark material preceded and has generally been independent of her mood. For years she liked to say that “Fingers Crossed”—inspired by an episode of The Walking Dead—was the first song she ever wrote, as part of a songwriting class that her mother taught for a group of homeschoolers. But recently she came across a cache of songs she wrote at 11, including one called “Why Not,” a melody built from the only five chords she knew. The lyrics of the song had a simple, morbid premise: If she killed herself, everything would be the same; the stars would still shine, the sun would still come out, the seasons would still change. So why not? Her friends loved it. “That was the song, at 11,” she says, scarcely believing it now. “And I was totally happy. I had never felt suicidal, and I didn’t want to feel that way, but I liked the idea of writing a song about something I didn’t know about.”

While Eilish has broken away from pop’s recent sights and sounds, she is also playing the game according to the rules of the streaming era. She had already hit the one-billion-streams mark before her first full-length album debuted, and the singles she released leading up to it came out of good, old-fashioned artist development: naturally heterogeneous, they were coordinated by her team to hit multiple playlists at once, gathering a bigger and more varied fan base. Eilish is not embarrassed to admit that she yearned for pop stardom—“I realize now that it’s everything I ever wanted,” she says. And of her surprise Grammys sweep, she tells me, "That shit was fucking crazy. If anything it's an exciting thing for the kids who make music in their bedroom. We're making progress, I think, in that place—kids who don't have enough money to use studios." For all of her alt cred, she is increasingly at ease in the mainstream”.

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I have incorporated a lot of words from others and, soon enough, I will come to the latest release from Billie Eilish. Eilish is a very relatable artist and, as Pop artists are being accused of lacking authenticity and any sort of personality, I think Eilish is someone who contradicts that. She is very likeable and down to earth; she is savvy and writes exceptional music and, like all hugely popular artists, there is a certain expectation from the media, her fans, and her label. I do think Eilish will release a lot more albums and enjoy a career that lasts decades rather than years. One reason I say that is because Eilish has won a lot of praise because she is a rounded artist that anyone can appreciate. So many Pop artists are limited, or they have a very narrow demographic. Eilish is someone who writes music that is deep and accomplished, but there is a purity and directness that cuts to the core. Her songs hold much more weight and memorability than most of her peers’ work, and I think Eilish will only improve with age. It is important the industry does not drain Eilish, and we need to give her chance to unwind when she needs because, as we have seen in the past, artists can burn out and it is heartbreaking. Eilish is very mature, so I know she will be alright. I will come to No Time to Die, because it is the latest remarkable step from one of the most popular artists of our time. I will try not to repeat what other people have said; I have listened to No Time to Die a few times and, after each listen, new things reveal themselves. Eilish has penned one of the best Bond themes of the past couple of decades; a song that elicits so many different emotions.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Harley Weir for Vogue, March 2020

At the time of writing this review – 14/02/2020 at 08:07 -, No Time to Die has been viewed 3,170,427 times, and 18,523 comments have been left. I would not be surprised if Eilish’s track broke ten-million views by the weekend! If Bond songs of old were renowned for their swooping start and brassy kick, instead, Billie Eilish’s No Time to Die begins with a moonlight, glacial stillness. There are beautiful notes that are soft and delicate; you get the impression of the heroine standing alone in the night, watching the moon and wondering what happened. It is a great way to start the song, because it builds and you get this real hit of emotion and feeling, rather than needless energy or something empty. In this song, I think Eilish gives one of her best vocal performances. It seems that our heroine has been deceived: “I should have known/I’d leave alone”. The vocal trembles and quivers slightly with emotion. There is hardly any backing composition, aside from some electronic notes and this spectral feeling. One gets pulled into a song that is haunting, I guess, but there is this passion and tenderness underneath. It is fascinating speculating as to the backstory, as Eilish sings “Just goes to show/That the blood you bleed is just the blood you owe” – a clever line that takes your imagination in a couple of different directions. There is a nice balance of lines that are direct and open, and those that are more oblique and curious. It is going to be interesting seeing how the title sequence looks, and how a slower song is translated into graphics and effects. There have been slower Bond songs before, but nothing quite like Eilish’s track. The track starts to build layers and brass comes in the background; a squall and slight cry from the brass gives the next lines extra gravitas and emotion – as Eilish says “We were a pair/But I saw you there/Too much to bear”. 

One suspects that there is going to be a gear change and acceleration soon but, in the opening half, Eilish provides this very gentle-yet-strong vocal that is hard to resist. Some of her songs have been criticised for being too breathy with lyrics that are hard to decipher but, here, I think there is that clarity and a sharper vocal – maybe a lack of drama from the composition means Eilish can truly step into the spotlight and let her voice shine like never before. The first shift in gears comes at the 1:36 mark, where there is a new element to the composition; a stirring of guitar or electronics that takes us into a new phase. Before getting to that point, Eilish asks whether she was stupid to love the hero, and whether she was reckless to help – maybe this danger was obvious to others, but she was blind to it. The chorus is where Eilish’s voice becomes more animated and there is more activity from the composition. “That I’d fallen for a lie/You were never on my side” is Eilish/the heroine having been double-crossed and left. I love how there is a twinkle and a mixture of the ethereal and stern in the composition. In a way, Eilish unites the romance and mood of Adele’s Skyfall theme with the grace and stature of the classic Bond themes. Eilish ensures the song oozes with class, but she puts her own lyrical and vocal stamp on the theme – “Fool me once, fool me twice/Are you death of paradise? Now you’ll never see me cry/There’s just no time to die” is one of the best/smartest choruses we have heard from a Bond theme. Eilish is a fantastic writer, and I think she is perfectly suited to James Bond and themes of cat-and-mouse, heartache and being the sweetheart of a spy. With every Bond, the theme performer needs to reflect the personality and attributes of the spy. Daniel Craig has brought a lot to the role, and I think it is a perfect farewell for him – a swansong that tops all the other themes/films he has been involved with.

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At 2:02 – when the chorus ends – we get a rumble from percussion and the strings arrive. Eilish has not forgotten the heritage of Bond themes, and ensures there is appropriate symphony, romance and stir. Rather than belt out a vocal and let all her emotions pour out, she is restrained and holds onto that dreamy vocal; ensuring her words are heard and hit the mark because of their nakedness. “I let it burn/You’re no longer my concern (mmm)” shows that, with a tougher section of the composition, the heroine has gathered strength and is now defiant and determined to move on. Rather than the singer indebted to Bond or singing this paen to his charms, Eilish has learned from the lies and knows that Bond/the hero cannot be trusted. The chorus has this waltz-like catchiness that allows Eilish’s voice to elicit so much emotion and impact. Whilst we never get the pomp and charge of a theme like Live and Let Die, here is a different take. The strings add appropriate shiver and power as Eilish, having been stung and led astray, is wiser, yet she seems to carry some scars and regrets. People are already ranking where Billie Eilish’s No Time to Die ranks in the golden cannon of Bond greats. I still have my favourite three, but I would put Eilish’s track in the top-ten – and would be shocked if it was omitted from anyone else’s. When No Time to Die comes to cinemas in April, we will get to see how Eilish’s theme works and what reaction it gets from cinema-goers. It is a beautiful title theme, and another brilliant revelation from a songwriter who, at eighteen, shows she has endless talent; someone who seems more accomplished and confident than any other artist out there.

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This year is still pretty fresh, but Eilish has already won awards and released a song that has got so many people talking. Where does she go from here!? I think she will put out more material later in the year, but I would be surprised if we saw another album before next year. Maybe she wants to capitalise on the success she has already, but following up When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? will take time. That album received universal acclaim, and she won’t want to simply repeat that album. Eilish has gone from this teenager who was on the verge of releasing her first album, to a name that most people know. At her heart, she is the same rooted person, but I wonder whether future music will document the changes in her life and her new celebrity. Reading & Leeds have just released their line-up this year and, predictably, there were very few women on there! It calls into question (once more) whether the industry takes women seriously and, when there are so many talented female artists around, why they are being ignored. Billie Eilish played Glastonbury last year and produced a stonking set. I would be surprised if she was not asked back this year, and I think she has already earned the right to headline festivals. When people say there are no women strong enough to headline festivals, one only needs to look at Billie Eilish. She could headline any festival and is a live performer who has won huge respect. This is what Thomas Smith of NME had to say when he saw Eilish perform at Glastonbury last year:

“Billie has long been a live-force to reckon with. Even at her first ever shows in the UK at London’s Courtyard Theatre a couple years back – which she remembers fondly halfway through this set – she’s been a captivating performer for songs both loud and quiet. She lays flat on the stage for the twinkling ‘When I’m Older’ and for ‘Ocean Eyes’, she wants people to live in the moment: “Hold your phones down and look at me in the eye. We’ll never be in this moment ever again.”. Her ballads are just as impressive, too. ‘Wish You Were Gay’ is simply majestic and the swooning ‘Xanny’ is as addictive as they come.

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In a matter of months, she’s transitioned from Instagram icon to pop sensation – and this almost certainly won’t be her last time at the festival. From what we’ve just witnessed, there’s every chance that she lands the top spot on the Pyramid eventually. “It’s like the whole world is looking at me right now,” she says mid-set, both excited and wistful. It’s hard to imagine anyone turning away from this spectacle now”.

Eilish is coming to the U.K. in the summer, and there is going to be a lot of people desperate to see her perform. I wanted to write a fulsome review, because No Time to Die is part of a wider narrative; a side to a very intriguing and special artist who is inspiring others. I shall leave things be but, after being blown away by her Bond theme – like most other people -, it is onwards and upwards for the U.S. star. If you want to discover a Pop artist who can be popular without being mainstream and following trends, then investigate Billie Eilish. Last year was a huge one for her, but I have the feeling this one will be even bigger, better, and more successful. With No Time to Die, Billie Eilish has penned (with her brother, Finneas O'Connell) a Bond theme…  

TO rank alongside the very best.

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Follow Billie Eilish

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TRACK REVIEW: Nadine Shah - Ladies For Babies (Goats For Love)

TRACK REVIEW:

 

 

Nadine Shah

Ladies For Babies (Goats For Love)

9.6/10

The track, Ladies For Babies (Goats For Love), is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XX9bxRCVWnI

GENRE:

Indie Rock

ORIGIN:

London, U.K.

RELEASE DATE:

3rd February, 2020

LABEL:

WMG (on behalf of Infectious Music)

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ALTHOUGH her new track has been out a few days…

I wanted to cover Nadine Shah’s Ladies For Babies (Goats For Love) today because I think a lot more people should listen to it and, now that it is the weekend, settle down and listen to this fantastic song. Before I move on, I want to introduce another feature I wrote recently, that argues how Shah will be an icon in the future. It is a chorological look at her music, and it shows just how good her back catalogue is. I think she will be a huge fixture on the festival scene this year. I have a few points to cover off but, before I do, the release date of the song is interesting. Of course, Shah’s latest track has been included in Spotify’s New Music Friday lists, but Ladies For Babies (Goats For Love) arrived at the start of the week. I remember when albums and singles came out on a Monday. It was the start of the week and, after school, I would go and grab a single or album. In fact, there was something fantastic about waiting until the weekend. A big album or single would come out on the Monday, and it would force me not to spend money on sweets and other bits so that I could afford the album and the bus fare. Having that sort of anticipation and excitement build was great, and it would add extra sweetness to the weekend! I am not sure why the day of release was changed from Monday to Friday, but I sort of like when artists put out a single or album earlier in the week. Of course, Nadine Shah’s latest track is only available online, but one gets tired of the cliché release schedule where artists wait until a Friday and then put out tracks so they can be on Spotify lists or fit in with the crowd.

I do not think there is any risk releasing a song on any other day of the week, but Shah is someone who does not follow the stereotypical and commercial. I have been watching her video on YouTube and, whilst it does not have as many views as bigger Pop songs, it is a much stronger video (than most produce) and I can see Shah is promoting the song quite a lot – an artist who is very proud of her work. Although Shah will most likely not see this review, I wonder why we do not have more journalists reacting to songs in a deep and forensic way. I understand my writing is pretty extensive and thorough, but one does not have to go too crazy. When singles are released, I tend to find websites mention it and then provide a link. I know album reviews are more common, but I think it is important to throw more love the way of singles. It is great so many people have reacted positively to Shah’s Ladies For Babies (Goats For Love), but it would be nice to see proper single reviews return. Shah herself, as I said, is pushing the track, and it is always brilliant when she releases music. I shall move on in a second but, first, I want to stay on the theme of releases and schematics. I do think, when it comes to Spotify playlists and YouTube, there is priority given to the mainstream Pop artists. I think artists like Nadine Shah are much more interesting and stronger and, as we welcome in this new year, I wonder whether things need to change. Maybe it would be hard to do that, yet there is this wave of artists with something important to say that are not held in the same esteem as more commercial artists. Let’s hope lots more people listen to Shah’s latest track because, as you’d expect, it is a gem!

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I will bring in a few topics of discussion but, before then, a few more details about Ladies For Babies (Goats For Love). The Quietus explain more:

 “The album, which follows 2017's excellent Holiday Destination - number five in our top 100 of that year - is preceded by lead single 'Ladies For Babies (Goats For Love)', which you can watch the video for above.

Shah says of the track: "My brother was making a comment on sexism when he was younger and made a painting of a man embracing a goat with the phrase “ladies for babies, goats for love”. It always stuck with me, I guess 'cause it sounded daft but really because even back then I knew its true meaning and intent. I was also thinking about a lot of the songs I would have been listening to at the time, songs I sang along to innocently without question of the meaning.

"'Ladies for Babies' is a direct response to 'All That She Wants' by Ace of Base. I reversed the gender and I poke fun at a husband who expects nothing more from me, as a wife, than to carry his child and perform the role of the obeying subservient trophy wife. Only this time the mistress is a farmyard animal. A lot of my album explores subjects of sexism and tradition".

I was talking about Shah’s music and how it has something important to say. I think, especially earlier in her career, people did not look past the fact that she is a woman. I remember when her first couple of albums came out, and I was reading a lot of articles and comments that referred to her as a ‘female songwriter’. I think there are still attitudes that see women as a genre and do not realise that they are as strong and varied – if not more so – than male artists. I do a weekly playlist that is female-led, that shows just what talent and variety there is around.

It is pretty mad that, even in 2020, we have to have these discussions! In 2015, when Shah was talking about her album, Fast Food, to Time Out, the subject of gender came up:

And what’s Ben Hillier’s role?

‘Well, Ben and I: it’s 50/50, if I’m going to be completely honest. The melodies and the lyrics are all me, but Ben adds this character to the song that nobody else would have. It’s a complete collaboration. He’s like a partner in crime.’

So will you work with him for the foreseeable?

‘I’m going to work with Ben until one of us croaks it. There are so many producers that I’ve met who, as soon as they hear my voice, they want to do the Adele thing. They don’t get that the vocal isn’t the be-all-and-end-all.’

Is that just part of the shitty deal that women get in the music industry?

‘I’m quite lucky, because I only work with really fucking cool people and I’ve never been exposed to sexism in music that I know of. But one thing that irritates me is that because my band name is my name, people assume that it’s going to be a girl in a pretty little dress playing a ukulele. We’re a band, we make a big sound, but I think sometimes the nature of my name has held me back. “Female solo artist” has now become a genre, which is mental. It’s pretty appalling, considering the plethora of amazing women musicians out there.’”

I do hope attitudes and perceptions change, because the industry is not as enlightened as it should be. Festivals are still woefully skewed towards men, and they get the most attention when it comes to the music press and who goes on the cover. There have been changes and, to be fair, things are better than they were years ago. I still feel there is this perception women cannot handle the heavy lifting of a festival headline slot and their music all sounds the same. This feeling that female artists should look pretty and sing a particular way is an attitude one would expect in the 1950s yet, seventy years later, we are still hearing too much of this nonsense!

