Today’s Track: Mindchatter – ‘Brain Pills’

April 23, 2024 — Leave a comment

You need some brain pills to fuel your desire to seek new music. Time for a new post!

Pictured: Bryce Connolly (aka Mindchatter) performing at a vibrant live set (2022) (Photo via MusicTech.com)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke and it always used to be my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day. That’s before my adulthood got right in the way! Somewhere deep in the suburban situation of New York City is where you’ll be able to find Bryce Connolly, a multi-instrumentalist and EDM producer who was recently featured on KCRW’s Today’s Top Tune podcast. That’s how I caught wind of ‘Brain Pills’, a rather silly yet relatable track dripped in irony regarding the current “Ask My GP” crisis that rages across the world. Finding a curious intersection between a genre-less approach to beats and blatant anecdotal lyricism on ‘Brain Pills’, he reflects on the experience of being prescribed his medication by a psychiatrist on an application via video call. Speaking about the humour and irony that he found in the experience, he says, “The whole process is extremely goofy. I was diagnosed by a woman wearing a hoodie… I’m pretty sure I was older than her, too. Anyways, it seems like this has become the new normal because a lot of people are relating to the song”, in a press release. Sample the track – which is taken from his EP ‘This Is A Reminder That You Are Not Behind Your Face’ released in February – below.

The eccentric appeal of Mindchatter’s mental health-themed music stands out for seeing the lighter side of the overwhelming aspects of life that can haunt us. It has taken him to the stages of popular festivals like Coachella, Lightning In A Bottle and Okeechobee as well as leading to support slots with artists like Polo & Pan and SG Lewis. There’s little time for grief and sadness because ‘Brain Pills’ gets to an immediate start by establishing the floaty, bubbling percussion from the opening. “Brain pills, from a doctor, on the internet” repeats as the new layers of more weighty drums and hazy, psychedelic synths progress the chords. The verse reveals more about his perception of his appointment as odd and unbelievable, as he used lyrics like “She asked questions from a PDF/I can see her apartment/It was a mess” to emphasize the careless approach of the online medical help and the fact that his mind wandered down the route of satire at the sight of her apartment seeming messier than Bryce’s own life. Effects add reverb to his vocals, giving the lyrics a trippy vibe to complement the chatter about ADHD medication. The synths have a free-wheeling effect to accentuate the psychedelia-leaning tone too, with “My chakras was not aligned” being repeated at the top of a sturdy drum beat and high frequency-aligned synths during the bridge of the track before the punchy chorus returns to take us through the journey of his imagination as his mind wanders down a different path again. Overall, I love how satire and irony are woven into the fabric of this dance track that emphasises the hillarity of an online meeting with meaningful consequences being hosted by an unprofessionally-behaved authority while feeling serious enough to surpass the stage of novelty. In a world of love songs and vengeful protest jams, it is refreshing to hear the experience of a good old anecdote being replicated in this fearless Electro-Pop track which is sharp enough to match its quirks.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘This Is A Reminder That You Are Not Behind Your Face’ (EP) (Released on February 2nd, 2024) (via Foreign Family Collective)

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Today’s Track: Lime Garden – ‘Pop Star’

March 12, 2024 — Leave a comment

When life gives you limes, make guacamole. I would if I liked avocado. New post time!

Pictured: Chloe Howard (Lead Vocals/Percussion), Leila Deeley (Lead Guitar), Tippi Morgan (Bass Guitar) & Annabel Whittle (Drums) in a recent photoshoot to promote the ‘One More Thing’ album (2024) (Photo via PR)

Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and it used to be my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day before my adulthood got right in the way! It has been a few weeks since I last found the time to write on the blog so, first of all, thank you once again for waiting for me to return so patiently. Secondly, it allowed the space for plenty of emerging artists to grow and nurture in my favour since the last time that we interacted. One of my favourite bands that I discovered in that meantime was Lime Garden. Not only are they an all-female alternative pop 4-piece from Brighton, but they also specialise in their own brand of “Wonk Pop” which the ladies describe as an exotic combination of Disco, Pop and Surf Rock blended together. I would add that their sound takes me back to the 00’s where bands like Hard-Fi and Caesars scored chart hits with jams that were mainstream indie boom music in essence but they also had a slight urban twist to them where Dance and Psychedelic elements came into the fold rather subtly. Of course, “Wonk Pop” may imply that it’s cheap like Wonky Veg in the supermarket, but I like to think it’s as fresh as the cucumbers that you can buy straight from the greengrocers. Awful analogies aside, check out ‘Pop Star’ before reading my thoughts on the charming track below.

