Blues

Today’s Track: Jade Bird – “Headstart”

November 28, 2020 — 1 Comment

Give me all the extra time you want – Mo Farah would still out-run me! New post time!

  • Pictured: Jade Bird in a “Get To Know…” Interview Feature (in 2018) (Photo Credit: PR/DIYMag.com)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and I’m here to fulfill my duties of writing up about your 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! Sometimes, it’s great to let the youngsters have a turn to show off their musical skills – and 21-year-old London-based singer-songwriter Jade Bird certainly has those. Bird grew up around the likes of Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell and Neil Young, which were introduced to her by a family friend, and she also enjoys reading – incorporating the influences of her literature hero Patti Smith into her music to create an Acoustic blend of Folk, Soft-Pop and rustic Americana. Her self-titled debut album was released in 2018, and I can remember that it gained her national radio airplay on Radio X. There’s no further details about it yet, but Bird has confirmed that her follow-up LP is on the way, likely seeing the light of day in 2021. “Headstart” is our first teaser of her sophomore album release, and it’s an offering that she wrote during a trip to Upstate New York at the beginning of the year before… well… the world went doo-lally. Let’s sample it below.

It’s quite crazy to think how successful she has been for someone who is a year younger than me… What have I done wrong? Jade Bird said in a press release that “Headstart” is “quite a light-hearted song, about liking someone who just can’t see the signs” adding that it “feels like community” to her and it’s release feels like it’s giving “a bit of joy to the end of the year”. It kicks off with a familiar sound, as Bird immediately chimes in with: “They say, I act around you/Different than I usually do” over the top of a simply composed, light acoustic guitar melody. It builds up to a more powerful chorus, as Bird asks: “Why is it so hard?” before adding: “I’ve given you a Headstart/I know us girls aren’t easy, but come on, what do you need to see?” as she delivers a more angry tone, but we continually dip in-and-out of the soft guitar beats. I quite like the handful of sass and feist that are noticeable in the track’s tone, and the combination of acoustic melodies build to some big, crowd-pleasing vocal harmonies – and I think that it’s really good. It sounds very “indie” and accessible, but she decides not to use any auto-tune and I quite like that Bird’s instrumentation is very simple, and that’s charming. I also think that there’s something about Jade Bird which feels very down-to-earth and human as a performer – her music simply makes me like her just as a person. This is because you can hear some personality coming throughout her songwriting, and it never feels very mechanical or one-dimensional because her voice is unique and commanding for her age. Maybe I’ve finally found a soulmate? I don’t know about that – but the song is a thumbs-up from me. Let’s hope she doesn’t do an Ed Sheeran and try to make Grime. We all know that was shocking!

  • Pictured: Jade Bird ‘Letting her hair down’ (in April 2019) (Photo Credit: Emma Swann/DIYMag.com)

Thank you for reading my new blog post! As per usual, tomorrow marks the time for another entry in our Scuzz Sundays series, where we take a look at an old Pop-Punk or Emo-Rock relic from the late 90’s to mid-00s. This week’s entry came just a little bit before that box, but it was the theme song for 91’s cinematic classic, “Terminator II: Judgment Day”. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Slow Pulp – “Falling Apart”

November 19, 2020 — Leave a comment

A ‘Pulp’ is also the vesicle which contains the Juice in an Orange. Time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Emily Massey (Lead Vocals/Producer/Songwriter), Alexander Leeds (Bass Guitar), Henry Stoehr (Keyboard/Rhythm Guitar) and Theodore Matthews (Drums/Percussion) (in 2020) (via PR)
    Pictured: Emily Massey (Lead Vocals/Producer/Songwriter), Alexander Leeds (Bass Guitar), Henry Stoehr (Keyboard/Rhythm Guitar) and Theodore Matthews (Drums/Percussion) (in 2020) (via PR)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to start publishing your daily track on the music blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Now – this is a new band that I have been LOVING lately. They’re called Slow Pulp, and they’re a 4-piece Indie Dream-Pop/Shoegaze group originally from Minnesota, but they are currently based in Chicago. “Moveys” is the hugely enjoyable debut album from them, which they released last month on the Winspear Records indie label. It contains the singles “Idaho”, “Falling Apart” and “Track”, the second of which we’re going to sample, right here, today. It was inspired by the tumultuous recording process of the record, where the band’s leading lady, Emily Massey (who also seems to be a very tall woman) was diagnosed with Lyme disease and Chronic Mono, and so they scrapped an album’s worth of material to reflect this. To make matters worse, the Covid-19 pandemic struck when Massey was separated from the rest of the group, following her parents being involved in a car accident. This meant the band had to take on a cross-country recording process for what would eventually become “Moveys”, a 10-track collection with a name that refers to an inside joke between the members of the band. “Falling Apart” is the tale of Massey getting her hold on reality again. Let’s take a listen below.