Shah is an artist who has spoken out against sexism and prejudice and, as a Muslim artist, she has faced a lot of crap through her career. I know the music industry has a problem with race and, like sexism, racism is something discussed often. This DIY article outlines how Shah has encountered a lot of discrimination and barriers:

“If it seems insane that it'd take three records and half a decade for an artist to be regarded more comprehensively than for the surface level of their gender, then it's one of many deep-rooted issues that Nadine has encountered and spoken out against. As a second generation immigrant and a Muslim woman in the music industry, she's sadly not exactly lacking in injustices visible to her from all angles. Ironically, even the fact of actively speaking out about these things levels another concern. "[You get labelled] a difficult woman. So I'm also very aware of having to pick my battles, but there's so many unfortunately at the minute to speak about," she exhales. "Originally it was as a mental health ambassador, and then talking about a rise in nationalism and the refugee crisis, women in music... so many different things at one time. And I worry that people will stop listening, because they'll think, oh she just complains about everything. But you've kind of got to..."

That is another thing to mention: how women are seen as ‘difficult’ when they speak out and take issue with any discrimination. I am not saying Nadine Shah has a harder time than other artists, but I know she would have had people trying to silence her when she spoke against sexism and prejudice. Shah is a role model for so many reasons. She is a very strong woman who does not take any guff from the industry and those who want to label her. I think the last couple of years especially have seen so many incredibly original and strong women emerge; making sure they are heard and get respect. Music is still bowed to the needs and music of men, but it is artists like Nadine Shah who are ensuring we see progression and balance – even if it is slower than it should be.

Gender and sexism will feed into my review of Ladies For Babies (Goats For Love), but I wanted to mention politics and how, if you are an artist, it is risky having an opinion. Taylor Swift is an artist with an enormous commercial stock, and I can imagine her record label clenching their buttchecks when she talked about political matters. It is only fairly recently where Swift has been more open about politics, and it is a shame that artists suffer criticism when they have a political viewpoint. We are living through some tough times, so I think artists should be free to have an opinion. Of course, if you are an artist like Morrissey and support far-right movements, then you are (rightly) going to get some stick – he is a bit of a bell-end, mind. Social media is a great platform for sharing music, but I wonder whether it creates more negativity and toxicity than it should. Nadine Shah is an artist who has opinions about the state of the U.K. and, as a Muslim woman from the North of England (although she is based in London now, I believe, Shah was born in Whitburn, South Tyneside to an English mother from South Shields of part Norwegian ancestry and a Pakistani father), her experience and perspective is different to a lot of people. She knows how those in power in London affect her family and her community; how it impacted her growing up and, as I shall explore later, how it contributes to mental-health problems and anxiety. When Shah spoke with DIY in 2018, the subject of politics came up:

 “In a social media landscape where expressing any kind of political view leaves you open to intense public scrutiny ("There’s been loads of conversations about whether music should be political and if Taylor Swift was isolating some of her audience by urging them to vote because they're Republicans, but THANK GOD someone with that power and reach is finally saying something," she notes, by way of example), Nadine’s candour and undiluted frustration across the last 12 months have been a hugely empowering force.

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More than wanting adulation and personal praise, it's markedly clear in conversation that what a bigger spotlight and a larger platform means to the singer is that she can shout these stories louder, and reach the places where they might need them the most. "I wish I was Adele. I keep saying it but I wish that Adele could have taken my album and put it out. I mean, it'd sound a lot better with her voice anyway, but she has far more clout than I have and she can speak to so many more people," she says. "I felt for so long that I was just preaching to the converted, but one thing that’s been so beautiful is that although people I’m speaking to already have the same political stance as me, they’ve been reassured that someone’s talking about it. What my album’s done for a lot of people is lend a voice to their own activism, and that’s really important. If you can't find the words, use these. They're yours, take it"

I think it is important to talk about race, politics, and gender in a music review because, as you will hear in Nadine Shah’s work, these issues are important. She looked at immigration in Holiday Destination and she is someone who has spoken candidly about mental-health and how low she was in the past. I am not sure how Shah feels about being a role model because she is a Muslim woman who plays guitar, but I know a lot of artists have seen and heard her interviews and feel more empowered. Whether they are Muslim artists or women in general – Shah has helped so many women (and men) and made them feel less alone. I will bring in another Holiday Destination-era interview. Shah spoke with The Independent and discussed how she felt about this label of being a ‘role model’:

“Shah is conscious that being a Muslim woman in the music industry makes her a role model: “If it inspires any young Muslim women to pick up a guitar and play a song, that’s brilliant.” She recalls two young women wearing hijabs in the crowd at her Roundhouse show, one of whom mouthed “thank you” and the other who gave her two thumbs up. “Obviously I burst out crying,” she says. “That is a memory that’s going to stay with me forever. It makes me want to do more. I am just one version of a Muslim woman, and people don’t get to see a lot of my kind.”

“I loved being mixed race growing up,” she says. “I felt it was something that made me different, and I had this wealth of beautiful culture to draw on that friends didn’t know about and I could teach them. Things were awful after 9/11. So I did find coming to London as an escape.” She now lives in north London’s Tottenham, which she loves for its diversity”.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Phil Smithies

I will get to the review very soon but, as I like to cover an artist from various angles and go beyond the song itself, I have a couple of other things to say. Many people were expecting Shah to stroll away with the Mercury Prize in 2018 for Holiday Destination (which was released the previous year). I am baffled why it did not win – Shah was pretty keen to win! -, but maybe it was because it was a bit too political. That seems unlikely, as the judging panel do not shy away from politics. Wolf Alice won the prize that year and, whilst their Visions of a Life album is great, Shah deserved it more. I do not want to bring up race and background, but the Mercury Prize, certainly the last few years, has been very London-centric – Wolf Alice are based out of London. I raise this argument, because Shah is an artist who deserves a lot more acclaim and attention. Whilst stations like BBC Radio 6 Music are firm fans, I think her music should be played more widely and, when it comes to awards and ceremonies, her name need to be on a few trophies. This Guardian article references the Mercury shortlist of 2018, and Shah’s reaction to the names included:

“She burst into tears when she found out she’d been shortlisted, but also felt disappointed at seeing established acts rather than newer, smaller names next to hers. She think Gwenno’s Le Kov also deserved a place, as well as Young Fathers’ Cocoa Sugar. “I was so happy to be nominated,” she explains, “and then artists like Noel Gallagher are on it. I was upset about that.”

Holiday Destination certainly stands alone in its overt despair at the world. While the past year is said to have signalled a new dawn for the rock’n’roll protest record, Shah says this is bullshit. “There were hardly any – and that’s not me being arrogant, that’s me shouting for other people to make them.” She makes favourable mention of Maximo Park’s Risk to Exist and Everything Everything’s (also Mercury-nominated) A Fever Dream, but a lot of the so-called “political” artists are, she says, “predominantly white males making T-shirt politics” – all slogans and no substance. “It’s just a trend. There’s no thought process behind it and I don’t believe them at all”

PHOTO CREDIT: Phil Smithies

I feel Shah’s time will come when she releases her next album. I am just about to review her new song but, just before, two quick points that highlight why she is so inspiring and terrific. I alluded to the fact Shah has talked about depression and anxiety. In a 2018 interview with The Guardian, Shah revealed how she was struggling whilst writing and recording Holiday Destination:

“During the making of the album, Shah was also getting to grips with turning 30 and getting out of “an abusive relationship” where she was “being tortured every day”. “It was really bad,” she says. “I was bullied for a long time, but it was great for lyric-writing.” She’s being sardonic, but she did find solace in singing from other perspectives than her own. “My personal life was so awful, it made me want to escape a lot and write about other people.” But despite such personal turmoil, she was keen to make songs that weren’t “dour and down in the dumps”. She and her longstanding collaborator and producer, Ben Hillier, looked to Fela Kuti’s Afrobeat sound for lively rhythms, and laced the album with eastern scales to subtly nod to the Middle East”.

Nadine Shah is a role model, for sure, and a figure in the industry who is helping open dialogues, eyes, and doors. I wanted to mention Shah’s hosting duties at the Q Awards last year. It seemed only natural to book the funny, charming and whip-smart Shah to host the event:

 “Q Magazine editor Ted Kessler said: “Rarely can an absolute outsider have become a closed-book favourite for any role quicker, but once Nadine Shah had charmed all-comers as a guest presenter at last year’s Q Awards, we felt certain she was who we wanted to present the whole caboodle in 2019.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Lucy Johnston

“I am an old man who has been to many award ceremonies over the centuries. In that time, I have heard the same jokes told by the same comedians and radio jocks on a conveyor belt at each bash.

“Mo Gilligan did a great, deadpan job in breaking that routine at last year’s Q Awards.

“But we wondered if we could go one step further and hand the reins over to a respected, charismatic musical titan to marshal her peers instead of a professional presenter.

“After all, we’re celebrating music. Over to Nadine”.

Shah is a terrific talent and, oh, before getting to the review, try and watch the music video! Shah always produces these magnificent videos, which makes me sad her music is not more regarded and watched on YouTube. The video for Ladies For Babies (Goats For Love) provides a feast for the eyes and it definitely stays in the memory! I really love how Shah pairs film and music, and I think there is a great documentary in Shah. Maybe similar to PJ Harvey’s A Dog Called Money, I can envisage Shah talking about topics like gender and race in music, but splicing together humour and serious discussion. That is just me musing aloud, but Shah is someone who captivates and grabs your attention. I will finish this review by looking ahead at what is to come for Shah but, just before, there is the business of a new song. It sort of arrived out of the blue – there was not the same circus of promotion and teasing you get with other artists –, and it is a right belter!

I know the origin of Ladies For Babies (Goats For Love), but I think the song’s video adds context and illustrates the song’s meanings. I think, actually, Shah said in an interview – maybe with BBC Radio 6 Music? – how she was partly inspired by Ace of Base’s All That She Wants – a song where we are told: “All that she wants, is another baby”. Shah’s track flips that: the man is the one who wants a baby. To be fair, maybe it is not simply about fatherhood and that yearning. The opening moments of the video shows a man lazing in the bath whilst Shah cooks dinner. It is beautifully shot, so that we cut between the kitchen and bathroom; the kitchen looking quite simple and kitsch, whilst Shah pours herself wine, checks the hob and, soon enough, drops some food from the oven onto the floor. The man looks all calm and chilled, whilst Shah puts her head in her hands; the hero kisses her neck and there is this domestic tension and conflict that plays out fantastically. The guy wants “his lady to be a lady” and he wants her to “care less and be hairless”. I got this feeling of a man who wanted the woman to be quiet and subservient; someone obedient, and someone you might see in adverts of the 1950s – tending to the dinner and not having any views or anything to say.  Whilst I cannot get that Ace of Base tune out of my head (as it is ace), I think there is more to the song that meets the eye. The video has this 1950s décor, which lends credence to this assumption of the woman being domestic and tending to the man’s needs. In the video, Shah is serving food and there are these great cuts again: guests being welcomed into the house; Shah drinking wine alone and not enjoying herself. The track, in terms of sound, has similar to tones to Holiday Destination. The chorus has great snap and raw energy, whilst Shah elongates her words and teases her lines in the verses.

Maybe the fella is not brave and mature enough to become a father, so he wants his woman to fill that role. He does not want to be spoken back to but, as Shah wants in the song: “But careful, she could turn out like…”. The video is beautifully realised and shot, and it gives the song this very vivid and film-like quality. The cast of guests at this party/soiree - there is some excellent facial hair on display! -, includes some great characters. Shah weaves between them and throws looks of smirking, contempt and unhappiness in. You get the feeling that she is being shoved aside and marginalised whilst, at the same time, preparing some form of rebellion or vengeance. Whilst the husband/boyfriend is getting his guests smashed and generally holding court, Shah is away from the spotlight and providing her own monologue and angle. I keep coming back to the way the video is edited, but I love how we get so much action and story from a single house/set. Shah sings about being picked from a menu; a woman selected like a starter or something disposable. That ties in neatly with the food/drink ensemble of the video; matched against the natty 1950s clothes and bright colours, it is a real trip! Shah contemplates, broods and gives the steely eye! “Cause, sir/choose so wisely/You wanna tame me/As though you fear me” seems to be the song’s second act: we have progressed from the domestic disharmony and supressed heroine who, now, is giving warning and setting us up for a juicy climax. Although Shah has prepared all the grub and made the place look proper nice (I shall stop trying to be northern!), it is the man who gets all the acclaim and compliments. Each time the chorus fires out – talking of the woman never being able to give enough; the man taking her for granted -, it grows heavier and more important.

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Shah, as the title might indicate, is sort of like a goat or something that can be taken to market to show off, sell, or get rid of. Shah is magnetic on screen as she talks about gender roles – “And if a lady’s to be a lady/Then you play the daddy/And take them to caddy” – and how he should be careful what he wishes for – “Those little tame me’s/To care for/Stay indoors/But careful they could turn out like (me)”. In the final ninety seconds of the song, we hear beats. Throughout, there have been these tribal drums pattering; suggesting Shah is a hunter or someone who is living in the wild. Now, the beats are slightly tinnier, and we reach the final scene. There is a funny/interesting moment when a tortoise – or terrapin – has scarpered and is making his way (slowly) across the carpet. Maybe this represents the tortoise and hare; perhaps it shows that even the tortoise does not want to be around the man – maybe it is something random designed to add extra spice and laughs. Shah smiles and weaves through bodies as she picks up the escaped pet, and the final cuts see Shah at a long table of food, picking it and throwing bits away; she and her man hug and joke and, as the video and song ends, I sort got to wondering. It is clear there is tension and two different people in the relationship but, when thinking about gender roles and how Ladies For Babies (Goats For Love) playas out, I think everyone will get their own impressions. Maybe I have missed the mark of the song or misinterpreted, but I’d like to think I have got close to the heart of the matter. It all bodes well for the future, and the banquet/scenes Shah will bring us – kitchen sink included!

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There are some gigs coming up for Nadine Shah. She plays the 6 Music Festival 8th March, and she has other dates booked for the spring and summer. If you can go and see her play, do so. She is a terrific live performer and, with a new single out, many are looking forward to a fresh album. This article from The Quietus gives details about the upcoming album, Kitchen Sink:

“Kitchen Sink sees Shah address societal expectations of women in their 30s and 40s, and is based around her own experience as well as her conversations with a number of other women.

"Essentially I’m writing about so many women that I just love," she says. "The new mothers, the rock stars, the ones doubting themselves who need our support, the ones who are ill but show an indescribable strength. There’s traditions that were set out years ago of how our lives should be and that has changed completely now and I for one am so proud to be a woman and to be surrounded by even greater ones."

Infectious Music will release Kitchen Sink on June 5”.

It is exciting there is an album on its way, and I am sure we will receive another single or two before Kitchen Sink comes out. I will close there, and I hope I have done Nadine Shah justice and got to the root of her new track. I think, when talking about a song like Ladies For Babies (Goats For Love) – or any artist -, it is important to go deeper and not just pen a few lines about the track! Shah is an artist who we should all be listening to so, if you have not followed her on social media and got involved, go and do that now. Once more, with this golden new offering, Nadine Shah has shown why she is…

PHOTO CREDIT: Phil Smithies

ONE of this country’s most important voices.

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Follow Nadine Shah 

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TRACK REVIEW: Blossoms - If You Think This Is Real Life

TRACK REVIEW:

Blossoms

PHOTO CREDIT: Ewan Ogden

If You Think This Is Real Life

 

9.6/10

The track, If You Think This Is Real Life, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CqFPVCDfkN8

GENRE:

Indie Pop

ORIGIN:

Stockport, U.K.

The album, Foolish Loving Spaces, is available via:

https://store.blossomsband.co.uk/

RELEASE DATE:

31st January, 2020

LABEL:

Universal Music Operations Ltd.

PRODUCERS:

James Skelly and Rich Turvey

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I was originally going to…

feature Gorillaz in the review section this week but, with a new album out, I am keen to spotlight Blossoms. I have a lot to unpack and discuss when it comes to the band. If you are new to them, Blossoms consists Tom Ogden – lead vocals, rhythm guitars, piano, songwriter; Charlie Salt – bass, acoustic guitar, backing vocals; Josh Dewhurst – lead guitars, percussion; Joe Donovan – drums, and Myles Kellock – keyboards, synthesizers, piano, backing vocals. They have just released their third album, Foolish Loving Spaces, and I understand the guys are already looking ahead to a fourth album. If you want to catch them on tour, check out where they are heading, and go and get your ticket. The guys are in inspired mood right now because, with a successful, brilliant and much-praised third album out in the world, they are already thinking about their fourth album. This NME article goes into more detail:

“Blossoms say they’ve written “most” of their next album, despite their third LP only being released yesterday (January 31).