Reading & Leeds, Green Man and Standon Calling are just three of the festivals which Lime Garden have played since forming in 2017 leading to support slots with Yard Act and Sunflower Bean on tour. ‘One More Thing’ is the debut album out recently on So Young Records, which is a really confident first full-length effort. Lyrics reflecting on the modern strong woman stereotypes and the lengths that a creative is willing to go to get noticed are just a few of the core themes that speak to me and I feel that both their musical influences and their honest lyricism come to pass strongly in ‘Pop Star’. The opening synth riff is an interesting sonic choice that sets the scene for the sporadic lifestyle that vocalist Chloe Howard sings about with its upbeat yet slightly imperfect nature in how the pattern is a tad unsettled. The drums rattle on at a percussive, improv Jazz-like pace as Howard lays bare the highs and lows of navigating the music industry as a struggling artist with low name value. “I don’t want to work my job, cause life is short and this is long” during the chorus and “I’m finding it hard to breathe and I’m finding it hard to believe/Is this what its like for you or is this just what its like for me” in the verses details the realities of feeling stuck in a job which the powers that be have laid out for you and the curse of comparison to others on social media, respectively. Although the blind pursuit of an exciting dream that feels destined for depression is a personal reflection on these everyday issues for musicians, I also feel there’s something wider that Howard and pals are getting at here. There’s a thematic sense of rebellion to the record in which they feel defiant against the overexposure of generic music by established names being given all of the airplay and support in the modern media. The last lyric that I mentioned, especially, makes this clear to me in a subtle fashion. Overall, I really like how intelligence and dexterity are quite specific attributes to Lime Garden as a band here that can’t be heard on just any record and they offer a deep conversation on ‘Pop Star’ that, as well as the tune being quite a lively and eccentric one to groove to, there’s an attitude to it that feels totally Punk buried beneath the more obvious influences. I absolutely love the sense of specifity to them and if you haven’t heard of Lime Garden before but you are a fan of bands like Warpaint, The Strokes and The Last Dinner Party, I think that you will find their solid LP as fresh as a lime straight from the most tender source too.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘One More Thing’ (LP) (Released on February 16th, 2024) (via So Young Records)

That’s all for now! Thank you for your time today and keep your eyes peeled on the blog because, later in the week, I will be posting about a groovy new track by a funk, Jazz and Afrobeat-inflicted band who have recorded music with Hot Chip frontman Alexis Taylor and they have performed at KEXP’s World Clash Day back in April 2019.

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Today’s Track: Ciel – ‘Fine Everything’

May 3, 2022 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Michelle Hindriks (Lead Vocals/Bass Guitar), Jorge Bella Jimenez (Lead Guitar/Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vocals) and Tim Spencer (Drums/Percussion/Occasional Backing Vocals) (2022) (Photo Credit: ReadDork.com/PR)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has come for you to perk up your ears in preparation for yet another daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! If I told you on the radio that I was going to play you a new track by an artist with a name (Ciel – Pronounced: Ceal) just like that, you’d be forgiven for expecting to hear some kind of 00’s-leaning Pop, R&B and Soul record. However, you’d be confusing them for Seal. On the other hand, Ciel are an emerging indie rock trio led by vocalist-guitarist Michelle Hindriks drawing from diverse influences such as Sheogaze, Dream-Pop, Prog-Rock, 90’s Grunge, Symphonic Rock and Psychedelic Rock. With members hailing from The Netherlands and Spain in addition to the UK, Ciel have recently captured my imagination when ‘Fine Everything’ gained positive reviews from the panel on last week’s episode of Steve Lamacq’s Roundtable on BBC Radio 6 Music. Ciel have also been praised by sites like KEXP, WFW, BBC Introducing, Amazing Radio, Clash Magazine, Earmilk and Under The Radar too. In recent times, Ciel have been preparing for their upcoming EP by working with Steven Ansell (of Blood Red Shoes fame) as their producer and mixer. The trio have also been supporting She Drew The Gun, Sasami and Penelope Isles across sold out live shows in London and Brighton (Where they are currently based) too. I also read that Ciel have been long-listed for this year’s Emerging Talent Competition at Glastonbury Festival as well, which should continue to shine a spotlight on the band as a valuable commodity within the music industry. On that note, let’s check out their fresh new single, ‘Fine Everything’, below.

Talking passionately about the melodic new offering of Shoegaze-inflicted Indie Rock, frontwoman Michelle Hindriks notes, “It’s about coming of age, and not really knowing how to navigate life. The doubts and difficulties that involve life-changing decisions, yet maybe not being ready growing up, when all your friends are. I was thinking of how so many people lost touch with their inner gut feeling and instincts, and how all the possibilities in life can feel so overwhelming sometimes. It’s almost kind of easier to stay oblivious to it instead of digging deep into your mind“, in her own words. The single oozes charisma with an insistent groove created by the fuzzy walls of anthemic guitar sound and driving drums from the get-go, while lyrics like “Ignorant to the shame, It evoked/Threatened by the drought, caught up in doubt” and “Don’t you know, I am longing for/To be told how to live my life” break down the decision making processes that we all face, punctuated by the Shoegaze guitars and the angsty, classic Punk attitude that gives the tempo a more brooding personality. They unleash a fun and chaotic guitar solo towards the end, while the chorus introduces a more accessible Pop sensibility into the mix due to its rhythmic pulse, while the verses feel more gritty and determined in texture. There’s some hook-filled melodies in here, but it retains a sharp Post-Punk feel overall because the Brighton-based band aren’t afraid to hit you with a distorted wall of sound, but they tie it in with a melodic style and some familiar Pop-driven songwriting. It doesn’t feel shrouded in borderline territory between Dream-Pop and Post-Rock, but it instead feels like it has a more direct punch to its sound that makes it feel memorable when it digs into your brain. It works nicely as a companion for the lyrics, which are all about tacking the uncertainty of thoughts that linger in your brain about your future as a young adult and how these unsettling noises in our minds invade our lifestyle, backed by an edgy Garage feel that resonates with the modern indie production clearly. While it is nothing too innovative and I’ve probably heard most of their ideas before, it is still a solid track that is very catchy and noisy, in the best way possible, that still leaves me thirsting for more content from Ciel soon. It is not re-inventing the wheel, but the wheel keeps spinning without fault.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Fine Everything’ (Single) (Released on March 24th, 2022) (via Self-Released)