“Falling Apart” deals with the outburst of emotion that comes after weeks of pretending that everything is going to work out fine, as Massey related to in the band’s press notes, explaining: “Life felt completely surreal, everything had drastically changed and at such a rapid pace”, later adding, “Luckily, I did allow myself to have a full-on breakdown induced by a stubbed toe and confusion over taxes, sometimes it’s the littlest things that finally get you”. It goes without saying that if these are the results of the band recording music while initially not being able to physically support each other, they have a very exciting future ahead of them. “Falling Apart” is incredible, in my opinion, for the wide range of subtle emotions and nuanced textures that it manages to convey. Masey begins: “Looking at the TV/Thinking that you’re dreaming”, before taking on a more uplifting stance with: “You have got to step up/Show that you can be enough” over the top of a whimsical guitar riff that evokes Cocteau Twins and Beach House in it’s slow-moving psychedelic tones. It feels more internalized than hallucinatory, however, especially in the chorus, as Massey delivers the chorus: “Why don’t you go back to falling apart? You were so good at that – One in a million” over the top of a gently swaying Horn section, and a wistful Violin part from Molly Germer that also feels cinematic and sweeping. I love that hook, because it feels hard-hitting and sincere, but it also feels quite witty. There’s a very light sense of passive aggression in the line that adds a lot of personality and freedom to the raw, drifting harmonies that emerges over the sound of the floating bass guitars and the sedate, measured drumming signatures. The track feels quite gentle and, even a bit cerebral, on the surface – but the band consistently draw on Dream Rock to add a psychedelic, if restrained, feel that makes the guitar work and the String instrumentation to add enough of a melodic undertone for the track to burst through as quite self-empowering, lyrically. It’s the simplicity of the arrangement that shines through, because it manages to feel rich, despite it’s mellow sound. If your mad about music like me – GO and check them out!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for "Moveys" (LP) (Released on October 9th, 2020) (via Winspear Records)
    Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Moveys” (LP) (Released on October 9th, 2020) (via Winspear Records)

Thank you very much for sticking with me for your latest post on the blog! I will be back at it all again tomorrow, where we’re looking at the new album from a more established Yorkshire-based indie rock trio who once had The Smiths guitarist, Johnny Marr, as a formal member of their group. Back in 2012, the band received the “Outstanding Contribution To Music” award at the annual NME Awards. Please like the Facebook page for the blog to receive all my updates here: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Matt Berninger – “One More Second”

October 27, 2020 — Leave a comment

I could write my own tune about herbs, but I wouldn’t find the Thyme. New post is up!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for "Serpentine Prison" (Released: October 16, 2020) (via Concord Records)
    Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Serpentine Prison” (Released: October 16, 2020) (via Concord Records)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and I’m here to write up about your daily track on the blog, seeing as it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Known for his low-pitched, growling, somewhat “Classic” Baritone voice, The National’s frontman Matt Berninger is quickly on his way to becoming an icon of Indie Rock music, if not already. When seeing him live, he truly is a great sight to behold – and he’s been dabbling into solo work lately. “One More Second” is the latest single from “Serpentine Prison”, which marks his debut full-length solo album release. The record was originally announced nearly a year ago, and it finally dropped on October 16th following a few Covid-related delays. It’s had a few detractors, but it’s gained mostly positive reviews from critics and fans alike, landing a solid 77/100 on review aggregate site, Metacritic. It was produced by Berninger alongside Booker T. Jones (the famed producer and former frontman of Booker T & The MG’s), for Book Records, an imprint label of Concord Records which Berninger and Jones have formed. Let’s give a moment to “One More Second” below.