The Stockport band’s new album ‘Foolish Loving Spaces’ came out this week, and frontman Tom Ogden has revealed in a new interview that they’re already well on the way to sharing what’s next.

Talking to the Daily Star, Ogden said: “We’ve got most of the next record written, but I won’t say too much about it as we’re ­really excited about the album that’s just coming out too!”

He added that “the first single from our fourth ­album is pretty much done,” admitting that the band “don’t want to wait too long before putting out ­something brand new.”

The frontman went on to say that he’s also thought about writing songs for pop stars, believing that some of his tracks would be perfect for Dua Lipa.

“I recently found a load of songs on my computer that Blossoms haven’t released and, when I listened to them, I thought: ‘Wow, this could be great for Dua Lipa’,” he said.

“Writing songs is when I feel most comfortable and if the right offer came about to write for someone, I would definitely do it”.

I am looking out at the Pop scene, and there are very few artists that are bringing in a sense of the optimistic, hopeful and bright. Maybe Pop music has changed so that now artists are putting the narcissistic and personal over the euphoric and universal. I am not suggesting Pop is dead and it has no validity, but I wonder the bad mood will abate and we can regain that high. Blossoms are one of these bands who, since the start of their career, have been all about the giddiness Pop can provide. Sure, there are more emotive and reflective songs in their catalogue, but they are synonymous with an energy and sunshine that you do not hear too often. I understand the guys have spoken about the possibility of writing for an artist like Dua Lipa. I think collaboration between the two camps would be great. Dua Lipa is preparing to bring out her album, Future Nostalgia, and her music dips into the 1980s. Maybe it is not quite as catchy as Blossoms’ sound, but she is someone who is looking more in the direction of the uplifting and neon. I am looking forward to seeing what she produces with that album and, as Blossoms seem keen to pair with her, I think they could create something pretty special. Away from Dua Lipa and Blossoms, how many other artists do you hear trying to give Pop its pop back? I could count the artists on two hands and I’d probably have a couple of fingers left! Maybe 2020 is a year when things will change and artists will try and rekindle the sound we experienced in the 1980s and 1990s. Blossoms are great because they are not just about aimless choruses and cheeriness. They write songs that stay in the head, but their music has depth and they are a relatable band.

I want to quote from an interview they provided when they were discussing their eponymous album of 2016. They were asked about 1990s’ nostalgia and what they wanted from their debut:

 “We wanted it to be an album of relentless pop songs, which is what we’re into. We used to rehearse in a scaffolding yard (in Stockport) and we’d try songs out there, whereas with the second half of the album we haven’t had time to do that as we’ve been touring, so we just built it in the studio from scratch. Half of it is singles we’ve already released and then the second half is brand new songs that were crafted in the studio.

To me the album says, 'Here are five lads who’ve crated something that will stand up there with great albums that have gone before it.' We’re an all-out guitar/synth pop band and we want to be around for a long time, we think it’s a timeless album.

On 90s nostalgia…

I don’t think we have a problem with nostalgia. We’ve seen bands like Oasis in huge arenas because they mean that much to you, they’re more than just a band. It sets them apart from the many other bands who don’t resonate in the same way. You can’t fault someone for becoming that popular, that’s what we aspire to – to mean that much to people.

On not just writing pop songs…

The best bands evolve. We don’t want to put out the same album – we don’t want to go heavy metal on the next one, but we just want to progress like the Arctic Monkeys did. For us it could be a breakthrough in a keyboard sound or something completely new; that freedom is what makes being in a band exciting”.

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In terms of how they have evolved since 2016, one can see their music heading in a slightly different direction. The eponymous debut was lauded because it sounded fresh and the songs resonated and connected. This was Pop music one could sing along to and it remained in the head long after listening – that is a rare thing in these times. The Stockport band released Foolish Loving Spaces on a U.S. label; they have been nominated for the Mercury Prize and have had exposure in the U.S. – having played Coachella and played a successful tour there. The band recorded their first two albums in Liverpool but, as their stock has risen, it is inevitable that Blossoms would head closer to America. In this recent interview, the Stockport band discussed their third album and mixing big choruses with slightly more emotional moments:

“Known for their big singalong synth-pop choruses and earworm melodies on favorites such as “Charlemagne,” “Honey Sweet” and “There’s A Reason Why (I Never Returned Your Calls),”  the band are equally loved for their Northern charm and humor. Get a healthy dose of this with their Blossoms podcast or what they’ve lovingly-termed pubcast—as it’s recorded in the local watering-hole where the band got their name. On it, they poke fun at themselves with segments like “Favorite Youtube Negative Comments” where frontman, Tom Ogden will read then deconstruct biting comments, prompting fits of laughter from the others in the band. While most artists might ignore or get upset at these comments, Blossoms magnanimously give these haters kudos for well-crafted criticisms.

The front half of the album is filled with these big choruses that you guys do so well and then about 2/3rd s into it, after “Oh No I Think I’m In Love”— which is like a Kylie Minogue-Stock Aitken Waterman song circa 1988 — it suddenly takes on a different mood with “Romance Eh.” The closing track “Like Gravity” is almost downbeat. Was that intentional?

I think “Oh No I Think I’m In Love” is the most pop sound on the album. We demoed 25 songs and were originally going to do 3 small albums because the songs were all different kinds of moods. Then we decided to just do 1 album so we had to pick from the 25 which ones fitted together as an album; so that’s why there’s like you said 2 halves in there. But we also didn’t want them all to have the same mood. When we lined the songs up we just picked it in a way that it flowed right—so that was our thinking behind it.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Ewan Ogden

So this is your third album working with producer James Skelly and Rich Turvey at Parr Street Studios. Did you consider working with any other producer and now that you’ve done this Blossoms trilogy would you consider it in the near future?

We were always open on this album to working with other producers. James Skelly said to us, he thought we should go work with someone else. We almost went to Nashville, but then we weren’t sure who we were working with, and the time schedule was quite tight and it would have cost a lot of money. Then we also got a single out last Summer – we were always going to work on another single with James and Rich, and we did “Your Girlfriend” and it went so well and sounded so different. And we thought we don’t really need to go to Nashville to find this new sound anyway…”

I love the fact they worked with James Skelly because, as the Coral lead singer has recorded and produced some pretty incredible records himself, he has brought something new to the Blossoms camp. I am intriguing to see where they head with their fourth album and whether it was a Radiohead Kid A/Amnesiac situation: recording the two albums during the same session/time and releasing them a year apart. Blossoms could have recorded Foolish Loving Spaces in America and worked with a big producer like Rick Rubin or Mark Ronson. Rather than going for glitzy studios and adding lots of unnecessary new angles and sounds to the pot, they have not strayed that far from their first couple of albums. I think it is the relatability and grounded nature of Blossoms that makes them so popular. It all goes back to that aim Blossoms have: to concoct big choruses and get people singing along. Maybe it is uncool what they are putting out into the world now but, compared with the super-cool Pop that lacks heart and warmth, I know what I prefer!

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I am going back and forth with the chronology here, but I want to bring in an article from 2017 where Blossoms sort of highlighted their grounded nature and how they were just ordinary chaps from the North:

 “There are more people who sit in economy class than business. We appeal to economy,” is how Donovan puts it. He’s on a mission to find the best spaghetti Bolognese in every town Blossoms play. He’s not so interested in trying new things. If you want to be an otherworldly rock freak, you don’t name your band after your local pub.

We talk about the handful of other groups who are really succeeding right now, Macclesfield’s The 1975 being the obvious frontrunners. Their singer Matt Healy: now there’s a rock star. “He’d probably be like that if he were working at the Co-op. You need people like that. Whereas I like baked beans on toast,” says Ogden. “I just write good tunes. I just happen to be in this situation but I’m not going to be something that I’m not. Come back in a year and I might be wearing make-up, but I don’t think I will”.

I may circle back to this subject a bit later, but there are not that many big bands at the moment from the Greater Manchester area. Sure, there are a lot of talented new acts, but I still think the media is obsessed with what is coming from London. Maybe they assume London music is edgier, more important and popular, but listen to what The 1975 are producing and how incredible Blossoms’ music is. I hope things change this year, and more eyes and ears head up to the North! I might tip back to this subject later but, before then, I want to cover the aspect of longevity and consistency when one thinks of Blossoms – and, of course, I need to review a track from their new album! In 2018, the band was featured in the Yorkshire Evening Post, and they discussed how they want to remain and be around for a very long time. I do think Pop has become more about saturating sounds and something edgier, darker and more repetitive. Artists are pushing further away from something commercial or old-school. Instead, there is a wave of Pop around that talk about subjects like mental-health and anxiety; songs that are noted more for their rawness than anything upbeat. I have nothing against that; it’s just that there is not a lot to balance this against. I think Blossoms are a band who keep true to their sound and are unashamed about providing music that makes you feel better – even if their subject matter is not quite as deep as some of their peers:

“Full credit then to the Greater Manchester five-piece, for remaining one of the genre’s leading commercial lights in a time of trap and tropical-pop saturation – though frontman Tom Ogden is wary to say that they’re in the big time yet.

“I think we see our success in longevity more than anything else,” he notes on a wintery April afternoon, languid in his phrasing.

“We want to be around for a long, long time, to still evolve as a band, to stay important to people.”

He mulls it over. “We’re still early on in our career, in terms of where we want to go; to be able to keep doing what we get to do will be a marker of having ‘made it’ as such.”

There’s no tension in our camp, really,” he responds. “We very rarely argue; we’re nearly always on the same page, we don’t pull off in wildly disparate directions. Harmony is the way to go for us; it works so well!”

I said this would be a bit random regarding chronology, but I think there is a connection between the more upbeat and spirited Pop sound and a North-South divide. I am hearing a lot of great and classic Pop coming from the North, whereas there are comparatively few bands like Blossoms in the South.  

I do want more people to look to Manchester and the North, as there is too much reliance and proliferation of London acts. Blossoms know their roots, and the band would have grown up listening to some Manchester legends, never dreaming they would join them one day. This 2018 article from Dork shows how much it means to Blossoms to be associated with the Manchester greats:

“While Tom and the band spent their childhoods admiring Manchester's heroes from afar, little did they realise that they'd be welcomed into the ranks themselves one day. Contemplating what it means to be a part of Manchester's music scene, Ogden explains: "It's like a close-knit family, they look after one and other. We played first with the Courteeners; then we supported The Stone Roses. So yeah, I think it's just like, Manchester as a city - it kind of takes to its bands, it really loves them. They just support the bands like they might a football team. It's crazy, but we're fortunate that we come from this neck of the woods, we seem to get a lot of support because of that".

I shall leave thing here regarding background and biography, as I am keen to reviewing Blossoms’ single, If You Think This Is Real Life. It is the opening song from Foolish Loving Spaces and a perfect way to kick the album off! The album has gained some great reviews, and it will be exciting for fans to hear these new tracks at gigs. I shall get down to reviewing a great song from Blossoms…

The band wastes no time in getting down to business when it comes to If You Think This Is Real Life. I think people say listeners tend to skip tracks – if they are streaming songs – after about twenty seconds or so if they are not hooked – it might be less than that. Attention spans are so short that people require something that hooks them right away. Bands like Blossoms are worth investigation no matter when the kick comes in, but their latest single starts straight with the chorus. There is a nice blend of something tropical, 1980s; a bit of Take That’s Relight My Fire (in terms of the vibe and beats), and some of the Britpop bands of the 1990s. One is hooked right in, and you get this delightful sunniness that warms the blood. I love how addictive and catchy the sound is, and one goes back to the song again and again because it begins with such a rush! The lyrics sort of balance out the cheer and warmth of the composition with something a little more heartbroken. Even when Blossoms are talking about regrets and deceit, they manage to make it sound okay, like everything will be alright. Our hero sings about a promise he made to a girl before taking it back. “I made a mess of your heart/I think we’re falling apart” is honest and revealing. The hero left his girl out in the rain; there is accusation and a sense that her man has caused damage and is repeating bad patterns. Maybe there is too much blame on one side, but Blossoms’ Tom Ogden seems to dismiss her words. Perhaps he is getting blamed unnecessarily, or this conflict is exaggerated. The chorus is the real heart and diamond of the song. There is a little bit of Kid Creole and The Coconuts; the Stockport band incorporating something Caribbean and sun-drenched into their palette.

I love the swagger and swing of the chorus! It is one that will get you swinging along and stay in the head for ages! When the chorus comes in, I start to wonder whether we are hearing about romantic disentanglement or something to do with friendship. The words “If you think this is real life/Look and you may find/Run son it’s your sunlight/Don’t act so uptight” would suggest friends clashing and falling out, so maybe the song is not so easy to predict and straightforward. It is the bracing honesty and lack of concern that makes the song so interesting to unpick. The second verse talks about the two – the lovers or estranged mates – being at the point of no return. The more the words unfurl, the more indiscretion and romantic strife seems the likely inspiration. The girl says they need to get help and, when the two are bickering, the hero sleeps with one of her friends. It is, as the hero says, the end and something unacceptable. I wonder whether the hero is destroying the relationship to get a rise or whether it is the girl that is cheating. When he says about sleeping with one of your friend, it is not 100% whether that is the woman saying that or him; I go back to the song and my mind changes each time. The verses are backed by this cheerier mood and sense of building carnival. One might think the merry backing would jar against lyrics that are quite tense and combative but, actually, it is a perfect blend. So many other Pop acts would pen a composition that is all angered, full of machine beats and distorted – think of someone like Grimes. Our hero says that he would travel the world, but he stays in watching the news. The song comes back to this idea that the other party is uptight and has caused this division. Blossoms are keen to get back to the chorus – and why wouldn’t you?! -, and it sort of adds extra weight and meaning to the verses. One is helpless to resist the alluring and colourful cocktail of the chorus; it is one of the biggest of the year so far and one that will be hard to beat! If You Think This Is Real Life is a fantastic opener to Foolish Loving Spaces and, if you think this is the only spirit-lifting gem from the album, then you need to investigate the whole album! I chose If You Think This Is Real Life because it is a single and, to me, the best song Blossoms have released so far.

It has been a busy and eventful last three-and-a-bit years since Blossoms released their debut album. So many artists take a long time to produce albums and progress, but Blossoms have come a long way in a short time. Their debut was well-received and, from there, the band has amassed a clan of fans and are getting bigger and better. They will not have too much time to relax this year as there is a big demand and, with fans across the world, their name is getting bigger and bigger! I am not surprised that uncomplicated and positive Pop is providing popular. Many people mourn the loss of that optimism and kick – I am one of them. The boys are pretty determined to get their fourth album out there, and it seems like there is a lot of inspiration and gold running through their veins right now. If You Think This Is Real Life was a great track to review, and you can spin it again and again without becoming bored; you pick up new things every time it comes around. 2020 is going to be an exciting year for Blossoms, and I could well see them playing quite a lot of festivals in the summer. One would not bet against them getting a Glastonbury spot, and I am excited to see where they head. It is a changing time for Pop music, and there are few artists concerned with big choruses and catchiness. Aside from Blossoms, Dua Lipa and Róisín Murphy, there are not too many others crafting these extraordinary, body-moving jams. I shall wrap things up in a second but, before I go, have a listen to Blossoms and follow them if you can – the social media links are at the bottom of this review. The Stockport band has come a long way since their debut but, in a great way, they actually have not moved that far at all. They have not changed their sound for the worse and tried to fit in with what is trending and ‘popular’, nor have they relocated and gone all American. I like that about Blossoms. They are ordinary guys who are making great music and they are not being lured by money, fancy studios and something shiny – let’s hope they stay that way for as long as possible! Foolish Loving Spaces is a great album, and I think it is the best of their career so far. There is no stopping this band and, with a lauded album under their belts, they are looking to the road and bringing their top tunes to the masses. Go see them if you can because, when it comes to their sound and charm, there is no band…

WHO does it quite like Blossoms.