That’s all for me today, but I hope that your day turns out to go just fine. I’ll be back for a new edition of ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ tomorrow where will be remembering the work of a Lancashire-born R&B and Pop singer who was a member of groups like Shotgun Express, The She Trinity, Sinbad and Gambler in the 1970’s, and she has been described as “undeservedly neglected” by Bruce Eder, a respected writer for AllMusic.

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Today’s Track: Everything Everything – ‘Teletype’

April 23, 2022 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Vinyl & CD bundle for ‘Raw Data Feel’ (Available from May 20th, 2022) (via AWAL Recordings)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time to save some space on your hard drive for the retrieval of some new digital (and legally purchased) MP3 files as we get invested in yet another daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! First getting their break out via BBC Music Introducing in the mid-2000’s, Everything Everything is a familiar and friendly name for many longtime UK Indie fans given their established profile and diverse discography over the past couple of decades, with the Manchester-based Alternative Pop – bordering on Art-Pop, Industrial Rock and Microhouse – band receiving five Ivor Novello Awards nominations and one Mercury Prize nomination to their name for their efforts. The band also follow in similar foot steps to projects like Django Django, Talk Talk, The The, Duran Duran and The Linda Linda’s in giving their name a multiple repeated title – and if you can think of any more good ones, please feel free to let me know on Twitter (As the link is below) or leave me a note in the comments section. Anyhow, ‘Raw Data Feel’ is the follow-up to 2020’s ‘Re-Animator’ and it will be released on May 20th via Infinity Industries/AWAL Recordings. To make the album, the band enlisted the help of an AI programme that was fed information – including terms and conditions of LinkedIn, the poems regarding Beowulf, 4Chan posts and the teachings of Confucius – to create experimental lyrics, track titles and album artwork for their full-length project. Check out the new single ‘Teletype’ below.

Everything Everything have also confirmed a handful of live UK tour dates taking place between May and September 2022 – including a recent appearance at London’s Roundhouse on April 13th – which includes support slots from L’Objectif, Phoebe Green, Do Nothing and Liz Lawrence. Whetting our appetite for the band’s upcoming sixth studio album, the quartet says of ‘Teletype’ as a single outing, “This song began in a very experimental way, with Alex and Jon sampling voice and guitar then putting it through a process that randomized each chord in a chaotic and glitchy rhythm. A very direct song, straight from the heart, with a fresh new openness that we felt was a good scene-setting for the record”, in a press release. While my work is almost done, I need to share my thoughts on the track to give you a unique take on it. It starts off with a warped Synth-led instrumental which leans loosely into Breakbeat, with a scattered sense of pace that gives refrains like “It’s easy to lie when nothing makes sense anymore” and “I’m a liar, but I’m lying next to you, and you don’t care” a more psychedelic quality. These observations on the confusing world that 2022 presents to us are pushed to the forefront when the bridge closes and the chorus sweeps in, as the 8-bit inspired rhythms and the modular Drums are replaced by a more brooding bassline and a more percussive Drum beat that chirps along to the upbeat tempo of hooks like “You don’t talk a lot but I like it, ‘Cause I can’t tell you everything that went on” and “You might be everything that I want” that mold the glitchy Techno-driven production and the galloping melodicism of Jon’s vocals into a more anthemic and catchy chorus, despite the inherent aggression of the electronic instrumentals or the harshness of the Bass never quite changing much in any dramatic sense. The track maintains it’s Breakbeat origins and Glitch-Pop influences throughout, and the vocals manage to feel distinctly unsullied because there’s a lack of overdub, filtering effects or backing vocals to drown out the emphasis on Jon’s voice. Just because this is an electronically driven track does not mean that auto-tune has to make it sound overly processed, and I like that the band took that direction on this track and it avoids the feeling of the track seeming cheap or tacky. Some of the lyrics, like “I feel alright, yeah, I feel good” and “Gonna take a bit/Maybe this will take a little time to heal”, are slightly lacking in the depth department for me because they feel so straightforward, but their rhythm is still catchy despite the songwriting suffering a little from the AI programme’s influence in my opinion, although the use of the said AI scheme is still a mildly interesting idea on paper. The instrumentation is more effective, however, as the guitar and glitched samples remind me of their ‘Get To Heaven’ era and they give the track its vibrant, experimental feel that catches on infectiously. Overall, this is a vivid single that swiftly avoids the problem of not feeling like one thing, nor the other.

Pictured: Jonathan Higgs (Lead Vocals/Keyboard), Jeremy Pritchard (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals), Alex Robertshaw (Lead Guitar/Rhythm Guitar) and Michael Spearman (Drums/Percussion) (in 2020) (Photo Credit: PR/DIYMag.com)

Everything Everything have been around for 15 years and my blog has been active for a few years, and so it is only natural that stars have aligned before. Find out how here.