“Serpentine Prison” was recorded at Earthstar Creation Center in Venice, California – and Berninger has dedicated the new album to his grandmother Elaine and his old college professor Gordon Salchow. “One More Second” is a ballad that doesn’t stray too far from his established sound motifs, as part of The National, with lyrics that resemble poetry and light acoustic riffs that build to a bittersweet hook, but the focus is much more personal this time around. Berninger asks: “The last time we were together/Lately it feels like forever” and “Why can’t you just tell me what you’re doing here?/Don’t be cruel, if you’re leaving me, just do it right here”, over a lifting set of piano notes and intimate Organ work that disappears awkwardly in the intermittent spades. The chorus is built to slowly, and it sees Berninger deliver: “Smokes in our eyes or in the distance/Either way, we’re gonna miss it/When it’s gone” as a slightly off-kilter Organ line leads swiftly to an unmelodic stab of Toy-ish keyboard riffs that gradually begin to rebel against the acoustic Folk instrumentation. The lyrics deal with the breaking of a long relationship with another, even possibly hinting towards some themes of corrupted marriage and divorce, and a sense of jangly, disorganized structure seems to promote this value. I think the biggest strength of the track is Berninger and his vocal performance. He sounds like he is genuinely in a lot of pain – in a good way. This makes up for a hook that aches with ideas of heartbreak and disconnection, and it makes the bleak and darkly anecdotal vocals seem worth the downtempo listening. Although it’s not necessarily a bad thing – I feel the track falters a little in sounding a bit too much like The National rather than doing something that feels more subversive or distinct, but you could argue that Berninger’s core formula doesn’t necessarily need to change much to sound effective. For this reason, it’s solid.

  • Pictured: Matt Berninger on-stage with The National (2018) (Photo by MediaPunch/REX/Shutterstock)
    Pictured: Matt Berninger on-stage with The National (2018) (Photo by MediaPunch/REX/Shutterstock)

Thank you very much for reading my new post! Tomorrow, we’re back at it again. I’m going to take an in-depth look at the new duo project from Richie Thomas (a.k.a. Dif Juz) and Simon Raymonde, who is the former bassist of Cocteau Twins and the founder of the respected UK indie label Bella Union. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: The Mountain Goats – “Get Famous”

October 23, 2020 — Leave a comment

I’m just here to win your heart and soul – That is my goal! It’s time for your daily post!

  • Pictured: John Darnielle (Lead Vocals/Acoustic Guitar/Piano), Peter Hughes (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals), Matt Douglas (Flute/Saxophone/Clarinet) and Jon Wurster (Drums) (2017) (via Bandcamp)

Good Afternoon to you, I am Jacob Braybrooke and I’m here to write about your daily track on the blog, as always, because it is routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! The dawn of Friday means that it’s time for a handful of new album record releases to drop, and one of the weekend’s selections that I am personally most looking forward to hearing is “Getting Into Knives”, the nineteenth (!) studio album by cult favourite American Indie Folk band The Mountain Goats. Back in the day, John Darnielle and Co. used to produce their own music on low-fidelity Cassette Tape recordings to be released on both Cassette or 7″ Vinyl formats, and they’ve since become one of the most influential pioneers of production and songwriting of their genre. “Getting Into Knives” follows last year’s “In League With Dragons”, 2017’s metal-themed “Goths” and 2015’s wrestling-themed “Beat The Champ”, and it was recorded at the Sam Phillips Recording Studio in Nashville with frequent collaborator, Matt Ross-Spang, in the very same room that The Cramps recorded their debut album in. The latest single, “Get Famous” features work from organist Charles Hodges, and it comes with a bobble-head themed music video marking their first official music video in five years. Darnielle had this to say about the track in a press release: “If I told you all how much fun we had making this one you wouldn’t even believe me, but we hope it comes through”. Let’s see the results below.