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Follow Blossoms

TRACK REVIEW: Pearl Jam - Dance of the Clairvoyants

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Pearl Jam

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PHOTO CREDIT: Danny Clinch

Dance of the Clairvoyants

9.4/10

 

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The track, Dance of the Clairvoyants, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ss6mIGfyvXM

GENRE:

Alternative Rock

ORIGIN:

Seattle, U.S.A

RELEASE DATE:

22nd January, 2020

LABEL:

Monkeywrench Inc.

The album, Gigaton, is available from 27th March, 2020. Pre-order here:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Gigaton-Pearl-Jam/dp/B083T61W5J

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I have quite a bit to…

get through in this review but, before carrying on, it is evident there are not too many current images of Pearl Jam, so I may have to sprinkle in some classic shots so that I can avoid any gaps. Some people on my blog have complained about the length of my reviews and the fact they are very positive so, if a thoughtful and positive review does not appeal, probably best to look at every other site out there! With that being said, I couldn’t avoid Pearl Jam because, like so many people out there, they are part of my childhood. There are a few subjects that I want to cover that relate to Pearl Jam, and I will get to the review itself a bit later. First of all, there is this age-old, old-age debate as to whether acts like Pearl Jam – who started life over thirty years ago – should still be playing. After such titanic albums (including their 1991 debut, Ten), what more can they offer? The Seattle-formed band’s last album, 2013’s Lightning Bolt, was well-received, and they have recently announced a new album will be out this year called Gigaton. One can argue the likes of Pearl Jam are in it for the money; that they have a commercial ear and fans are going to keep buying their albums regardless. Look at The Rolling Stones and bands who have been around even longer than Pearl Jam. They do not need to be in the business, and they have recorded music that will be loved and assessed for generations to come. Pearl Jam were a vital force in the 1990s and, at a time when Nirvana were defining Grunge, Pearl Jam arrived (their debut came out the same year as Nirvana’s Nevermind) provided an Alternative Rock sound that incorporated elements of Grunge but was unique to them. So many people of my age (and older) heard something in Pearl Jam that was new and excited. Led by the powerhouse that is Eddie Vedder, the band have soundtracked the lives of so many people. I have seen a few articles online that ask whether Pearl Jam are cashing in and whether they are a legacy act, or whether they can truly cut it.   

I think Pearl Jam are not just about legacy and revisiting the past. They have an impressive body of work, and their upcoming album has got many people excited! Although the band might not be as raucous and anthemic as they once were, their music still digs deep and sounds exceptional. I will end the review by talking about the band’s touring and plans for 2020, because things are going to be pretty hectic for Pearl Jam. I want to bring in an article, where the author talks about the meaning of Pearl Jam and why, I feel, they are massively relevant in 2020:

“All their songs have a deep, meaningful story to tell. Their music has definitely touched peoples lives, including my own. These guys just have something special to them. They write real music, with lyrics that can relate to many of us listeners. They have been making hits ever since they began. Hell, they broke through mainstream with their first debut album Ten, which came out in 1991. Pearl Jam is nothing short of remarkable, and nothing but pure, great rock and roll music. I’d have to say my favorite songs by them are “Better Man”, “Alive”, “The Fixer”, and “Sirens”. Even picking those as my favorites was hard because so many of their songs are so good. I am pretty sure everyone can relate to at least one of their songs. It doesn’t matter what you have been through, listening to their music will always give you an uplifting boost to your spirit. When you think of iconic rock bands that ruled the 90’s, Pearl Jam is definitely one of the bands that will cross your mind. Pearl Jam are legends, and we should all be grateful to be living in a time where we can rock out and headbang to their music”.

There are the classic hits we can all reference but, if you look at the last couple of albums Pearl Jam have put out, the band are evolving and remain essential. Although they are, of course, going to play the big numbers at gigs, they are not a band who rely on the past and are making music now for the money. There is a unity and strength that remains vibrant; when so many of their peers from back in the day have called time, Pearl Jam remain popular because they are original, yet they can fit into the times and mix it with the very best out there.

I have written quite a few reviews where I have discussed Rock and whether it is still valid. I mentioned 1991 and a year when Pearl Jam and Nirvana put out these huge, legendary albums. Rock music still exists in the world, but there are fewer standout albums and bands compared to what there was. Apart from the odd band here and there, I think Rock music has changed in the sense it brings in other genres and is wider-ranging than it was decades ago. It is hard to write these classic Rock anthems and ready riffs. Instead, bands are bringing in Pop, Electronic and other genres. I will mention how Pearl Jam fit into this debate, but there are two schools of thought. On the one side, there are people who claim Rock is dead and music has no scenes or movements. Most of us can name a few decent Rock bands, but that doesn’t mean we can remember the songs or reasonably claim they sound as good as the classic acts from the 1960s-1990s. I think the legends of Rock, Alternative Rock and Grunge existed and thrived because they had competition and there was a demand from fans. Maybe they were capturing a vibe in the air or felt there was a gap missing. Now, at a time when there are no scenes and music is so broad and disconnected, can even the best Rock acts stand out?! Also, as we are in modern times, if artists replicate acts like Pearl Jam and Led Zeppelin, will they be accused of being derivative and copycat? There is another camp that says Rock is very much alive, but one cannot live in the past. Whilst there are few classic riffs, big choruses and old-school bands, does that mean Rock is redundant? Instead, we have artists like YUNGBLUD and Sharon Van Etten who are producing more emotive, personal and nuanced albums. I always associate classic Rock with, yes, legendary sounds and memorable hooks, but there was this reliance on the sexual, the less-important and commercial.

IN THIS PHOTO: Pearl Jam circa 1991

Some artists were opening their minds and hearts, but so many bands were writing songs that lacked real depth. Many can argue Rock now is more important and substantial because we have artists penning tracks that take in politics, depression and environmental concerns. So many artists today as using music to speak about deep issues and important subjects, Rock has followed that course; the lyrics are more personal, and the sonic palette is a little wider. I sort of fall between the two camps. I feel Rock could do with some proper rebels and songs that are stuffed with twang and energy. That said, Rock needs to keep moving and no genre is defined by its past. Pearl Jam are ensuring they progress and move with the times, but their upcoming album is going to have some classic sounds. They are not going to betray their roots, as they know Rock music demands simplicity and songs that remain in the head. Gigaton seems like it will be an album that will delight those who love their Rock pure, and those who feel the current sound is where the genre is best:

 “Pearl Jam guitarist Stone Gossard explained how the group’s upcoming album, Gigaton, captures “the spirit of the band” in a new interview with Zane Lowe on Beats 1 radio.

The first single from Gigaton, “Dance of the Clairvoyants,” found the band exploring funkier and more experimental sonic territories, with Gossard saying the track exemplifies “the outer edge of something that we haven’t tried before, a new way of configuring our sort of collaborative talents.” But he went on to note that “Dance of the Clairvoyants” is just one of several flavors on the record.

“There’s definitely some really straight-ahead rock songs,” he said. “There’s some very spare and very simple ballads. It’s got it all, I think. And it’s really us. We really did it by ourselves. [Eddie Vedder] did a great job. There was a pile of songs, and he sort of took and really, really, in the last two months, mixed and sort of selected the tracks that really were going to be special. And he did such a great job of bringing everybody’s personalities out. It was probably different than any of us would’ve made individually, but it really captures, I think, the spirit of the band.”

Gossard also touched on Vedder’s lyrics, which he called “stunning” and said grapple with the weight of the world in clever and abstract ways. “He’s not going to come out and say exactly in sort of very plain language maybe what you might think after reading the newspaper,” Gossard said. “But I think that his mysticism and his way of using words and art and music is a powerful sort of tonic. I think that underlying it all is going to continue to be a hopeful and beautiful but at times tragic message”.

Pearl Jam are legends of music. I want to talk about longevity and why bands like Pearl Jam deserve maximum respect. Whilst the early-‘90s was a fertile period with so much great music, there was no guarantee you would survive and keep playing years later. Most of the best bands from that time are not playing together, and others have found it hard to adapt and remain relevant. It must be daunting enough for new bands to be seen and heard, and iconic bands like Pearl Jam are not immune. They have a legacy and some mighty albums under their belt, but they also cannot rely on that alone. Pearl Jam have to put out strong material, otherwise critics and fans will look elsewhere. I think Pearl Jam have produced the odd mediocre album, but they have been pretty consistent and have not lost their power to move people. I will talk about a departed friend of the band soon but, as you can see from the article above, Eddie Vedder is writing music that reacts to the world around him in a very direct way. Anyone who claims Pearl Jam are releasing material because their name sells needs to listen to the music and realise its importance. Bands like Nirvana and Pearl Jam resonated back in the 1990s because the music wasn’t insanely commercial and they were speaking to their fans; whether they were disaffected or isolated, the music was a lifeline and friend. That is still true today when, more than ever, we need music to balm our souls and give us guidance. I’d like to think we can put to bed the assertion that Pearl Jam were importance once, but now they are merely around to cash in. The new Pearl Jam album is going to tackle a few different subjects, but the late Chris Cornell will loom large. He was a great friend of Vedder and the band, and his death on 18th May, 2017 rocked the world. I remember being at work when I heard the news and taking a half-day so that I could rush home and write an article in tribute to the Soundgarden lead.

PHOTO CREDIT: Samir Hussein/WireImage via Getty Images

Vedder and Cornell performed together as part of the group, Temple of the Dog, and the two were like brothers. I will quote from a couple of features, as the loss of Cornell is still raw. This article from 2018 relates to a Pearl Jam show in London, and what Eddie Vedder had to say about his departed friend:

“These things take time and I just want to send this out to everyone who was affected by it and they all back home and here appreciate it so deeply the support and the good thoughts of a man who was a ... you know he wasn't just a friend he was someone I looked up to like my older brother.

About two days after the news, I think it was the second night we were sleeping in this little cabin near the water, a place he would've loved. And all these memories started coming in about 1:30am like woke me up. Like big memories, memories I would think about all the time. Like the memories were big muscles. And then I couldn't stop the memories. And trying to sleep it was like if the neighbours had the music playing and you couldn't stop it.

But then it was fine because then it got into little memories. It just kept going and going and going. And I realised how lucky I was to have hours worth of...you know if each of these memories was quick and I had hours of them. How fortunate was I?! And I didn't want to be sad, wanted to be grateful not sad”.

It is not even three years since Cornell died, and bands like Pearl Jam know what he gave to music and what his loss means. I am not sure how Cornell features into Pearl Jam’s Gigaton but, in this Rolling Stone feature from January 2019, Cornell’s name came up:

“It’s been six years since Pearl Jam released Lightning Bolt, and they’re feeling the need to write new music again. It’s just been slow going. “It’d be fun to record or even just write a song together,” bassist Jeff Ament says. “I think when Chris [Cornell] passed, that’s really been a tough one to wrap our heads around, and then there’s just life stuff.”

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Cornell was an important figure in Pearl Jam’s history. Drummer Matt Cameron played in Soundgarden, and all of the band members were in Temple of the Dog with the singer before forming Pearl Jam. Ament, Cameron and guitarist Stone Gossard recently paid tribute to him a Los Angeles concert dubbed “I Am the Highway: A Tribute to Chris Cornell,” which also included performances by Cornell’s former bandmates in Soundgarden, Temple of the Dog and Audioslave, as well as sets by Foo Fighters, Metallica, Melvins and Miley Cyrus’ stunning “Say Hello 2 Heaven.”

Ament also recently paid homage to Cornell by serving as creative director for the Chris Cornell box set, for which he spent five or six days screen-printing vibrant, watercolor images of the late Soundgarden frontman with his brother, Barry Ament. “That was hard,” he says. “[Chris’ widow] Vicky [Cornell] had asked me to get involved with it, and over the course of the years, Chris would often reach out. I remember with the Audioslave record and a couple of his solo records, he would send me the artwork. Even the last solo record, I mocked up some ideas. I think he appreciated my sensibilities when it came to that stuff. So it was pretty hard to go down that path, creating that stuff and listening to the music. It’s just another reminder that he’s not here, and that just sucks. It really sucks”.

I guess this sort of circles back to what I mentioned earlier: bands like Pearl Jam surviving and continuing to make music. I adored Soundgarden, and I think it so sad that Chris Cornell is not with us anymore. Soundgarden were another band who, now and then, would have people asking whether they could still cut it and were relevant. They toured a lot, and I wonder whether the pressure to keep going and remain in focus contributed to Cornell’s physiological state. One needs to respect bands like Soundgarden and Pearl Jam, because they are pounding hard and trying to delight older fans and bring in new listeners. With that said, I should get down to reviewing Pearl Jam’s new single, Dance of the Clairvoyants.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Danny Clinch/Courtesy of the artist

Rather than go in with meaty riffs and chug, there is a pleasing groove from the bass, some electronics and something spacey that opens Dance of the Clairvoyants. I like the blend of the more mystical and the funkiness that breaks out. Whilst you are immersed in the catchiness and movement of the introduction, your mind wanders, and you sort of transport yourself somewhere marvellous. Vedder’s voice arrives and, like you’d expect, makes an impact right from the start: “Confusion is to commotion/what love is to devotion” is a superb opening line, and, whilst talking about love and the vastness of the ocean, images race through the mind. I think the lyrics are more powerful and deep because the composition is quite experimental and groovy, rather than drowning all sentiment out with roared vocals and intense guitars. Vedder’s voice is quite operatic and emotional. I love how it has matured through the years, and it still holds so much weight and gravitas. “So save your predications/and burn your assumptions” is delivered with much more growl and grit. If the opening lines suggested love was a pure and cherished thing, when Vedder sings “Love is friction/ripe for comfort”, your mind is taken in a different direction. The song changes pace and tone, so we go from that alien-like kick to more traditional Pearl Jam territory. Not only do the band summon one of their most interesting compositions for a long while, the lyrics are among the most clever and intriguing. There are, as we hear “endless equations” and “tugging persuasions”, which makes one wonder whether Vedder is referencing a romantic love or something wider, I am not so sure. The doors are very much for open for interpretation so, as a listener, you go back and concentrate on the early lines to see if we are in the midst of a confusing relationship or the political state of affairs. The chorus sees Vedder a little resigned in his words. He states how we are ignoring a lot if we want perfection; how the past is the present and “the future’s no more”.

Every tomorrow is the same as ever (claims Vedder) so, maybe, this track is about the lack of action from political figures regarding problems in the world. I am split between a dissatisfied and confused relationship that is going through the gears, and a man who is looking around him and wondering why action is not being taken. Vedder’s delivery is almost sermon-like; there is a sense of meaning and drive that you feel. He needs to get his messages out, but there is a scent of defeat lingering underneath. “The looser things get/the tighter you become”, could be construed a couple of different ways. Maybe there are sexual connotations but, listening to the song again, I am still interested in a political possibility. The wordplay is intelligent and witty throughout. Vedder is soulful but never too forceful with his words. I prefer his voice in this mode, as I think it carries greater heft and nuance. Maybe that is just me, but he switches between the more restrained to fierce and delivers some thought-provoking messages along the way. When he states that “No one man/can be greater than the sum”, and he is a positive person (despite the fact he falls down), the words are almost rifled and stuttered. The way the vocal twists and adapts is magnificent. This person (whoever they are) has cut the hero down rather than helping them up. The third verse references windows being closed and us all being stuck in boxes. The lyrics have that openness, so one is never quite certain what is being referenced – each time I come back to the song, I pick up new things. The song’s title is alluded to when Vedder delivers one of the song’s funniest/corniest thoughts: “I'm in love with clairvoyants/'Cause they're out of this world”. That idea of people being out of this world might suggest Vedder is not happy in this one; like he needs an escape from what is happening. The band continue to drive the song forward and provide so much colour and texture. Vedder sings of girls wanting to fall away and “the boys wanna grow/their dicks and fix things”.  When Vedder lets his voice weave and float this., combined with the solid beat, puts me in mind of some of Pearl Jam’s earlier work – and, oddly, I am reminder of Peter Gabriel too.  Dance of the Clairvoyants is a terrific and compelling song that bodes well for the Gigaton album.

I will finish up by looking at where Pearl Jam are headed and what the rest of this year has in store. I have been writing this, and I came across an article from 2018, where Foo Fighters’ Taylor Hawkins spoke with Liam Gallagher. The question regarding the relevance of established bands like Foo Fighters and Pearl Jam came up:

“In a new Alt 98.7 interview, Foo Fighters drummer Taylor Hawkins said he believes Foo Fighters, Pearl Jam, and other rock acts are still the most relevant when it comes to live performances, especially compared to pop and hip hop. Dave Grohl joined him for the interview.