‘Arch Enemy’ (2020) – https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/08/04/todays-track-everything-everything-arch-enemy/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Re-Animator’ (LP/Album) (Released on September 11th, 2020) (via AWAL Recordings)

That brings us to the end of another roughly 24 hour period on the blog, and I’ll be back tomorrow to add a new entry of the weekly ‘Scuzz Sundays’ feature. Thank you for giving me a few minutes today, and join me then as we reminisce over the 20th anniversary of a Gold-certified album in Sweden by a Stockholm-formed indie rock band who are known by many names including Caesars Palace and Twelve Caesars. They are probably best known for their 2002 hit ‘Jerk It Out’ that reached #8 in the UK.

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Way Back Wednesdays: The Knife – ‘Silent Shout’

April 20, 2022 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Karin Dreijer (Lead Vocals/Keyboard) and Olof Dreijer (Splicing/Effects/Bass) (2006) (via NPR; press shoot)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has come for us to go retro with a striking piece that will tell you a story of fairly recent history with another entry of ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ on One Track At A Time, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Ever an elusive and dynamic duo, cult Swedish electronic music duo The Knife (Comprised of siblings Karin and Olof Dreijer) were never afraid to, somewhat uninentionally, capture the attention of the mainstream with their dark-leaning blend of Dubstep, EDM, Art-Pop and Psychedelia, also including some slower and darker strains of Hip-Hop and R&B, throughout the years to create music that, although Pop, was more far-reaching and progressive. First gaining an international following through their 2003 album ‘Deep Cuts’, the duo managed their own record company – Rabid Records – throughout their years of activity between 1999 and 2014. They were known for donning their Venetian masks to hide their faces in many public appearances, and they have won a number of Swedish Grammis awards despite refusing to attend the ceremonies. Although the duo decided to call it a day and disband in 2014, Karin started her own solo project Fever Ray in 2009, while Olof performs as a DJ under the monikers of DJ Coolof and Oni Ayhun. Last year, The Knife celebrated their 20th anniversary by announcing a range of re-issues on Vinyl and concert streams including BTS footage of their various album’s development. ‘Silent Shout’ – their third LP and arguably most well-received release – was among the works being featured. Let’s remember the title single below.

‘Silent Shout’ spawned four singles and the music video for the title track, along with some of the promo photos doing the rounds of the album’s press campaign, were equally inspired by the works of German-American animator Oskar Fischinger and the ‘Black Hole’ series of comic books created by the American cartoonist Charles Burns. This was also a highly influential release – with fellow artists like Lykke Li, Niki and The Dove, Tove Lo and Denmark’s MØ picking up on The Knife’s Dubstep-influenced blend of Dark Electronica and subversive Dance music rather noticeably in the years following its release in 2006. ‘Silent Shout’ – the title track – is an amalgamation of the record’s club-driven musicality and rewarding lyricism, as the deep House-leaning anthem starts off with a drawing set of Synths that evoke a Sci-Fi aesthetic as they waver along to a chilling, unearthly electronic backdrop of multi-tracked Keys and brooding Drums. A barely audible vocal comes in shortly, which also evokes a ghostly – not to mention a slightly haunting – atmosphere at times as the processed vocals are crashed through the ringer of digital manipulation. The severe distortions of Karin’s lyrics create a daring and jarring presence that pulsates from the mid-tempo opening to the early 90’s Techno and Trance qualities of the slowly bubbling outroduction, telling a narrative of a life gone awry that feels tense and high-octane while suiting the template of unpredictable Pop that shapes the rest of the full-length album. The lyrics give the tempo a slightly melodic uplift with their robotic feel, but the rich electronic backdrop incorporates a wide-ranging series of Lo-Fi Hip Hop and Dark Ambient elements, especially in how the reverb keeps the Drums and Synths feeling grounded, without overstating their direct influences. Overall, ‘Silent Shout’ represents some of The Knife’s most consistent and layered work, both in terms of the heightened production and the forward-thinking concept, from their golden years. The stunning title track marries elastic vocals and cosmopolitan instrumentation to a perfectionist level and there’s clearly a valid reason why it is remembered very fondly.

Pictured: Vinyl bundle of ‘Deep Cuts’ (Released on January 17th, 2003) (via Rabid Records)

Thank you for checking out my latest blog post and supporting my creativity, as you have no idea how much that it means to me to see some love being registered for the site. I’ll be back tomorrow, as always, to do ‘Thursday’ with a cheerful dance track by a Los Angeles-based Alternative Soul duo with a confusing name who, originally formed in Chicago, met in 2012. Their debut LP is out now via Nettwerk Music Group.