“Get Famous” is a Horn-Inflicted acoustic track which makes fun of modern celebrity culture, and Darnielle said this about the recording of the new LP in the album’s notes: “We would work until midnight and then return to the house where all four of us were staying, directly across the street from the studio, and hang out for hours on the patio”, showing the band’s dedication to their love for writing music and producing their material independently. “Get Famous” also feels like a satire towards mainstream industry practices, and the mentality that major record labels have of trying hard to make each of their artists get very popular, at a rapid pace, before possibly allowing them to lose a stream of relevance later on. Such ironic lyrical motifs are an old-school tactic used by the Indie Folk band, and it’s really nice to see them returning to a classic trademark of their sound once again. Darnielle’s lyrics feel bitter, if slightly relaxed, as he sings: “You were born for these flashing lights/You were born for these endless nights” with an upbeat, poetic pace as the Organ sounds and the Horn sections layer a hazy sense of Americana. There is noticeably a classical Jazz element to the overall sound, with a bold and sweeping Brass instrumental whistles through the chorus, a part where Darnielle slightly growls as he declares: “Go on and get famous/I want you to be famous” in the chorus, before a more rhythmic chorus where he sings: “Shine like a cursed star/Show everybody exactly who you are” over a fairly soulful Saxophone section that adds upon the poisoned chalice that is fame and the powerful Pop machine. Although these themes are widely typical of The Mountain Goats, there’s enough variety with a reference to late-Chicago musician Wesley Willis, and the sampled effect of a crowd applauding over a referential line from Darnielle, to keep things from feeling too formulaic or predictable, and the Jazz sensibilities are delivered at a pace which feels brisk and crisp enough to feel upbeat and witty. Overall, the sound is quite a familiar one, but it’s also one that feels delightfully old-school and classic of the band’s trademark sound in it’s approach. It’s not likely to really change the world or anything, but it feels warm and I couldn’t ask for much more as a loyal fan of their music. As the old saying goes, it’s simply as solid as a rock.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Getting Into Knives” (Released on October 23rd, 2020) (via Merge Records)

The Mountain Goats also released a surprisingly wrestling-themed album, “Beat The Champ”, back in 2015. It’s well worth a listen and you can find my thoughts on the monumental single “The Legend Of Chavo Guerrero” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/05/wwe-wrestlemania-36-weekend-special-the-mountain-goats-the-legend-of-chavo-guerrero/

  • Pictured: John Darnielle with Chavo Guerrero Sr. in “The Legend Of Chavo Guerrero” video (in 2015)

Thank you very much for reading my new post! As always, I’ll be back at it again tomorrow, with an in-depth look at the latest single to be released by another American indie rock band who I’ve also been a loyal follower of, for a number of years. The new track is made in collaboration with the new film from the film director Sofia Coppola, of which the band’s front-man is actually married to! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Sorry – “Starstruck” (Single Version)

October 15, 2020 — Leave a comment

How I’d feel if I met Richard D. James, Natalia Dyer or Gaz Coombes! New post time…

  • Pictured: Asha Lorenz (Lead Vocals/Songwriter), Louis O’Bryen (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals), Lincoln Barrett (Bass Guitar), Campbell Baum (Keyboard), Marco Pini (Drums) (2020) (Photo via DIYMag.com)

Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and I’m here, once again, to get typing up about your daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Previously known as “Fish”, Sorry are an indie-rock band from the streets of North London, and they are currently signed to the London-based label, Domino Records. Lead Vocalist Asha Lorenz and Lead Guitarist Louis O’Bryen make up the typical lineup, while bassist Lincoln Barrett, keyboardist Campbell Baum and drummer Marco Pini also make up the touring line-up. The band have a musical style which is difficult to truly define under a certain genre, with an 80’s Post-Punk guitar sound that dabbles into New-Wave influences, prominent Swing instrumentation to signal for an element of Nu-Jazz, and usually the odd Post-Grunge sensibility or the sprinkling of of Hip-Hop here and there, with synth instrumentals that evoke an insight of Trip-Hop. “925” is their debut album, and this was released back on March 27th via Domino Records. It received mostly positive reviews from critics, although a few of the reviews cited a slight lack of cohesion in pulling all of these ideas off. As with most debut full-length LP efforts, it is mostly comprised of some previously released material, along with a few brand new tracks, and so “Starstruck” has actually been doing the rounds since last November, in fact. It has since been re-issued as a “Single Version”. Let’s stream the intriguing track below.