Hawkins said, “I think that the exchange between an audience and people on a stage with guitars and drums without a net, that hasn’t really gone away per say. I think rock bands like us, Pearl Jam, the Rolling Stones, Roger Waters, Paul McCartney, those are probably still the biggest shows. I still think that it translates better with instruments, I just do, than one dude walking around with a microphone”.

Pearl Jam are playing British Summer Time 2020, and they are performing through North America through the spring. I have put Pearl Jam’s social media links at the bottom of this review, so make sure you follow them and, if you can, go and see them live. Their latest cut shows they are still hugely important and, actually, one of the most important bands around. I will wrap it up in a second but, for those who wonder whether Pearl Jam are still worthy and vital, I want to bring in a piece from Louder Sound in 2018, who were in attendance when the band played the O2:

“If this is classic rock – and it is, duh – then it’s refracted through the times we’ve lived through. At times they could remind you of The Band – but only if The Band had also been massively into punk, metal, goth, indie, shoegaze, new wave, etc etc.

This is 21st century classic rock: visceral and exciting, but also warm, engaging, natural. We've had enough of charismatic leaders who turn out to be charlatans. Vedder breaks down the relationship between the "stars" and the crowd and it leaves you asking: Have Pearl Jam quietly become one of rock’s best, most beloved and even important bands in the world right now?

Being called "sell-outs" has been a criticism that's unfairly dogged Pearl Jam since their beginnings. Being successful from a then small, alternative scene in the Pacific Northwest does not a sell-out make. It was bullshit thirty years ago, and it’s bullshit now.

Looking out over their audience you get a sense that they don't see a bunch of fans to fleece, they see a load of people they want to move.

Perhaps more so now than ever. While the band have never shied away from their full-throated support for human rights and political issues, the month’s delay between London shows afforded the band the luxury of inviting a guest along: hot on the heels of his scene-stealing appearance at the London anti-Trump march, Pearl Jam got the Trump Baby blimp down to the O2 where the orange buffoon (sorry, balloon) provided many a gig-goer with a brilliant photo-opp.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Jim Bennett/Getty Images

Vedder found a moment throughout the show to voice his displeasure at the current US President - the day after the latter’s astonishingly disturbing summit with Putin - by reading out some of the best British protest signs ("God save The Queen from the facist tangerine" and "We'd call Trump a cunt, but he isn't deep or warm" go down particularly well). He talks about the ridiculous travel advisory recently given to US tourists in Europe, and before a heartfelt Daughter he name-checks Jim O'Rourke's Women Of The World, Take Over. Preaching to the converted? Of course. That's literally how this works. It's his show.

Singer/two-guitar/bass/drums/organ line-up. Crazy good songs that everyone knows the words to and isn’t afraid to sing along to? Check. Massive guitar solos? Check. Epic jams? Check. Blistering covers? Of course. And of classic rock stalwarts. Tonight we’re treated to Tom Petty, The Who, Victoria Williams and and Bob Dylan (by way of Jimi Hendrix).

Do they follow a by-rote setlist night after night? Hell no, you never know what you’re gonna get from Pearl Jam. Spontaneity is still a thing.

They mix up their own songs too, which means people react with frequently unfettered delight when deep cuts and fan favourites are aired. All night, Eddie doesn't have to introduce a single song, but the opening notes of each are greeted like World Cup Final goals.

Now, as much as any time, we need Pearl Jam in the world. A scintillating live force, their studio material is amazing, and I think Gigaton will be a finer and deeper album than Lightning Bolt. In any case, get involved with the band and grab the album when it arrives on 27th March. It is very obvious that these legends…

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PHOTO CREDIT: Gie naeps/Getty Images

STILL rock hard!

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Follow Pearl Jam

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TRACK REVIEW: Celeste - Stop This Flame

TRACK REVIEW:

 

Celeste

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PHOTO CREDIT: Matilda Hill-Jenkins

Stop This Flame

9.5/10

The track, Stop This Flame, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGmI8IkiWII&feature=emb_title

GENRES:

British Soul/Alternative R&B

ORIGIN:

California, U.S.A./Brighton, U.K.

RELEASE DATE:

9th January, 2020

LABEL:

Polydor

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THIS is my first review of the year…

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PHOTO CREDIT: Matilda Hill-Jenkins

and I was waiting for the right moment to launch it. There have been some great songs out this year, but I wanted to feature Celeste because she is a talent everyone needs to check out. I will get to her latest track very soon but, before that, I have a few things I want to investigate and explore. Now is a very good time for Celeste. The BBC has announced their Sound of 2020 winner and, deservedly, it is Celeste who gets that top honour: 

 “Soul singer Celeste has been named the BBC’s Sound of 2020, the broadcaster’s annual poll to evaluate the year’s brightest new musical hopes. Her win follows her victory in the Brits rising star award in December.

In a statement, the 25-year-old British-Jamaican star reflected on her recent run of success: “I could never have predicted half of the things that happened … I’m so grateful for every opportunity I’ve had so far and am looking forward to what 2020 will bring.”

BBC Radio 1 DJ Annie Mac described Celeste Waite, who grew up in Saltdean, near Brighton, as a “phenomenal” talent: “Her songwriting is personal and poignant but with universal appeal. I think she could easily join the long list of Sound Of winners who went on to be global stars.” Previous winners include Adele, Sam Smith, Haim and Ellie Goulding.

Celeste began writing music and performing in bands as a teenager. At 16, she was discovered by a manager after she posted her first song online. He encouraged her to take writing classes and she started working with writers and producers at Trevor Horn’s Sarm studios.

Lily Allen signed Celeste to her label Bank Holiday Records, an imprint of Warner UK, and released her debut EP, Milk & Honey, in 2017. The following year, Celeste signed to Polydor. Her single Strange made

the BBC Radio 1 playlist, and she was recently named BBC Music Introducing artist of the year”.

I have been familiar with Celeste for a little while, but she is really blossoming into someone who has the promise to be an icon of the future. I do not use those words lightly. You have these artists who produce some good tracks but, honestly, you do not remember them that long after hearing them. In the case of Celeste, she is someone who stuns through her music and can win your heart when you hear her speak.

I think there is a real humbleness and maturity from someone who is relatively new to the industry. Although Celeste has been recording music since she was very young, her path into music was one many can identify with. This BBC article highlights when Celeste was bitten by the muse of music:

“Three years ago, the singer moved to London with just £100 in her pocket; but was fired because she kept skipping work to write songs.

"I'd rather call in sick and go to the studio than have the money for that month," she tells the BBC, "and there was a couple of months where I was like, 'What am I going to do?'"

Luckily, unemployment coincided with Celeste's discovery - first by Lily Allen's label Bank Holiday Records, which released her first EP, and later by Polydor, who signed her in 2018”.

Later in this review, I will discuss Celeste’s roots and family and how, in 2020, she is primed for the biggest year of her professional life. I love the fact Celeste is very much driven by music and it fill her soul. For some, you get the sense music is a way to get famous or, at the very least, give them some sort of meaning. For Celeste, it goes far beyond that. She is someone who wakes and breathes music; it is a way to express herself and make the world beautiful. So many people are reacting to what she is putting out into the world. It is interesting learning how artists get started and how their songs take shape. I fancied myself as a songwriter when I was younger because I was a natural poet – and I knew it! I loved the way one could take language to new places and write in a way that was poetic, beautiful and individual. I do not read or write music, so poetry was a way for me to write like my musical heroes. Celeste has a love of poetry and, when you read her lyrics, one is moved by their depth and passion. There are many reasons why Celeste is being championed and why her music is resonating.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Lauren Maccabee

In terms of genres, Celeste blends R&B and Neo Soul with incredible poetry. In this interview, Celeste explained why her particular potion was so potent:

 “You blend poetry with soul and R&B. What makes it so powerful in your opinion?

I think the language in poetry can be very powerful and it feels like you can say a lot more. I know a band called Fontaines DC. They’re very inspired by poets and they kind of see themselves in that way. They’re a band I love listening to.

Poetry is a bit closer to the rhythm of your speaking voice, so you can kind of say more and get more words out, whereas singing a melody kind of, sometimes, puts a limit on how much you can say. That’s, for example, why rappers can say so much more, because their rhythm allows them to. I think, when you sometimes write in that form, you can kind of deliver so much more clear narrative that has a story from start to finish. It’s more laid out.

You have the gift to tell a story with your voice. Is it difficult for you to put deep emotions in a song?

When I’m about to write a song, I just let it naturally come out as it wants to. If that’s a day that I might be feeling really empowered, or might feel really sad, I let my body speak for itself. Some days, it’s hard because it doesn’t really want to come to the surface. But most of the time, in the music I’ve written, it all came quite naturally”.

It is the honesty and spontaneity that Celeste puts into her music that makes it so powerful and moving. She can elicit so many different emotions but, more than anything, I think everyone can relate to her songs. You do not have to know her or what she is going through to respect and understand her words.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Grace Difford

Celeste was born in the U.S. and, whilst she is up in London now, Brighton was where she was raised. Brighton is my favourite place in this country, so I can understand why it is a place easy to love and settle into. It is a shame people have to move to London to find opportunity, as Brighton is such a haven and safe place. Although, as we all know, it does not take long to get from Brighton to London. I can identify with Celeste, as she is someone who has felt her way into music and was not necessarily a natural performer and writer straight from the off. When she spoke with Dummy last year, she explained how she was a little shy at first:

 “Surrounded by musical peers in the English seaside town, she was increasingly reluctant to perform. “I was quite shy about singing when I was a teenager but I think people just knew I could,” she says. A boy approached her in the school corridor, saying, ‘I heard you can sing.’ “It was so silly, I probably denied it,” she says, but ended up going to his house for songwriting sessions. She wrote her first song, ‘Sirens’, about the death of her dad when she was 16, and it caught the attention of a prospective manager after she posted it on YouTube. They met up in a Costa, and Celeste promised to send him some demos. “Four months went by and I hadn’t sent him any demos!” she says. “I was just singing ‘cos I liked singing. I knew I wanted to do it, I just didn’t know how to go about doing everything.”

Eventually he just booked her in for a studio session. “It was only five years ago but mobiles weren’t such a necessity – I remember looking at Google Maps and drawing the route with a pink felt tip,” she says. The people at the famed Sarm Studios – owned and run by Trevor Horn – were so impressed with her writing that they kept giving her more time there. “It was a place that had so much history, you could just feel it in the walls,” she says. “I remember once seeing Seal at the top of the stairs. I need to wear glasses and never wear them, and there are these massive open doors into Studio 1, but I’d never seen it before, so I was peeking in. Then I see him standing outside with a sandwich in cling film, and he’s like, ‘Hello!’ I’m like, ‘Alright mate?’ He found it really funny that I seemed so unfazed by him”.

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Maybe Celeste is not at the stage where she could confidentially stride into an arena and play to tens of thousands of people, clearly, she has risen in confidence and this is reflected in her music. She is an extraordinary talent who is blowing people away with her voice. Many have noted influences such as Billie Holiday and Amy Winehouse. These two artists are finding new fans in artists like Celeste and Jorja Smith. There is this corner of British R&B/Soul that is really promising and stuffed with brilliance. I am not sure whether Celeste is acquainted with the work of Fiona Apple, but I wonder whether Celeste might take her music more in that direction or any elements from her. Not that I want to dictate Celeste’s future; it is evident she has an epic voice and grew up around so many great artists. Influences are as important to a musician’s direction and personality as their upbringing and environment. The question regarding influences is one interviews have asked Celeste since the start. Here, she talks about her early life and some of the artists who affected her:

 “When [his death] happened I had just started college, so optimistic and thinking I was going to be a fashion designer,” she says. “Until that point my life had been rosy to an extent. It shocked me. Then after that I had so much more drive to do something I cared about. I focused everything on doing music from that point.” She worked in a pub and sang in a band with friends in Brighton, covering classics and writing original songs. They prided themselves on being into music other teens they knew weren’t — jazz, rare groove, old soul. Celeste says that early diet might explain the comparison she hears most frequently, with Amy Winehouse. “We probably grew up listening to a lot of the same music — Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday — and that’s where you’re getting your phrasing. So I understand it. It’s a big comparison for people to make. It’s very sweet and flattering because she’s someone a whole generation love so much. Her music was incredible”

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PHOTO CREDIT: Matilda Hill-Jenkins

So much spotlight is shone on Pop and the mainstream whereas it should be aimed at artists like Celeste. Her music is so much more appealing and engaging than most of the Pop crop out there. She is a unique artist, but there are artists, past and present, that inspire her. It seems that Aretha Franklin is someone who is very important to Celeste:

“She's an old-school Aretha fan...

"I remember the first album I ever listened to all the way through was an Aretha Franklin tape. My grandad used to have this cherry red Jaguar that he'd take me everywhere in and he would play it. I remember the first time I heard her voice, my face literally lit up".

There is, I understand, a debut album coming from Celeste very soon. She has already accomplished so much already, and this year looks set to offer more rewards and riches. Many artists wait for many years before they can support huge artists and have that rare moment. Every musician dreams of supporting their favourite artists but, in the case of Celeste, she has already supported some big names:

“The message she tries to convey through music is: “Be true to yourself. If you have something you believe in standby it. Stay in touch with who you are even if people don’t treat you the way you’d hoped. Fight against prejudice and educate people if you’ve got the opportunity, but remain focused on your goal."

Other than supporting the iconic Neneh Cherry in her hometown of Brighton and Janelle Monae in Berlin, the most surreal moment of Waite's career came when she recently performed with legendary British singer-songwriter and musician Paul Weller. Crediting The Jam founder as one of the first people to publicly support her music, and reminiscing about the cover of his song "Wildwood" she did at the age of fifteen, she tells me, “ We performed ‘You Do Something To Me’ together and thinking about the fact that I liked his music - and how it made me feel when I was younger - and now ten years later I’m collaborating with him is unbelievable”.

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Although influences and other artists are important to Celeste and her musical determination, family are also vital. I have briefly touched on Celeste’s young life and how she moved from the U.S. to the U.K. but, in this interview from 2017, Celeste discussed her family:

“MUM, NAN, AND GRANDAD: My mum looked after me from three years old by herself. She’s a makeup artist, so she was working away for a few days at a time, then coming back. When she was away, I’d be at my nan and grandad’s house and [theirs] was the first music that I heard, really, from a really young age. Just because of their age, it tended to be those classic singers like Aretha Franklin, Ella Fitzgerald, Billie Holiday, and things like that. Naturally, then, as I got older, I got used to that music falling upon my ears, and it not really seeming like a thing. When I first heard it, when I was younger, it was amazing to me, but then to grow older, it seemed to me like there’d be no other music that I would like [in that way].

My mum is funny because she’s not musical at all, but she loves music and she’s always singing weird versions of how she thinks the song goes around the house. When I grew up, I found it really interesting, her weird off-kilter, off notes, the way she would sing certain things. The whole thing is unrecognizable! [laughs] I’d be like, “What are you singing?” But I think maybe in my head, it painted this picture of how I could then make my own versions of songs that I really liked. As I got older, I had more time to go and buy my own tapes, then CDs, then all of us would be on iPods. That’s when I started listening to more than just different hip-hop, because I really liked their producers. Then I started collecting quite a lot of vinyl, so I tried to shop at the thrift shops, and that’s an ongoing thing”.

I think Celeste’s background and rise is deeply interesting. You just know music was an essential part of her upbringing and shaped who she is now. Whilst she seems pretty content and happy now, I cannot help but think of the way she talks about her family and the role they have played. It is hard to put into words; I just feel family is something Celeste carried with her and they go into each and every one of her songs. The sad loss of her father, obviously, had a profound impact on Celeste. Early last year, she released Father’s Son, and it spoke of the changes that came with the loss of her dad. In this interview with Wonderland Magazine, she revealed more:

“Her most recent single, January’s “Father’s Son” touches on that coming- of-age and the change that came with the death of her father. “Maybe I’m my father’s son/Or I’m nothing like you” she wonders aloud on the song, over muted instrumentation and echoing organs. Celeste deals primarily in lyrics about heartbreak but is resolutely restraining from writing about its romantic root. The result is an instant connection with Celeste as a listener. By sharing her most vulnerable moments in song, you can’t help but feel close to her.