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Today’s Track: Superorganism (feat. CHAI & Pi Ja Ma) – ‘Teenager’

April 16, 2022 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘World Wide Pop’ (LP) (Available on July 15th, 2022) (via Domino Recordings)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time to bring the sunshine to your weekend with yet another daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! It’s really nice to hear that Superorganism are back for more, because their original album was so fun, visually creative and musically compelling. If you somehow missed out on all of their rage a decent number of years ago, Superorganism are a London-based collective of musicians who are spread out across the globe, so half of them met online while the other four members previously played as The Eversons together. Currently signed to Domino Recordings, they released their self-titled debut LP in 2018 and scooped up a place in the top 25 of the UK Albums Chart, alongside nominations at the MTV Europe Music Awards and the Sweden GAFFA Awards. A year later, they also contributed a track to the soundtrack of ‘The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part’ entitled ‘Hello Me & You’ to widen their mainstream exposure. Their second album – ‘World Wide Pop’ – is set for release on July 15th and they have revealed that Ruby, Emily and Robert Strange have left the band. However, they have pulled in an international range of collaborators including Stephen Malkumus, Boa Constrictors, Dylan Cartlidge and Japanese actor Gen Hoshino to contribute to the full-length recording. Pi Ja Ma joins them for ‘Teenager’ – the lead single – which also involves CHAI, who supported Superorganism for their UK and Ireland tour in 2018. It was produced by Stuart Price too, who has previously worked with Madonna and Pet Shop Boys. As you would expect from Superorganism, the music video is a goofy and imaginative affair about refusing to grow up. It stars Will and Grace’s Brian Jordan Alvarez. Check it out below.

Teasing a bit more information about the album without giving too much away, the product description for their new album explains, “World Wide Pop is a showcase for Superorganism’s newly deepened understanding of each other’s interests and impulses, the kind of creative convergence you’d expect when online friends start spending time together IRL”, on Rough Trade’s website. Their previous album was recorded remotely, and so the new outing promises to put them in the same room together. A ‘Jam Band’ tune of a result, ‘Teenager’ continues their uniquely brash and multi-cultural aesthetic with a very bright and processed assortment of sounds that captures the widescreen and virtual vibe which they have always sought so far in their careers, forming a collage of loud samples and crunching Drums that dip their toes into Hyper-Pop, Hypnagogic Pop and Noise Pop that feels comfortable for existing fans. I certainly hear more of a Post-Punk influence that was not particularly prominent before, however, because the overall production feels quite raw and DIY in texture. Distorted guitars and inconsistent Bass sounds add up the finishing touches, completing the vibe with a youthful and unstable quality that suits the key theme of the track. The lyrics are a commentary on how we never really completely change our character beyond our younger years, but the direct hook of “I’m gonna grow up and be a teenager” communicates the message in a quirky and free-wheeling way. Lyrics like “Had enough of growing up, keep making your mistakes and misbehave” find the band clinging to the ‘lost’ feelings of their titular developmental period in life, while lyrics like “Got no time for class/today we learn about the past, and the present, and the future fading so damn fast” suggest that we never move beyond such a pivotal state. It feels almost like a late-00’s children’s theme to an extent, with cartoons like ‘The Amazing World Of Gumball’ and ‘Kick Buttowski: Suburban Daredevil’ coming to my mind, due to the colourful soundscapes and the filtered effects in play. A solid return which manages to capture the wit and engagement of their signature material.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Superorganism’ (Self-Titled LP) (Released on March 2nd, 2018) (via Domino Recordings)

Thank you for checking out my latest post on the blog, and I’ll be back tomorrow for ‘Scuzz Sundays’ as we rekindle the chatter about a not currently active but quite well-remembered 00’s indie rock band formed in Staines-Upon-Thames known for hits like ‘Cash Machine’, ‘Satellites’ and ‘Living For The Weekend’ that have all performed well commercially. They’ve just teased a 15th anniversary show for their ‘Stars Of CCTV’ LP.

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Today’s Track: James Righton – ‘Pause’

April 11, 2022 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘JIM, I’M STILL HERE’ (LP/Album) (Available from July 8th, 2022) (via DEEWEE)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has arrived for me to get you re-acquainted with some new music from a familiar face with yet another daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! If you remember the Mercury Prize-winning New Wave rock band Klaxons, known for tracks like ‘Golden Skans’ and a cover of Grace’s ‘It’s Not Over Yet’ in the late-00’s, that will be why you’re so sure that you’ve seen Stratford-Upon-Avon’s James Righton before and couldn’t quite put your finger on exactly where. Righton is married to actress Keira Knightley of all people and he also fronted the Shock Machine project that he began in 2016. He also worked on ABBA’s Voyage virtual concert tours in London last year and following from that project, a new solo album has been announced. Produced by Soulwax, ‘JIM, I’M STILL HERE’ is hitting record store shelves in July through DEEWEE. It follows the shiny Synth-Pop single ‘Release Party’ that he released on the same label last year for DEEWEE’s ‘Foundations’ compilation album release. It’s also the follow-up to 2020’s ‘The Performer’, an Alternative Pop record about the distinction between performer and person that he released during the height of the pandemic in March 2020. This was a record that I grew fond of, due to the Baroque instrumentation and the String sections that he played around with. It saw Righton grappling with his own identity, and the upcoming new album plays a somewhat similar role in exploring the family-based serenity that Righton experienced during the promotion of ‘The Performer’ through lockdown in the eyes of an alter-ego named Jim, and the songs were written in Jim’s perspective as an outrageous rock star. The new album features a guest appearance from ABBA’s Benny Andersson, and ‘Pause’ has been unveiled as the first single. It gets accompanied by a music video that was directed by Julian Klincewicz.