Sorry were originally scheduled to embark on a U.K. headline tour straight after their debut album, “925”, was released, but due to that pesky Covid-19 pandemic, well…We all know how that turned out. It’s a shame, because, to my ears, I think that tracks like “Starstruck” would play out very well in that vital live environment. The overall sound of “Starstruck” mostly evokes the 00’s Garage-Punk style which bands like The White Stripes and Sonic Youth have pioneered, while the vocal performance and the staggered production touches do also give off a slightly more moodier, blues-driven quality to the proceedings, which also convey tonal similarities to Goldfrapp, or The Kills. Asha Lorenz mutters: “I don’t play quite like you do” to start off a few parts, almost with a whispered delivery, over the top of a low-slung bassline as the sound hurls towards it’s jagged, stuttered wiry guitar lines, that make up for a hook-driven chorus, as Lorenz adds: “And you did it again/Starstruck” as a repetitous line of tight and coursing lead guitar riffs envelop themselves in a cocoon of seduction and disgust as the alluring sound collages a grooving refrain-of-sorts. The verses take on a style more reminiscent of a duet, when Lorenz and O’Bryen’s vocals circle around each other with a feel of hatred, but also with an odd sense of sexual and lustful motifs, created by the more low-tempo instrumentation and the fragmented delivery of the drum beats. “You’re the expert, no I wouldn’t question why/You’re the looker, sugar, liquor, And I’m the rotten apple to your eye” adds a sense of damaged love, and the rhythmic pre-chorus, “Foolish antics, breaking even/Fragile, feeble, breaking even” slightly veer into Hip-Hop delivery with it’s sharp delivery, and audible phrases like a gross “Blegh” subvert the ideas of a typical love duet, by adding the quality of distaste which forms the thorough-line for the experiments of genre within the track, forming a cohesive edge. I can relate to a few of the criticisms citing the slight lack of power in fleshing out these different genres into a slick-rounded feel, but I also like how the track plays to an off-kilter and non-conventional way of production. As soon as you’ve figured out where, in rock history, the track is headed in terms of it’s genre, Lorenz and O’Bryen flip it on it’s head once again. The guitar work is also addictive in it’s distortion and I like the smoky quality it gives off. An alluringly moody Punk piece.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “925” (Released on March 27th, 2020) (via Domino Records)

Thank you for reading my new post! As always, I’ll be back tomorrow for an in-depth look at more music before we begin the build to that all-important Scuzz Sundays piece. Tomorrow, I will be taking an in-depth look at a more mainstream release from an Indie Rock group currently signed to Universal Records imprint, Island Records. The track has also been in the public eye for a decent length of time, since 2018, as a matter of fact. But, like Sorry, it’s been re-released, in recent months, as part of a double-single EP. The group are from Leicester and they came second in BBC’s Sound Of 2020 poll. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Mercury Prize 2020 Special: Michael Kiwanuka -“Hero”

September 26, 2020 — Leave a comment

Winner, Winner – Michael needs to eat his chicken dinner! It’s time for a special post…

  • Pictured: Michael Kiwanuka live in session for Annie Mac on BBC Radio 1 (2020) (Photo via BBC Sounds)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and I’m writing up about your daily track on the blog because, as per usual, it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Another year has quickly rolled by ever since North London MC Dave won last year’s Mercury Prize with his controversial album “Psychodrama”, and that means it’s time for the judging panel (which actually includes one of my heroes, Supergrass member, Gaz Coombes) to crown a new winner for this year’s edition of the prestigious award, of which includes previous winners such as PJ Harvey (the only two-time winner ever to date), Skepta, Pulp, Elbow, Arctic Monkeys, and rather more forgettably, Klaxons. I breathed a sigh of relief as soon as I found out that the results had been announced, to find out that my predicted pick of Dua Lipa’s “Future Nostalgia” had not won. (I thought it would, since I guessed the media would want to ram her down our throats just that little bit more). It was actually Michael Kiwanuka who walked away with the award, for his third full-length LP effort “Kiwanuka”, which was released in November 2019, which is still within the annual eligibility period. To earn the award, Kiwanuka beat out the likes of Kano, Moses Boyd, Porridge Radio, Sports Team, Lanterns On The Lake, and Stormzy. I’m not very familiar with Kiwanuka’s work if I’m being truly transparent with you, but I know that he is very critically-acclaimed and he is very popular in the US, and I know this thanks to one certain presenter on KEXP who had played him three times in a row as a competition when I was listening into their show one afternoon. Kiwanuka won BBC’s Sound Of 2012 poll, along with receiving nominations for BRIT Awards, MTV Europe Awards and BBC Music Awards, and so I have definitely heard his name quite a lot! Anyhow, let’s hear what the fuss is about with the album’s single, “Hero”, below.