“I’ve tested myself this year to not put the word ‘love’ into a song,” she explains. “I want it out… It’s such an easy way to make something make sense… It used to be my rule when I first started writing but then I got lazy and slipped back into it.” She laughs, “unless there’s one song that has to have it!” Her next track due for release is called “Love is Back”. She’s allowed a pass to her own rule, after all”.

I have already mentioned how Celeste is a very humbled and rooted artist. She is not one of these ego-driven artists that needs to show off or thinks they are the best thing since…well, themselves! Instead, one sees this young woman who wants to give to the world of music, the same way music has given so much to her. I can only imagine how busy this year will be and where she will head. Celeste has won polls and been heralded as one of the finest new artists in the world. For some, this would be cause for arrogance or resting on their laurels. Celeste is not an artist who takes honours lightly or will be changed by them. I was reading an interview she gave to The Line of Best Fit and that nature of humbleness was addressed:

“While ambitious to succeed Celeste hasn’t let the rising fame and busy schedules dampen her humility. Talking about what she gets up to in her down time, she explains, “Even if I’m not working I’m still trying to stay inspired by simply taking in my surroundings. But more than anything I like watching films and I enjoy conversations with real people - friends, family and even strangers.”

It’s certain she isn’t making up the part about loving conversations, because what one question she wished she was asked in an interview, she’s playful – yet interested-as she laughs and says, “ I’d love to be asked something really obscure that you’d know if you grew up with me.” So she’s posed with the following question: "What were you doing on today’s date in 2010?".

I recent interviews, she has explained how she wants to her music to reach right across England and touch as many people as possible. She does not feel pressure from the BBC Sound of 2020 recognition: this is the time where she is properly excited and can take her music to new audiences. E.P.s such as Lately (released in 2018), show incredible talent, but I think her best days are still ahead.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Lauren Maccabee

There is a new single out now, Stop This Flame, that is a great way to kick off Celeste’s 2020 campaign. There is also going to be an album so, if you are wondering which albums are going to be among the most-anticipated of this year, you can add Celeste’s name to the list. This feature from Dummy from early last year showed that an album was already in her mind:

“Having ticked off a few bucket list items throughout her stay, Celeste is now eyeing up an album for 2020 (“it feels like a good number”). She explains how, aged 18, she’d play Kanye’s ‘My Beautiful Twisted Dark Fantasy’ three times each night. “I’d listen to every single part – all of the voices that have their own story on it. It was the first modern album I’d heard where it didn’t stop from track to track – I’d only ever heard that in ‘70s experimental jazz, like Sun Ra or something. It felt very free and experimental, but there were still songs I could play at a party, or on the bus. That’s something that’s stuck in my head for how I would want a body of work.”

With this in mind, her objective is to “be able to make music for a long time, and music that actually matters to people. We’re in a world where there’s so much music, and I think that’s amazing, but it does mean you have to try harder. It’s like what my friend was saying: in Internet years, a year is like ten years!”

I should probably stop rambling and actually get to the business of reviewing Celeste’s new track. We are only a couple of weeks into the new year, but Celeste has produced an absolutely red-hot cut. It is a song, I imagine, will be on her debut album.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Lauren Maccabee

There is something delightfully old-school and vintage when you hear the opening to Stop This Flame. The piano rolls and, for a moment, there is a tinge of Dave Brubeck’s Take Five – there is a similar funkiness and sense of the supremely cool! In any case, one transports themselves to a Jazz club back in the 1940s or 1950s; smoke holds ghostly in the air whilst a bartender mixes a cocktail that is full of exotic delight. Songs that draw and drag you into their world – and such a heady one at that! – are the ones I come back time and time again. Soon, percussion rattles and taps as a heavier beat joins the fold. The song’s introduction layers itself and has this great momentum and vivid energy that, as I said, takes one’s mind somewhere else. The piano and beats conspire in a delirious romance as Celeste’s voice arrives. “My heart goes up/My heart goes down/We fall in love” is delivered in such a way that one shivers and feels the promise and candour in her voice. I am not sure who this romance is with, but the heroine is riding the wave of a relationship that burns hot and then slides way. Again, there are no indications in the early phases that indicate why this love has been so unpredictable. Whilst Celeste’s voice begins quite subdued and controlled to start, it becomes more charged and electric as her emotions come fully to the surface. “I’ll give you anything you want” seems to suggest that the other party does not appreciate Celeste or this relationship can be saved – this is just a bad moment. The texture changes from Jazz to a fired R&B sound as the song races and rises. A lot of people in Celeste’s position might want to step back and review the situation, knowing things might fail. Instead, she is fighting for a relationship that means a lot to her. Even though there is a lot of emotion in Celeste’s declarations, there is a sense of melody and movement that gives her words so much relevance and memorability.

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This lover, it seems, is a pill and addiction; someone that Celeste needs but, evidentially, they are being foolish. Celeste proclaims that she will never let them go. “You think you’re somebody, don’t you?” is what our heroine says. She follows that by asking if they are scared of commitment and why they want to see this flame die out. When the song calls for something more reflective and deep, Celeste’s voice deeps and she hits those low notes. When she needs to get her message out clear and sharp, the vocal explodes and you feel the effect of her delivery. It is a confusing time, as Celeste asks if things are moving too fast or she gave too much. Whilst there is this need to keep things going, Celeste wonders whether she was crazy to give everything and to commit so hard. There is also a more seductive and racy edge to the song where the heroine is being bold and succumbing to passion. “Tell me to stop but I keep going” is a line repeated, and the words gallop with feverishness and determination. I like a song that keeps some mystery and does not reveal all of the story. We know Celeste and her lover are on different plains, but you are not sure what has created this division. Maybe there has been dishonesty or her sweetheart has strayed; maybe they are taking things for granted. Rather than accusing and scolding the or party, Celeste realises that this bond is important and it cannot be snuffed out so easily. Celeste is a passionate woman, and she warns her lover to stay away if they cannot take the intensity and commitment. In short, Celeste is not interested in flings or somebody who does not value what is in front of them. Stop This Flame is yet enough example of Celeste’s range, confidence and talent. From the opening notes, you are fascinated by the song and where it will lead you. Celeste’s voice is full of life and colour. She can go from the soft and teasing to sky-high without pause for breath! I cannot wait for her album to come out because, on the basis of Stop This Flame, it will be among the very best of the year. Make sure you are familiar with this stunning artist.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Bryan Rivera

Although we have just finished with 2019, Celeste has tour dates lined up, so go and see her if you can! She is one of those performers who puts her heart into every moment. I think she is going to get some big festival dates this year and, as we are still wondering why festivals are not booking women as headliners, Celeste is a definite headliner of the future. I am going to wrap up soon but, just before, I want to quote from a live review from NME; they checked out Celeste in London in November and were suitably impressed:

 “There are only 48 days until the end of the decade, but it seems that we’ve already been gifted with an artist who could define the next 10 years. Celeste, you see, is a once-in-a-generation talent. With a voice that balances the fragility of Billie Holiday against the sheer power of Aretha Franklin, she’s the finest British soul singer to emerge in years.

The proof of this doesn’t get much clearer than on the second night of a three-show residency in the intimate surroundings of London’s Omeara – an achievement in itself which suggests much bigger things are on the horizon. It begins from the moment when she immediately states her case on the powerful ‘Both Sides Of The Moon’, with her powerhouse vocals effortlessly portraying the pain of being subjected to a cheating lover.

It won’t be the last time she commands this kind of reaction, but certainly the last time that it’s on a level as small as this. Bigger shows will follow (she’s already set to play Shepherds Bush Empire next year), but few will capture the intimate magic of this early showing. If there’s any justice, super-stardom is just around the corner”.

It has been wonderful reviewing Stop This Flame and getting to hear a sensational artist in full flight. There is a lot of expectation on the shoulders of Celeste, but she sees this as a positive thing. People want to hear her music and there is no denying she can live up to the promise set already. I think this is a wonderful time for British music, and strong women like Celeste are leading proudly. I have put her social media links at the bottom of this review, so go and follow Celeste and show some love. This year will very much be hers, and Stop This Flame is a tremendous song. Like moths to a flame, when it comes to the light and heat of Celeste’s music, it is absolutely…

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IMPOSSIBLE to resist.

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Follow Celeste

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TRACK REVIEW: Alanis Morissette - Reasons I Drink

TRACK REVIEW:

 

 

Alanis Morissette

PHOTO CREDIT: Matthew Welch for Interview Magazine 

Reasons I Drink

 

8.6/10

 

The track, Reasons I Drink, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjyTCSirZrY

GENRES:

Alternative Rock

ORIGIN:

California, U.S.A.

RELEASE DATE:

2nd December, 2019

LABEL:

RCA

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I do love reviewing tracks from legends…

 PHOTO CREDIT: Amy Harris/Invision/AP

because there is that history and brilliance behind them. A lot of this review of Alanis Morissette will study her breakthrough album, Jagged Little Pill of 1995. It turns twenty-five next year, and Morissette will take to the road alongside Liz Phair and Garbage to celebrate it. It has been a pretty eventful and successful past quarter-decade for Morissette; she has released some truly astonishing albums and changed a lot as an artist. I will come to the subject of musical shift and how Morissette’s role as a mother has altered her music and style. Before then, there is a lot of talk about Jagged Little Pill. Some artists would want to put some distance between themselves and their biggest album, because they feel like that is all people associate with them. Not only was Jagged Little Pill one of the biggest albums of the 1990s; it is also fascinating looking back at it and seeing how it has influenced modern artists. Morissette is excited this album has resonated and proved influential. Not only that, but it has made its way to the stage. It can be challenging translating an album to the stage, because producers and directors will treat that album as a musical in a traditional sense. They will have these big songs play like they’re coming from a jukebox and then hang a plot off of it. I am trying to think of recent musicals that have been successful; where they have taken a big artist or album and made it work. I remember hearing the announcement a while ago that Jagged Little Pill was being adapted into a musical. Even with renowned writer like Diablo Cody putting together this incredible story, I did wonder how critics would respond and whether she could bring such an important album to the stage successfully. The show not only proved a hit, but it has transferred to Broadway.

This recent review from The Guardian tells you a bit more about the musical:

“But turn that record over. On Broadway, Jagged Little Pill harnesses the hyperemotionalism of its source to shake off the cynicism and formulaic strictures of the typical jukebox musical. Yes, its plot is shaky and contrived, its songs – and there are so, so many of them – histrionic. It seizes on enough hot-button issues – sexual assault, the opioid epidemic, internet addiction, workaholism, misogyny, sex and gender identity, and OK, sure, gun violence, too – to singe the first row. It is, indisputably, too much and that too muchness is what makes it so watchable.

Morissette signed over the rights to the songs with a proviso: the producers couldn’t create a bio musical, her story was her own. Eventually, screenwriter Diablo Cody (Juno, Tully), who is, like Morissette, a Catholic girl who broke at least a little bad, invented a fictional narrative that would fit the songs. Somewhere in Connecticut lives the Healy family: tightly wound mom MJ (Elizabeth Stanley), workaholic dad Steve (Sean Alan Krill), golden boy son Nick (Derek Klena) and mildly rebellious adopted daughter Frankie (Celia Rose Gooding), who is African American and distrustful of MJ’s chirpy, Instagram-filtered ways. MJ has her own problems. (everyone in this show has problems, even the supporting characters.) A car accident has left her with an addiction to pain pills and triggered memories of an earlier sexual trauma”.

I hope Alanis Morissette will not mind me talking a lot about Jagged Little Pill – not that she will ever read this -, but it is an album that has remained relevant and fresh and, in the era of #MeToo, it sounds more powerful than it ever did. I shall come to that too a bit later, but Morissette must be so happy to see her album given this new life and voice; it is connecting with audiences nearly twenty-five years since its inception and speaking to so many people. I think it is fascinating to see Alanis Morissette now and how her life has changed since the 1990s. She is a mother and her more-recent albums have a very different sound to Jagged Little Pill. That said, Jagged Little Pill still sounds electric and extraordinarily powerful, especially when she performs its tracks. A review of an acoustic show she gave this year shows how much people relate to Jagged Little Pill.

 “Without context, Morissette’s special one-night-only acoustic show at the Apollo could be a continuation of her 1999 MTV “Unplugged” set. But it doesn’t take long to realize that this version of Morissette is not the same person. The singer, now 45, has been married for 10 years and has three kids — one of which she gave birth to over the summer. Unlike some of the darker subject matters in her lyrics, Morissette charms the audience with her playfulness, teasing herself about her Canadian heritage and how she can’t hear anything in the crowd. She’s clearly no longer the angsty young woman who penned “Jagged Little Pill,” although to judge by the hearty sing-a-longs taking place at the venue on Monday night, the crowd had been craving a dose of nostalgia.

While the deeply personal “Jagged Little Pill” was one of the biggest-selling albums — it’s been certified a whopping 16-times platinum by the RIAA — in the music industry’s most lucrative era — the ‘90s — it was also misunderstood. Morissette’s fury toward industry sexism and her own personal trauma often were discounted, her lyrics criticized as trite, and she — like Liz Phair and other young female artists coming of age at the time — wasn’t taken as seriously as she might have been. Plus, as Letters to Cleo singer Kay Hanley has said, when Morissette was coming up in the ‘90s, there was really only one slot available for songs by women in rock radio. But nearly two-and-a-half decades later, the album is getting a thorough and much-deserved second chance in the spotlight.

PHOTO CREDIT: Kevin Cummings/Getty Images

But diverging from the overall calmer tone of the evening, Morissette’s “Right Through You,” which detailed her experiences with industry sexism and harassment long before #MeToo, remained as biting as ever.

In-between “Jagged Little Pill” tracks, Morissette dropped in two new songs she penned for the musical: the moody “Smiling,” which could have been an outtake from the original album, and the harrowing “Predator,” a song about sexual assault. Straying from a typical encore, Morissette remained onstage before closing out her set with two non-“Jagged Little Pill” hits; she delivered a jaw-dropping crescendo during her power ballad “Uninvited” before aptly closing the show with her gratitude anthem “Thank U”.

Normally, I would not pour over a single album so much when reviewing a new track from an artist. The reason I make my reviews so expansive and detailed is because I want to look at an artist from different angles; talk about more than just the song on the table and to provide more story and background. I did not just want to leap in and assess Alanis Morissette’s latest track and leave things at that. Jagged Little Pill means a lot to different people.  To me, as a boy of twelve when it came out, I was struck by the unusualness of Morissette’s voice and the wonder of the songs. I had never heard anyone like her and, even though some big themes were being tackled on the album, I could understand the songs and, all these years later, I still dip in and out of the album. Many would have wanted it to come to the stage, but there was always that gamble that it would not work. Reviewers have noted how it is not just a jukebox musical, and it seems like few have a bad word to say. It will give inspiration to other songwriters who want to bring albums to the stage. That sort of intrigues me. Which albums out there are primed for a musical?

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We could all name a few, but there is something about Jagged Little Pill that makes it a perfect fit for the stage. Clearly, it is very personal to Morissette and she is extremely proud of the album. I think there was a perception back in the 1990s that anything with energy from a woman was a bit boring or that it was something they had to get out of their system. I remember Fiona Apple was criticised when she made her infamous VMA speech in 1997. She is someone who has been the subject of sexism and dismissal because she is a bold artist and speaks her mind. I know others like Tori Amos were also recipients of sexism. Now, we have so many strong and exciting female bands and artists who are releasing their anger and making people stand up. Not that Alanis Morissette alone can take credit for that, yet an album like Jagged Little Pill inspired artists making music today; it will inspire a new wave of artists and creators who are seeing it on the stage in the U.S. We live in a time when there is a lot of sexism still, and we are seeing so many harrowing cases of women being abused and assaulted. I think Alanis Morissette’s music has been such a catalyst and comfort for so many young women. The songwriter knows that there is so much work to be done. When she spoke with Vanity Fair about the musical version of Jagged Little Pill, she discussed the #MeToo movement:

 “When Morissette rose to fame with Jagged Little Pill, artistic expressions of rage were such an anomaly for women that Rolling Stone put her on its cover alongside the words “Angry White Female.” Over two decades later, the musician is thrilled to see so many women getting in touch with and expressing their inner rage.