“The alter ego of Jim came to me whilst promoting my previous album The Performer during the first week of lockdown. Life shut down and became centered around family and domestic life. At the same time (and this did feel rather strange) I had to promote The Performer. I was asked more and more to live stream concerts through various social media platforms”, Righton says about the creation of his Jim character, adding, “So, I’d put the kids to sleep, head downstairs to my garage studio, put on my Gucci suit and became someone else. The juxtaposition of these lives felt extreme but also interesting to me. I created Jim. Jim would be the deluded rock star, living out his fantasies from the confines of his garage”, about the exaggerated semi-fictional version of himself in the form of Jim. Prince and Midnite Vultures-era Beck are clear influences the second that you press play on ‘Pause’, with 80’s Synth textures and quirky basslines creating a clear relationship between the sonic juxtapositions of Soulwax’s instrumentation work and Righton’s silky voice, where the eminently danceable Synths and the crunching Drums collide to form a warped take on 90’s Synth-Funk. The lyrics reek of narcissism and sensuality, but there’s a hint of actual romance in the more vulnerable tones of Righton’s voice despite the smooth Synth and keyboard work. A variety of lyrics including “Girl there’s never going to be no other/If I could only be your lover” setting up the stage for this contrast, while the cascading backing vocals and the preening artistry of sequences like “You can’t pause with me for the rest of my life” play with the duality between James’ true personality and the more fanciful aspirations of Jim as his alter ego. It’s an interesting proposition for the new album as the lyricism is not too different to those of 2020’s ‘The Performer’ on the surface level, but the sound is a lot more electronic and the Soulwax blueprints are definitely there. While the sound evolves the palette of The Performer’s sounds, the themes still feel just as intriguing and the explorations of self-identity remain intact. Overall, this was a refreshing and welcome return for Righton.

Pictured: James Righton in an official photoshoot to promote ‘The Performer’ (2020) (Photo Credit: DEEWEE)

If you don’t want to hit ‘Pause’ on James – fast-forward to some of his other cuts here.

‘Release Party’ (2021) – https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/05/17/todays-track-james-righton-release-party/

‘Edie’ (2020) – https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/02/todays-track-james-righton-edie/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘The Performer’ (LP/Album) (Released on March 20th, 2022) (via DEEWEE)

That brings me to the bottom of the page! Thank you for checking out my latest post on the blog, and I will be back tomorrow to introduce you to a brand new artist who goes by the name of Junior, a 24-year-old rapper and songwriter based in Bedford – here in the UK. His fantastic new single – ‘Long Way Home’ – was recently spotlighted on a recent episode of BBC Radio 6’s ‘The New Music Fix’ curated by Tom Ravenscroft.

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Today’s Track: Honeyglaze – ‘Female Lead’

April 7, 2022 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Anouska Sokolow (Lead Vocals/Lead Guitar/Rhythm Guitar), Tim Curtis (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals) and Yuri Shibuichi (Drums/Percussion/Occasional Backing Vocals) (2022) (Photo Credit: Holly Whitaker/DIYMag.com)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to cut to action on the set of another daily track on the blog, with a movie theme today, that helps me to fulfill my goal of writing up about a different piece of music every day! Born out of lead songwriter Anouska Sokolow’s “un-desire to be a solo act”, according to Red Light Management, Honeyglaze are an emerging indie rock trio based in Southern London who met officially at their first rehearsal together just three days prior to what would become a near-residency at The Windmill in Brixton, where bands like Black Midi and Squid have also found their footing. They have also performed at festivals including Green Man Festival, Fred Perry’s All Our Tomorrow’s Festival, Live At Leeds and Cardiff’s SWN Festival across the last couple of years too. Their debut studio LP is self-titled, and it will be coming out on 29th April 2022 via Speedy Wunderground, a Dance-influenced Post-Punk label that is, of course, partially run by well-respected producer Dan Carey. Pierre Hall, the A&R representative of the label, says “We’re so excited to announce Honeyglaze as our next proper signing to the label. We were blown away as soon as we heard their music, and then, furthermore, when we met them in person. It’s felt like such a natural partnership and they’ve created something really special. We can’t wait for the world to hear. Be prepared to fall in love”, about Honeyglaze’s music. The latest catchy single to be taken from their upcoming 11-track project is ‘Female Lead’, which gets accompanied by a music video that was directed by James Ogram and Sokolow herself, and it stars Jojo Macari, an actor who has also starred in Netflix’s ‘Sex Education’ TV series. Check out the pre-release offering below.