Jimi Hendrix would be the obvious comparison to make here. That’s a good thing, and I feel that “Hero” is also drenched in a post-60’s psychedelia that feels layered and embedded textually within the decadent guitar riffs. He is clearly taking a lot of influence from 70’s Soul for the track as well, and this adds more sumptuous detail to complement his defiant vocals, which have a contemporary, hard-hitting impact as he compares the murder of 1960’s activist Fred Hampton with the newsworthy shootings going on in the US as he sings: “It’s on the news again, I guess they killed another” in the opening verse. The first half of the track consists of simplistic, gentle acoustic guitar strums as he discusses racial issues across the pond. The instrumentation is diversified for the second verse, which marks a dramatic key change for the track, as Kiwanuka begins to hit his stride into a 70’s Psych-Rock groove, as he repeats: “Am I a hero now? To die a hero, is all that we know now” above a scratched vocal effect and also a reasonably distorted synth line that lingers in the background. The vocals never really develop into a further rhythm that takes the lyrical context beyond it’s initial meaning, but the progression of the chords and his expression of dissent add different moods and textures that flicker between guitar-driven pacing and more neo-psychedelic sounds at a swift fluidity. For me, this keeps the rather repetitive hook from getting too stale, with rousing guitar melodies that change between a 60’s Blues feel and a soulful 70’s aesthetic with a moment’s notice. Overall, I like it. For me, I probably wouldn’t rush out to the Piccadilly Records and just buy it, but I’m still looking forward to hearing more of it through streaming the record online. Personally, I feel as though more thematic progression of the lyrics may have kicked it up to another level, but it still feels intriguing and cool. I do think he is a decent pick to win the Mercury Prize though because it feels very expressive and nicely culturally diverse, while not seeming overly P.C. in the sense of it feeling “forced” or “preachy”, and the news-related lyricism mostly make it sound as though these themes are a natural part of this music. He receives a seal of approval from me.

  • Pictured: Michael Kiwanuka in a promotional photoshoot (in 2020) (Photo via Olivia Rose/BBC Music)

You can also still read my breakdown of last year’s Mercury Prize winner, Dave, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/09/21/mercury-prize-2019-special-edition-dave-streatham/

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Kiwanuka” (Released on November 1st, 2019) (via Interscope Records)

Thank you very much for reading my Mercury Prize Special Edition post! It was a good one, right? Do not forget that I’ll be back for another special blog post tomorrow with a new weekly installment in our Scuzz Sundays series, where we have an in-depth listen back to an ancient relic of the Emo-Rock and the Pop-Punk genres, released between the late-1990’s and the mid-00’s, to see if it holds up in the present times! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Songhoy Blues – “Worry”

September 14, 2020 — Leave a comment

Don’t Worry, Be Happy was actually sung by Bobby McFerrin! It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Garba Touré (Lead Vocals/Writer), Aliou Touré (Lead Guitar/Ocassional Backing Vocals), Oumar Touré (Bass Guitar) and Nathanael Dembélé (Drums) (in 2020) (Photo via Fat Possum Records)

Good Morning! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and, like usual, I am writing up about your daily track on the blog, since it is still routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Kicking us off this week, we have Songhoy Blues. Songhoy Blues are a 4-piece Indie Rock group from Mali who linked together in their native Malian capital city of Bamako in 2012. It’s a rather interesting backstory on how this quartet got together, as they relocated from Timbuktu, and lived in Bamako after being forced to leave their original homes during the Malian Civil War that began in early 2012 due to the imposition of Sharia Law. If you’d like to learn even more, their one of the principal subjects of a documentary film on the war, “They Will Have To Kill Us First”, which was released in 2015. For now, this is a group who specialise in Desert-Rock and Blues-Rock, and they got their band name after describing their music to journalists as “Desert Blues” during the early days of their time together. “Optimisme” is their third studio LP record, and it’s due for release on October 26th via Transgressive Records. Let’s cast our fears away with “Worry” below.