“We live in a culture where our value system—it used to be that you had to be a millionaire,” continued Morissette. “Now you have to be a billionaire. You gotta look good forever. In the 60s and 70s, it used to be that fame was a means to an end—to serve, to be an activist—and now fame just is the end. So now fame, perpetual youth, and billionaire-ism seem to be the three main priorities of our value system. There is a negative effect to that. We’re feeling it in our bodies. We’re feeling it in our relationships. We’re feeling it as we speak.” On the subject of the Time’s Up and #MeToo movements, Morissette said, “I love that the conversation is being opened up with different contexts. It’s a really exciting time to be alive”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Willy Sanjuan/Invision/AP 

I will come to the business of Reasons I Drink in a bit but, for now, I want to source from a brilliant interview Morissette provided Self this year. At the age of forty-five, Alanis Morissette is not the artist she was in the 1990s. Whilst she is proud of the album and the fact it is on the stage now, Morissette is a mother and she has maybe traded anger for a calmer sound. I am going to spend a lot of this review, obviously, talking about Morissette now and where she might head. So many of us were blown away by Morissette when she came onto the scene. She was much more than a mere Pop artist. Instead, she was a role model and a true original. Self explain more:

”Alanis recorded her first song when she was 10, and then released her solo dance-pop album, Alanis, in 1991, at 17, cowriting every track. It went platinum. In 1992 she took home the Juno, the Canadian equivalent to a Grammy award, for Most Promising Female Vocalist of the Year. She toured with Vanilla Ice. Her second album, Now Is The Time, was a commercial disappointment, but signaled that Alanis was starting to chafe a bit with her image in Canada: She was experimenting with more complicated lyrics, trying out ballads. There are many, many artists who are exceptionally famous in Canada because of being Canadian, and in part because of the CanCon regulations that require our radio and TV stations contain a certain percentage of content created by Canadians in our programming. Some of these artists never meaningfully pop in the United States (The Tragically Hip, for example) and some of them manage to cross over (Alanis). But the Alanis we had in Canada was never your Alanis Morissette. Alanis was...both Olsen twins in one body. She was our Tiffany, (and more frequently referred to as our Debbie Gibson) but much more. She was Robin Sparkles. She was a tiny dynamo with wild dark hair and a mezzo-soprano voice you couldn’t possibly overlook.

PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP 

Morissette has recently given birth to her third child, so life has changed drastically for her. She has worked tirelessly through her career and is an inspiration to so many. In terms of sheer work ethic and drive, there were few artists as hard-working as Alanis Morissette back in the 1990s:

“Your Alanis Morissette, the Alanis Morissette who has one hand in her pocket and would go down on you in a theater, is an American. Her American career has been wildly successful, as Jagged Little Pill (which sold 16 million copies in the United States, 33 million total) was followed up in 1998 by Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie and her performance on MTV Unplugged in 1999. Her (totally baller) album Under Rug Swept dropped in 2002, topping the Canadian charts and selling a million copies in the United States.

I won’t list all the work she’s done between then and now (in addition to several subsequent albums, you may remember her as God in the 1999 Kevin Smith movie Dogma, or as the woman who confirmed Carrie Bradshaw’s heterosexuality on Sex and the City, or for her work on Weeds), other than to say she has maintained a level of production consistent with studio stars in the era of Louis B. Mayer’s MGM. For Alanis, a lot of it stems from being a workhorse from such a young age. “I always remember working my ass off 24 hours a day and looking out and seeing the kids playing in the backyard and thinking, Well, I can't do that right now,” she said”.

I wanted to select a few other passages from the interview because, through her career, Alanis Morissette has written truly and not shied away from the raw and emotional. A lot of what was sung on Jagged Little Pill connected with girls and young women who heard that album and who have since taken it to heart and found a source of guidance.  

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Steph Wilson for Self

There are some songs from Morissette that take you aback because of how she writes. This was picked up in the Self interview regarding the track, Under Rug Swept:

There was a question I both wanted and didn’t want to ask Alanis from the moment I got the call offering me the interview. It’s about the lead single off her 2002 album “Under Rug Swept,” which is set up as a conversation between an underage Alanis and an unnamed older man with whom she believed, at the time, she was in a “relationship,” a situation as familiar to women (and many men) as the feeling of sliding into your most comfortable pair of shoes.

The man’s lines in the song, delivered by Alanis with the withering scorn they deserve, are a master class in grooming a minor:

If it weren't for your maturity none of this would have happened
If you weren't so wise beyond your years I would've been able to control myself
If it weren't for my attention you wouldn't have been successful and
If it weren't for me you would never have amounted to very much

Just make sure you don't tell on me especially to members of your family
We best keep this to ourselves and not tell any members of our inner posse
I wish I could tell the world 'cause you're such a pretty thing when you're done up properly
I might want to marry you one day if you watch that weight and keep your firm body

So I took a deep breath, and said, “When we were talking about early patterns, it occurred to me how extraordinary it is that you put out “Hands Clean” almost exactly [15] years before [the larger] #MeToo [conversation] happened.”

I was fully prepared for an “I’m done talking about this,” or a polite “no comment” and instead was bowled over by Alanis’s reaction, which was to lean in and engage.

“How lovely that you know that,” she said, and I felt a surge of relief that I hadn’t upset her, and a wave of sadness too, that her life experiences had led her to have to answer this question at all. “I was just talking about 'Hands Clean' yesterday and how some people know what that song's about and other people just don't know? Just singing along and I'm like...that's the story of rape, basically,” she said”.

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PHOTO CREDIT: Jeff Kravitz/Film Magic 

Alanis Morissette is still releasing amazing music, and I hope she continues to do so for many years to come. One can see a stark difference between the artist who wrote these anthemic songs in the 1990s and the mother of today. I would urge people to read that entire Self interview, as it is very revealing and fascinating. I think there is this assumption that women are less relevant when they hit their thirties and forties. Male artists are still listened to where they grow older; they can write something a little less hard-hitting and youthful, but they are still provided an ear and opportunity. For Alanis Morissette, she is not going to write like she did decades ago. Her situation has changed and she is not in the same position as she was as a teenager and someone in their teens. I do think women are written off if they write more mature music. There seems to be this barrier of age that has not gone away. Morissette is still out in the world and releasing music that sounds phenomenal and memorable. She has endured for so long and, as I keep saying, she has inspired so many artists. It is really tough to survive in the music industry, and I know there are a load of musicians who look to Morissette and her career; someone who has evolved through the years and remains hugely important. It seems there have been some challenges and darker days in her life – before and after pregnancy -, but she seems in a happy place right now. With a fresh single in the ether, we get to enjoy this legendary artist who is about to enter her forth decade of recording – maybe fifth, for that matter. I should probably turn my attention to the latest Alanis Morissette single, Reasons I Drink.     

PHOTO CREDIT: Stuart Pettican

Although Alanis Morissette recently performed Reasons I Drink on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, there is not a music video out there. I am sure that will come, as I would love to see how she brings the song to life in a visual sense. Alanis Morissette’s videos are always brilliant, so I will look forward to see what she does with Reasons I Drink. Those who are expecting an acoustic ballad or generic Pop from Morissette will be corrected immediately. In a way, there is almost a musical skip to the step of Reasons I Drink. Whether that sonic decision ties in to the Jagged Little Pill musical, I am not sure. There is this jaunty and pointed piano line that gives the track instant energy and personality. “These are the reasons I drink/The reasons I tell everybody I’m fine even though I’m not” are the opening words; they make you wonder whether this is a result of work pressures or post-partum depression. Morissette has been very open about struggles with depression and her mental-health. I quoted earlier from an interview that explains how Morissette has been working since she was a child. She makes reference to this in the track (“I have been working since I can remember, since I was single digits”). From the more kicking musical sound of the first part of the song, there is a more contemplative sound that has a serious edge. I do love how the composition goes from this pzazz-strewn thing to coming down and settling. The heroine talks about not being able to stop because of how deep the grooves dig. The line “I don't know where to draw the line 'cause that groove has gotten so deep” is very clever, as the ‘groove’ could refer to vinyl and the fact she has been making albums for many years. I love how Morissette’s voice has remained true and stayed the same through the years.

She still has that unmistakable accent and sound, but there is more depth and nuance in her voice today, I think. Her words still have the power to move and affect. Even though Morissette has been in the business for decades, she does not feel the need to temporise her words or fit in what the industry wants. There is a perception of women in their forties (and older) and the sort of music they should be writing. The more I listen to Reasons I Drink, the more I wonder whether there is a problem of addiction or the odd drink. She has children and there are the responsibilities of home. It must be stressful coping with three children or various ages. On top of that, Morissette has been involved with a musical and there is the third side of the coin: producing new work and looking ahead. In a way, she has been pulled in three directions: to the past, to the future and remaining rooted to home. That must have been challenging for her, and one can hear the words dig deep: “Here we are/I feel such rapture and my comfort is so strong/One more hit/It feels so helpful in my need for respite”. In a desire to feel some relaxation and solace, Morissette needs a drink. Again, I wonder whether a single drink turns to more; where does that desire lead her? Whilst the song concerns reasons why she drinks, the song opens up and investigates other sides. One asks whether Morissette has these addictions because she wants to cope with the pressure, or whether something else is at play. Even though Alanis Morissette has released eight albums so far, she still has the ability to move and stun with her words: “And here are the reasons I eat/Reasons I feel everything so deeply when I'm not medicated/And so that's it, I am buying a Lamborghini/To make up for these habits, to survive this sick industry”. Whilst her choruses might not have quite the same hook and memorability as they did on albums like Jagged Little Pill, there is still something arresting about Morissette. She sings about feeling rapture and comfort; the need for another sip and hit of relief. From its musical skip to a calmer frame, the song then ramps back up and shows its teeth. Before the song’s end, a few lines leaped out and grabbed me. When Morissette sings “And these are the reasons I don't even think I would quit/And these are the reasons I can't even see straight/And these are the ones whom I know it so deeply affects/And I am left wondering how I would I function without it”, one is sobered by such heartfelt and striking words. There is a balance of defiance, heartache and stress that makes Reasons I Drink such an interesting song. Alanis Morissette is one of these songwriters that tells it like it is and lays it out bare. It is amazing to hear, and Reasons I Drink shows she has lost little of her power and potency. I look forward to next year and hearing yet more new music from the Canadian icon.

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Of course, we all know what 2020 holds for Alanis Morissette. Check the Jagged Little Pill musical website, and it gives you a lot of detail. It is on Broadway at the moment, and I wonder whether it will come to the West End. At the moment, we do not really have any musicals over here that are as real and evocative as Jagged Little Pill; that take you back a great album, but we also get this amazing story and memorable experience. Morissette has been involved with the creative process and working alongside the cast and crew. The musical has collected so many huge reviews and it is getting a lot of love. The musical is more than framing this iconic album and just giving us the hits. Other musicals, as I said early, simply put together a half-arsed plot as an excuse to get those songs to the people. Jagged Little Pill has been brought to the stage wonderfully and it comes with this engrossing story, superbly performed by its talented players. It will be exciting to see where the musical goes and whether it will be taken around the world. Alanis Morissette will be taking to the road to celebrate twenty-five years of Jagged Little Pill, and there will be talk around a new album. Such Pretty Forks in the Road has been announced for next year – it is her first since 2012’s Havoc and Bright Lights. I will keep my eyes open, because a new Alanis Morissette album is a great thing. I feel she will have something to say about modern politics and the #MeToo movement. Morissette will also reflect on new birth and becoming a mother for the third time. It must be strange for Morissette right now, as she has one part of her heart and mind dedicated to her 1995 album and making its musical a success. On the other hand, she is preparing for new work and looking ahead. It must be confusing for Morissette but, as her involvement with the musical is minimal now, it seems it is all steam ahead for 2020 and new work. As we end 2019 and revel in Jagged Little Pill’s Broadway success and the brilliance of Reasons I Drink, it is clear Alanis Morissette…

STILL such a powerful and inspiring artist.

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Follow Alanis Morissette

TRACK REVIEW: EOB - Brasil

TRACK REVIEW:

 

 

EOB

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Brasil

 

9.5/10

 

The track, Brasil, is available from:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xefWbfWUbrQ

GENRES:

Art-Rock/Folk/Dance

ORIGIN:

London/Oxford, U.K.

RELEASE DATE:

5th December, 2019

LABEL:

Over Normal Limited, under exclusive license for UMG Recordings, Inc.

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THIS is a review I did not think…

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IN THIS PHOTO: Ed O’Brien with BBC Radio 6 Music’s Matt Everitt/PHOTO CREDIT: BBC

I would be writing in 2019! EOB (Radiohead’s Ed O’Brien) has been teasing a solo album for a while but, with Radiohead duties curtailing any big progress the past few years, few expected a song or any output this year. On Thursday, EOB released the incredible Brasil. I am keen to dissect the song, as there is so much to talk about and dissect. There were reports saying that he might put out a solo album this year, but he has been touring with his band and I think we are now looking at a 2020 release – I am not sure what the album’s title might be. In any case, before I get down to reviewing the song, I want to cover a few things off the list. I want to talk about collaborations on albums. When it comes to EOB’s as-yet-untitled solo album, there are going to be some treats in store:

“O’Brien told The Pedal Show earlier this year that he had been working with producers Flood (U2, PJ Harvey) and Catherine Marks (Wolf Alice, The Big Moon) on the album.

A studio band will appear on the LP (the title and release date of which will be released soon) including The Invisible’s Dave Okumu, bassist Nathan East, and drummer Omar Hakim who previously appeared on David Bowie’s ‘Let’s Dance’.

It’s now also been revealed that other collaborators on the album include Colin Greenwood, Adam “Cecil” Bartlett, Richie Kennedy, Laura Marling, Adrian Utley, Nathan East and Glenn Kotche”.

I will talk more about producers and what they can bring to the plate but, when we consider some of the people who will be on EOB’s album, it seems like we are in for something very special! His Radiohead cohort Colin Greenwood will be a natural fit; Portishead’s Adrian Uttley, I am sure, will bring in some Electronic vibes and something cinematic; Laura Marling is on board and it will be intriguing to hear how she and EOB blend in terms of vocals. It can be a great thrill having a wish-list of singers and artists you want on an album; actually, making it work can be another thing.

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I know EOB has thought long and hard about bringing the right collaborators into the fold without losing himself low in the mix. Those names we see above signal an album that is going to be ripe with diversity and quality. I am especially excited about the inclusions of Laura Marling and Adrian Uttley. The two artists share very little musical D.N.A., so it will be wonderful discovering what each brings to the album. Uttley has that history and legacy with Portishead, and it would be great to hear something Trip-Hop on the album – although the band, I think, don’t like being called ‘Trip-Hop’. Laura Marling has not put a foot wrong in her career, and I can imagine her providing this wonderful duet; something that is passionate yet dreamy. I feel the EOB album will have that contrast of the exhilarating and calmer, as Brasil proves! A lot of artists, when charged with getting an album down, will shove as many people into their songs as they can. Maybe it is them inviting all their mates to the party, but a lot of artists collaborate with those who will get their streaming numbers up; people who will make them look cool. That may sound cynical, yet one can see and hear it on so many albums, especially in the world of Pop. As EOB is new to the solo game, I can appreciate the fact he has united with others to give his music different tones and colours. Rather than have every song featuring a different artist, we have a sprinkling of terrific names that will give the tracks extra boost, beauty and character. Ed O’Brien has been in the business for decades, so he knows the recipe for a brilliant album. I cannot wait to hear his album; not only to hear the other artists stirred into the mix, but to hear EOB taken from his normal Radiohead setting and out in the spotlight. This is new territory to him but, on the evidence of Brasil, he sounds very natural leading the charge.