Honeyglaze will be performing headline gigs at venues in London, Portsmouth, Margate, Manchester and Hull throughout May in the UK, and it follows their support slots for Katy J Pearson and Wet Leg. Talking about the video for the track, Sokolow says, “Given that the song itself is so narrative heavy, we knew we wanted to make something with it’s own seperate story”, adding, “It started off with some ideas about duality and stolen identity. I had recently watched ‘Casablanca’ and that’s where we got the idea of this movie character coming to life and we ended up writing a full scene for a made-up, 50’s romance.”, in a press release. Tackling these themes of self-understanding and personal worth in the track itself, the trio back up Sokolow’s explorations of changing your appearance and feeling overwhelmed in your ambitions through the lens of flashy hair dye. Lyrics like “I put it in my black hair, and waited for an hour/But when I washed it out, oh, god, I’ve let my mother down” and “I look nothing like Madonna/More like an 80’s horror film/I’ll have to wear a hat, Until my golden hair turns black” are geared towards the witty side, but they provoke serious thoughts about how we view ourselves and compare ourselves to famous faces. The narrative builds up with soft vocals, steady drums, melancholic guitar riffs and delicate splashings of Bass that are kept simple and concise within the song’s short 2-minute runtime. The key lyrics are delivered to a vintage-leaning tune that was influenced by The Shangri-La’s, according to the trio themselves, and the buzz of the British narrative-based Pop songs that were all of the rage in the cinematic 60’s. They replicate the vibe well, while adding a ‘timeless’ feel to the track. The vocals sound pure and intimate, with a fragile mix of a spoken and haiku-like format to present what is being written between the lines with a rather direct sense of well-versed clarity. Although it is kept short and to the point, ‘Female Lead’ has enough depth and substance overall to spread its message of romanticized ideals and self-judgment through the temporal era of retro cinema. Who knows, going by this track record, maybe Honeyglze will put in a more Oscar-worthy performance in the future?

Pictured: Vinyl copy of’Honeyglaze’ (Self-Titled LP) (Available from April 29, 2022) (via Speedy Wunderground)

Thank you for checking out my latest post, and I look forward to bringing a new entry of ‘New Album Release Fridays’ to your eye line tomorrow, as we turn our attention to a multi-time Mercury Prize nominee who came out as non-binary in 2020. A breath of fresh air on the Spoken Word genre, they share one particular thing in common with Honeyglaze. They also had a residency at The Windmill in Brixton. Aside from music, they are a Sunday Times best-selling and Costa Book Of The Year-nominated author.

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Scuzz Sundays: The Darkness – ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’

March 27, 2022 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Permission To Land’ (LP/Album) (Released on July 7th, 2003) (via Atlantic Records)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for us folk to spread the love to our elders for Mother’s Day with a ‘Scuzz Sundays’ anthem that vaguely resembles the theme in some way with yet another daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Justin Hawkins – the frontman of Mercury Prize-nominated British Glam-Rock band The Darkness – has recently made a few appearances on television screens in the UK, first mentoring one of the teams of pensioner rock stars on BBC Two’s ‘Rock Till You Drop’, and appearing in a Karaoke segment for ITV 1’s ‘Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway’ to sing ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ for likely the three billionth time in his life, and so we’re going to remember his band’s arguably most well-known track – as I’d argue that ‘Christmas Time (Don’t Let The Bells End)’ may also take the cake for that title – for this week’s entry of ‘Scuzz Sundays’ as it is just a simple song about love that will resonate with many over the course of this Mother’s Day. In their time, The Darkness have headlined Download Festival in 2011 and the Isle Of Wight Festival in 2012 and, despite some of the original members splitting off to pursue seperate projects and Hawkins indulging his fancy in a few side projects over the years, they are still active today, having released a new album – ‘Motorheart’ – last year. ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ saw Hawkins’ band rise to prominence in 2000 because it reached #2 in the UK Singles Chart, beaten to the punch only by the similarly erm… lovely…. classic of ‘Where Is The Love?’ by The Black Eyed Peas. I bet you haven’t seen the video for a few years, so let’s get nostalgic with the piece below.

‘Permission To Land’ – the album that ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ was taken from as a single – is widely considered to be the catalyst for The Darness’ Brit Award-winning and Hammersmith-performing success, as it topped the UK Album’s Chart and it reached the top 40 of the Billboard 200 in the US. The memorable hook of “My heart’s in overdrive and you’re behind the steering wheel” was also reportedly inspired by the love of cars that Hawkins’ Dad has, according to Duncan Haskell of Songwriting Magazine. The rest of the track is crowd-pleasing and anthemic stuff, with catchy hooks like “I wanna kiss you every minute, every hour, every day/You’ve got me in a spin but everything is a-okay” and “There’s a chance we can make it now/We’ll be rocking till’ the sun goes down” that are straightforward and communicate the brash romanticism of the track in the clearest way possible. The bass and the drums are upbeat, while the vocals and the costumes scream 90’s Glam Rock with a hint of more progressive styles when the bulky, arena-sized guitar solo kicks in. You get a sense that the track was designed to build the solo’s as much as the repetitous chorus, and it was also designed to have the guitar breaks in it. Hawkins’ presence is a very charismatic one, although his screeching breaks could get a little tiresome for some. I also think it helps to complement the visual presentation too, where we’re getting traditional Glam Rock turned right up to eleven. Overall, ‘I Believe In A Thing Called Love’ isn’t necessarily a track that I’m a particularly huge fan of due to its repetition and simple design, but it is a fun crowd pleaser that doesn’t take itself very seriously and it’s definitely more like “a stick it on at a wedding and everybody knows it” hit rather than anything complicated. They all played it straight.

Pictured: Justin Hawkins (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar/Keyboard), Dan Hawkins (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals), Frankie Poullain (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals) & Rufus Tiger Taylor (Drums/Vocals) (2019) (Photo by Neill Barston)

That’s all of the love that I could muster up on the blog today! Once again, a happy Mother’s Day to all readers that it applies to, and thank you for supporting myself and independent creatives by following the site. It’s back to the daily grind tomorrow as we start off another week’s worth of posts by taking a more soulful route. We’re going to be listening to a recent single by a London-born R&B and Gospel singer who has earned national support from BBC Radio 1. He has toured with James Bay, Chance The Rapper and Allen Stone. His debut full-length studio LP, ‘Untidy Soul’, is out now.