I want to cover off a few things more but, now that I have mentioned first-time singers, that is something that has been playing on Ed O’Brien’s mind. As guitarist with Radiohead, there was not a lot of opportunity to step up to the mic, especially when you have Thom Yorke as your lead! When you put out a solo album, you can choose to compose and let others sing your songs, or you can take the leap and sing yourself. I can imagine how strange it was for EOB to sing. I was listening to an interviewer he gave to BBC Radio 6 Music’s Matt Everitt (you can hear it on Shaun Keaveny’s show). Although EOB has been on the stage tonnes, it is very different being at the centre and having all the focus on you. He admitted how nervy it was and that it was a bit of a transition period. I am just trying to think whether any other non-singing band members have released albums where they are the singer. There must be the odd one here and there but, especially in the last couple of years, there have been very few examples. It is almost like Jimmy Page releasing a solo album where he sings. In fact, Johnny Marr has released solo work; that I know for certain. Even he must have felt a bit unsure at first, as his duties with The Smiths was composition and music, rather than the singing part – Morrissey took care of that. EOB must have provided backing vocals for Radiohead, but you have to adopt a new mindset and dynamic when you sing. EOB would have had to rehearse quite a bit and, literally, find his voice; how he wanted to sing and how he was going to deliver his music. It is not as easy as EOB trading in guitar for vocals and instantly taking to it like a duck to water. There is a lot to negotiate and figure before you start recording the tracks.

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Radiohead

EOB, on Brasil, shows no nerves and he actually comes across as a very distinct and accomplished vocalist; one with his own style and bent. So many singers mimic others if they are uncertain about their potential and strength. EOB’s big strength is the fact his natural voice scores the music. He has not added affectations or tried to be anyone else. I look forward to seeing what hew does, vocally, through the rest of his forthcoming solo album. It makes me wonder whether Ed O’Brien will do any vocals for upcoming Radiohead albums, now that he has that experience. It might be interesting to hear Thom Yorke take a bit of a back seat on one or two songs, perhaps. I am not sure whether that will happen, but it is great to hear an EOB song out there. It makes me wonder whether any other band members will follow suit. There is that feeling that, if you are a guitarist or play bass and drums for a band, that is where you are stuck. Stepping away from that assumed role and going out on your own can be scary, but I think it can lead to something marvellous. EOB has very little in common with Radiohead; many people will try and compare the two. Instead, we have this very original project that is born from passion and epiphany – more on that a bit later. Before I move along, EOB did say that he was especially stirred by Primal Scream’s Screamadelica when he was working on his album. He told Matt Everitt how he was hit by the album and, when listening, he wanted to create his own version. Many would not assume that of a Radiohead member, given the fact we have seen solo work from Thom Yorke, Jonny Greenwood and Philip Selway and, for the most part, it has been relatively similar to their Radiohead work in terms of tone. By that, I mean one can draw lines from their solo work to some of the albums Radiohead released. One would struggle to find a connection between Radiohead and Screamadelica. I think the industry needs more joy and positivity next year, so hearing EOB bring the energy and colour to music will be brilliant!

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 IN THIS PHOTO: Producer Catherine Marks/PHOTO CREDIT: Richard Ecclestone

Not only has EOB brought n some notable collaborators for his songs. In terms of producer, one needs to think carefully who they work with. A lot of artists do throw in so many producers and songwriters together, hoping that, between them, they will give their album range and quality. I am not a fan of that approach, and feel a single producer is more effective. EOB has worked with Flood on his new album. Actually, he has also brought in Catherine Marks and, between them, they have worked with some of music’s very best. I am very familiar with Marks’ work. The Australian producer has produced for The Big Moon, The Amazons and Frank Turner. You can check out her work here to see her impressive C.V. Marks is one of the most respected producers in the game, and she has a knack of bringing the very best out of the artists she works with – the point of a great producer, I guess! In terms of the genres she works in, Marks has produced for Alternative, Rock and Folk acts. She has a very keen ear and incredible talent that has resulted in some truly spectacular albums. I am interested seeing how she blends with EOB and which songs she produced. It is hard for an artist, even one as big as EOB, to work with any producer. With Radiohead, he has been produced by the likes of Nigel Godrich and John Leckie, but he was not going to keep the same personnel for his solo endeavour. Indeed, the dynamic is different in the studio. As a member of Radiohead, it is different working with a band and how a producer communicates. Now, EOB is solo and is taking on more responsibility. He is also the songwriter, so needs to trust producers who can work with what he has written and be able to bond. Marks is one of the most personable producers around, and she has the utmost respect for Ed O’Brien’s past. As EOB, this is a new game, so producers like Marks also have to ensure that the material is not moulded to resemble Radiohead’s work. By the sounds of it, EOB’s solo album will be a very different beast to his work with the Oxfordshire band.

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 PHOTO CREDIT: Daniel Patlan

Having Flood produce your album is a pretty big deal. He has an incredible past, and one needs only to see the artists he has produced to realise the man knows his stuff! From working with New Order in 1981 (as an assistant engineer) to producing The Murder Capital’s When I Have Fear (2019), it has been an incredible career! Like Catherine Marks, Flood has worked with a range of artists and genres. There are producers who produce for a certain type of act and do not really deviate that much. I respect those who take chances and work right across the spectrum. The British producer would have, of course, been familiar with Radiohead and what Ed O’Brien did with them. The important thing about approaching an EOB album is, like I said, not making it the same as Radiohead, but not dragging its guitarist too far away from that. Also, EOB has, it seems, brought together songs that are very eclectic and broad. There is that influence of Primal Scream, but there is also the lure of Brazil and Electronic experimentation; a lot of different moods and sounds that all need to fit together and flow. The fact Flood has worked with he Murder Capital recently shows that he can work with established musicians and newer acts alike. Flood has this rich history, so EOB is in very safe hands. I can imagine it might have been intimidating when approached with someone like Flood. You want him to bring the best out of your music, but also have to respect his experience and talent. I understand – from the Matt Everitt interview – that Flood was pretty cool, and they worked really well together.  EOB’s album features two different producers who, between them, have helped bring about some masterful albums. I will move on to a subject I am keen to explore, but one cannot avoid EOB without talking about Radiohead.

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I mentioned how an EOB album was on the back burner because Radiohead were touring A Moon Shaped Pool (2016) until fairly recently. I have been a massive Radiohead fan since I first heard The Bends back in 1995 and was instantly wowed by this incredible band. Ed O’Brien performed some backing vocals for Radiohead but, alongside Jonny Greenwood, it is the guitar chops that he was known for. I wonder how much the guitar will feature in his upcoming album, and whether there will be anything Radiohead-esque at all. As a musician, Ed O’Brien is an influence on a lot of people coming through. Of course, many have seen him at Radiohead gigs and in videos, stunning with his guitar skills. I wanted to introduce an article from  last year where he discussed the guitar with High Snobiety:

“And you’re using this guitar on your current tour?

Yeah I use it for the majority of the songs we play live, which is unheard of for me. What I was beginning to tire of was changing your guitar every song, that can really stop the flow. So this one has been great, it’s a lot more intuitive to play.

Have there been any songs from your catalogue you’ve found particularly challenging to play live?

There might be a song we do off the new record that requires more – but it’s not going to distract me or anything. I can’t really play things off The Bends or OK Computer – they have such a distinct sound and you can’t really replicate it unless it’s from the same instruments. There are a few that are hard to do, but most I can do on the new guitar.

Are songs from A Moon Shaped Pool better suited to playing?

Not necessarily. Doing it live – an album like that – you can’t be true to how it sounds in the studio. So much of it is sonically assembled in the studio, so you’re doing a different version live. That’s where the guitar comes in so beautifully, as you can be more textural”.

PHOTO CREDIT: Andrew Benge/Redferns 

The reason I wanted to bring that article is to sort of look ahead to the EOB album and how the guitar will be employed. Look through the catalogue of Radiohead, and one can hear them evolve and change significantly. The band shifted drastically between Pablo Honey (their debut of 1993) and The Bends. The guitar sound changed by the time of OK Computer (1997); by the time they got to Kid A (2000), again, the sound was different – later albums relied more on electronics and put the guitar more to the back. I think Ed O’Brien delivered some of his best work on A Moon Shaped Pool. The guitar was less aggressive and obvious than it was on the band’s albums in the 1990s; instead, there was a lot more texture and subtlety. I know EOB will be expanding beyond the guitar for his solo album, but it is going to play a role regardless. I am curious to hear what he does with the guitar and whether it will have tones of Radiohead’s earliest work (pre-2000) or whether it will take its lead from A Moon Shaped Pool. There is a lot of interest surrounding EOB’s album and what inspired it. As mentioned, he has been working on the songs for a while, and it was frustrating having the creation delayed by Radiohead commitments. There is one source of influence that I was not expecting: Brazil. One might think it only natural tat Brazil influenced a song called Brasil, but it seemed like O’Brien had an epiphany whilst he was there. He was inspired to write his album after watching Carnival in Brazil. It seems, though, that the natural world and the countryside has played a huge role  This NME article explains more:

 “As a musician, for me, there’s something I find completely inspiring about being in nature. It’s never really quiet,” O’Brien told the audience, before explaining how the natural world has influenced Radiohead over the course of their career.

When did you first become interested in wildlife and conservation?

“I grew up in the countryside so I was always aware of wildlife. My grandfather was an ornithologist; he knew all the birds and their birdsong. Being in the countryside is something that, whether I realise it or not, has always been important. In terms of how I feel, my happiness, my wellbeing, the wellbeing of my family, how I get inspired. I get a lot of inspiration being in the countryside. Conservation is something that I’ve become very interested in.”

Does nature influence your upcoming solo album?

“It’s massive. It’s been part of where I’ve done all of my writing, where it started. Being in the countryside, being inspired. Some of the recording happened in the countryside too. I know that one of the reasons it came about was going back to the country and having that clarity”.

I am always intrigued discovering what inspires songs and sounds. We listen to albums and do not often wonder what the genesis is and whether there is more to the music than we think. In the case of Ed O’Brien, it seems the natural world and the countryside have really done him wonders and given him a new lease. That is not a surprise. Getting out of the city and escaping to somewhere more peaceful and evocative can open the imagination and eyes. O’Brien must have felt it strange moving from somewhere like Oxford – academic, a bit stuffy and full of history – and the contrasts provided by the countryside. In the opening half of Brasil, one can hear elements of the open and nature; a sensitivity and stillness that calms the senses and takes the mind somewhere safe. In the second half, things burst into Dance territory; maybe channelling Brazil’s Carnival, some Primal Scream or an explosion in nature. I think we will get a very busy and variegated album from a fantastic musician. Brasil is the first taste, and the reaction from the press and social media has been hugely positive. It is probably best I get down to assessing this incredible track.    

The first thing I wanted to note about Brasil is its video! Shot with a colour palette largely consisting of greens and earth colours, it is a hypnotic and wonderful engrossing thing. It is hard to describe the story and scenes – one will need to watch it -, but one is transfixed and absorbed in this cinematic and beautiful creation. Directed by Andrew Donoho, it is a perfect accompaniment to EOB’s track. The opening images in the video contrast the pace and lyrics. We see rushing people and this sense of energy, combined with a vocal that is quite soft and romantic. Brasil does get hotter and more fevered, but the earliest segments take one to the open air and the stillness of the countryside. The hero sings: “This bad day dream has got me/I'm falling like, I'm falling like/It's in me, and it's in you”. You are instantly curious regarding the meaning and what EOB is referring to; whether it is a personal struggle, or he is caught by the divisions that are swirling around him. With some beautiful finger-picking and his voice composed and focused, one is cast under his spell. There is not a lot of adornment or needless instrumentation that takes one’s thoughts from the beauty of the vocal and the potency of the lyrics. This image of falling comes back again and is a central image in the first part of the song. “How much of this to take” made me think of the political strife we have around and how we are going to get through it. When an artist employs a line that can have several meanings, I try and take a step back and approach it from different angles. EOB’s voice has a measure of control and tenderness, but there is a fear and urgency lingering that will soon come to the surface. He wants to see his sweetheart smile again, but it seems like that this is out of the question. The title of the song would get one thinking of Brazil and a paradise that is full of colour and inspiration.

Instead, we are faced with a song that has some haunt and fear in the bones. The hero feels like he is on his knees and, as one falls for the gorgeous guitar and an impressive vocal, one cannot help but feel sympathy and support. The video shows us images of breaking news on the T.V. and images of the open sky. It makes me think about the environmental problems we have and what the future holds. EOB is very much in Folk territory, and there is a dreaminess to Brasil that is hard to deny. As subtle orchestral strings strain and move in the background, one is reminded of artists like Nick Cave, Belle and Sebastian and Paul Simon. EOB keeps the listener in the palm of the hand as he beautifully plays and moves. “I think I know/That it’s time to go” is full of emotion and, again, one is not sure whether there is a personal breakup or a universal pressure that is getting too much. There is a sense of finality as the flame goes out and there is nobody to blame; a sense of one phase ending and another beginning. You can feel a gradual build up as EOB closes one chapter and puts his heart out there. We have this graceful, symphonic song that ends its page with positivity and dedication. The hero talks of “Eden days” and the love he feels; a togetherness and safety that keeps him warm against the tensions of the world and the uncertainty of the future. The moment the song makes its change happens around 3:30. The acoustic guitar and slowed vocal gives way to a beat and buzz that adds extra electricity to the mix. There is a vocal coda/line, but I cannot quite decipher what is being sung. In any case, one is taken aback as the song quickly changes course.

From a song that could have fitted into the Folk scene of the 1960s and 1970s, we are now taken from the ground and nature to the heavens; a parable that is more suited to the Dance scene of the 1980s and 1990s; maybe a club back in those heady days. “And I feel the love falling/Feel the love again” is repeated, and I was wondering what this love referred to. Is it a love of the planet and a love for each other? The hit and fashion of the beats suggests something hopeful and geared to euphoria; I am still in two minds as to whether the hero is happier or whether there are darker doubts lurking in his mind. The video adds some context, as we see people in the streets mirroring one another; their hands faced opposite one another as they seem entranced and beguiled. Brasil turns into a club stomper as the same lines are repeated; a mantra that, I feel, is intended to unite dancefloors and get people singing. Many people took to social media on Thursday when the song arrived, voicing their pleasure at hearing such an instant classic. Maybe Brasil will not be stacked alongside the classics of Dance and Rave, but there is something refreshingly uplifting and old-school that is truly addictive. The ever-changing nature of the song means you will listen again and again to Brasil; it is more a story and mini-drama that it is a song – Ed O’Brien’s bandmates Thom Yorke and Jonny Greenwood are no strangers to the multi-part song. The groaning bass and heavy thud is paired with glistening and sunshine sounds that gives Brasil so much weight. We started with Folk tones of the 1960s and then channel the giddiness of Rave and Dance in the next half. The final scenes of the video take us up to space and overwhelm the senses with beauty and something remarkable – you really need to watch the video alongside the track! EOB let’s Brasil unwind and float as we catch our breath and come to terms with this remarkable song. I thought I had my mind set when I compiled my favourite songs of 2019 recently: with Brasil, EOB has offered a December gift that should be in everyone’s best songs of 2019 list!

PHOTO CREDIT: Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP/Getty Images

There has been no official announcement regarding a date for EOB’s album and other tracks. I know he has still been working with Radiohead, and that has taken a lot of his time up. It is good we do not know too much ahead of time, as it would be tempting to tease us with song titles and snippets. Instead, we have a lead single and we will get more details next year. It has been a wonderful surprise getting some EOB music; a song that hits you instantly but unfurls and gets even bigger the more you hear it. It has definitely got us all excited and wondering going forward. With Flood and Catherine Marks producing and collaborators like Laura Marling on board, I think the EOB album will be one to grab! I shall leave things there and, having covered Ed O’Brien sufficiently, I would encourage people to follow EOB on social media, because 2020 is going to be a great year for him. Many people are already taking a punt on the biggest releases of 2020 and the artists we are most looking forward to bringing music into the world. I am really looking forward to the EOB album and all the combination of sounds and scenes. It will be heady and exciting one moment; there will be more trippy and calm moments and, who knows, there might be something that matches the best from Primal Scream’s Screamadelica. Who knows what we will get? Brasil is a very tasty and unexpected gem that starts off in one frame of mind before transforming and going off in a new direction! It is not what a lot of people were expecting, and it is a brilliant way to end this year. If you are a fan of EOB, then make sure you keep your eyes open…

FOR his upcoming album.

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