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Scuzz Sundays: Maximo Park – ‘Our Velocity’

March 20, 2022 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Paul Smith (Lead Vocals/Keyboard/Producer/Rhythm Guitar), Duncan Lloyd (Lead Guitar/Bass Guitar/Occasional Backing Vocals) and Tom English (Drums/Percussion) (2020) (Photo via readdork.com)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has come for us to revisit one of the more ‘Scuzzy’ indie anthems of the mid-00’s as we remember the ghosts of Pop-Punk’s past for ‘Scuzz Sundays’ on the blog, which ties in to my goal of writing up about a different piece of music every day! Released in 2007, ‘Our Velocity’ is a ferocious Pop/Rock single coming from Newcastle Upon Tyne’s Maximo Park, led by their excellent and really energetic frontman Paul Smith. They seem to have been pigeon-holed a little into the ‘Indie Landfill’ of the 00’s where there were heaps upon heaps of other bands following some similar ideas musically, but Maximo Park have stood the test of time as they are still recording today. In fact, they gained a rather kind amount of praise for ‘Nature Always Wins’ – their latest full-length album record – an architecturally designed set list of tracks that became something of an unlikely comeback to the UK’s rock mainstream for the band, as a surprising campaign was led to help it score the UK’s number one album spot. It ended up reaching #2 – I like to think that some of the love was aided by my support on the site – with just a few hundred sales separating it from Architects ‘For Those That Wish To Exist’ at the #1 spot – at the time of it’s first week of release in February, 2021. At the time that ‘Our Velocity’ was being issued alongside its crafty music video, the band were following up on their Mercury Prize-nominated debut LP with ‘Our Earthly Pleasures’ in 2007. Suprisingly, their first album was actually released on the legendary experimental label Warp Records – the home of IDM pioneers such as Aphex Twin, Plaid, Boards Of Canada and Squarepusher. ‘Our Velocity’ was produced by Gil Norton, and it reached Silver sales certification status in the UK. Let’s remind ourselves of the hit track below.

Teletext’s Planet Sound music page named ‘Our Velocity’ as the best single of 2007, and it was also used in Channel 4’s ‘Hollyoaks’ TV series, as well as video games like ‘Guitar Hero: On Tour – Modern Hits’ and ‘Project Gotham Racing 4’ shortly following its release. Written by guitarist Duncan Lloyd and lyricist Paul Smith, the track was written as a response to the international conflicts that the UK was involved in at the time, mostly being the middle eastern wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. ‘Our Velocity’ starts off with a blend of 8-Bit synth effects that wouldn’t sound too out of place in a ‘Super Mario’ video game title, before the squelching guitar riffs and the tight Drum section introduces us to the next part of the track, where Smith recites dramatic yet poetic lyrics like “I’m not a man, I’m a machine/Chisel me down until I am clean” and “There is a poison in the air/A mix of chemicals and fear” that hit quite hard when you know about the influences behind the songwriting, and they are accentuated brilliantly by the vibrant mix of rock ‘n’ roll and electronic production. The rest of Smith’s lyrics come across like a ramble that comes from a stream of consciousness, with aggressive quips like “I’ve got no one to call in the middle of the night anymore/I am just alone with these thoughts” flowing out in contrast to more politically charged lines like “You’re asking for commitment/When I’m somewhere in-between” that pack a more socio-economic punch. True, if outspoken, lyrics like “If everyone became so sensitive/I wouldn’t have to be so sensitive” set the scene up too. The guitar riffs wind through the breakneck stages of being faster and faster each time, while the bass is frenzied and the pace briefly pulls away for a few minutes as Smith delivers the pre-chorus refrain, before the dizzying drums and the fizzy guitar riffs of a gently camp abandon separates the structure up a little to resemble a more radio-friendly sound. ‘Our Velocity’ is packed with a precise amount of lyrics and references, with plenty of ideas in terms of the instrumentation too, although it may come across to me as just a tad bit over-ambitious at times due to the chaotic nature of the layout. Paul Smith was bang on the money as the front-man of the piece however, and the execution of the music video is faultless. A superb showing that packs a lot into a concise run time.

Pictured: Maximo Park in a promotional photoshoot for ‘Nature Always Wins’ (2020) (Photo Credit: Em Cole)

Underrated no longer, you can check out some of Maximo Park’s most recent stuff here:

‘Baby, Sleep’ (2020) – https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/11/30/todays-track-maximo-park-baby-sleep/

‘All Of Me’ (2021) – https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/02/27/todays-track-maximo-park-all-of-me/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Nature Always Wins’ (LP) (Released on February 26th, 2021) (via Prolifica Inc.)

That’s all for now! Thank you for taking a little share of your time from your day to check out what’s been going on today right here at One Track At A Time, and your support is very highly appreciated by me. I’ll be back tomorrow to start the new week’s worth of music posts with a review of a recent single by a wonderfully proficient Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter who has just released her debut solo album – ‘Under The New Light’ – via Last Gang Records. You may know her for her foremost roles in other bands and musical projects such as Dirty Projectors and Coco.

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