“Worry” is the group’s first song to be written and performed entirely in English, and vocalist Aliou Touré described the songwriting process on this track to Owen Murphy, in an interview with KEXP: “We need hope. We need to come together. And when we get worried, there’s no way to think positive. So we don’t have to be worried, we don’t need that bad energy around us. Otherwise, we’re not going to be able to go through this situation we are in. So that’s why we wrote this song. Who can talk to everybody to keep their self-control. To not get worried and then we can be optimists together.”, and it’s an optimistic (Or should I say… Optimisme?) outlook that fuels the melodic energy of “Worry”. The opening verse sees Touré reciting: “Nothing’s come for free, When you get it free – you will lose it freely” over a potent backing bass guitar riffs provided by his brother. Gradually, it becomes a notch more polyrhythmic, with the group’s duelling vocals “Keep your self-control/Keep your eyes open” being repeated over virtuosic guitar work and a throbbing drum signature pattern, as it begins to feel more rooted in 60’s Rock N’ Roll as we get blended Malian cross-rhythms and finger-shredded, riff-driven guitar patterns. The chorus bursts through: “Don’t worry, You’re gonna be happy/Keep fighting today”, with “That smile will come today” just permeating through a rapturous blend of Post-Punk and 70’s Blues-Rock, as a traditional African melodicism drives the positive lyricism forward. I will say that I don’t think the lyricism is anything to especially write home about, but I strongly feel that Songhoy Blues have done a great job in conveying their African musical culture to a Desert-Rock format very nicely, as well as to a global, more casual audience really suitably. Their guitar solo’s keep layering on top of energetic vocals with a steadfast and sharp ease, feeling suited to our modern times of Covid turmoil. It’s a thumbs-up!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Optimisme” (Available from October 23, 2020) (via Transgressive Records)

Thank you very much for reading my new post! As always promised, I will be back tomorrow, with an in-depth look at the brand new single from a new 4-piece act who simply describe themselves as “Minimalist Rock from Leeds” and have, thus far, only released two singles, and are signed to the Zen F.C. underground indie label. It comes highly recommended from me, however, and I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I always do! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Billy No Mates – “Hippy Elite”

September 8, 2020 — Leave a comment

A little birdy once told me she’s close friends with Larry Loner. It’s time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Billy Nomates” (Self-Titled LP) (Released on August 7th, 2020)(via Invada Records UK)

Good Morning! I am Jacob Braybrooke and, like always, I’m typing up about your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my routinely day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! The amusingly named “Billy Nomates” is the alias of British singer-songwriter Tor Maries, who told The Guardian that she started playing in bands in her 20’s, which sadly never went anywhere, and it led to a period of depression. It was a live gig from Sleaford Mogs that rekindled her passion for writing music, and she set up shop with her laptop, and she began floating between Bristol and Bournemouth to write, produce and perform her own material again. She originally hails from the Melton Mowbray area of the rural North East county of Leicestershire. Her No Wave style straddles between the old-school punk of Nick Cave, the youthful energy of Sonic Youth, and the Jazz-fuelled Americana of Emmylou Harris. Maries’ debut album, a self-titled LP, was released on August 7th via Invada Records in the UK, and she mastered her new album with Portishead’s Geoff Barrow as her engineer. Describing her record, she told NME in a recent interview: “In a world of Yes Men, I’ll be a No Woman, thanks”. Let’s sign for the “Hippy Elite” below.

Giving her take on climate emergency and global environmental pollution, Maries’ instead subverts your pre-conceptions with “Well, I wanna save the Whales too, but it’s a f***ing Wednesday afternoon, so a Canvas Bag and a smile is the best I’ve got for you” with a razor-sharp sense of anecdotal wit, after declaring to herself as “It’s okay, I’m a terrible person” as a mid-tempo, gentle Drum Machine beat loops itself over the top of a bitter, repelling bass guitar riff. Some of these lyrics turn out to be the funniest I’ve heard during the year, with “Well, one time, I cycled all the way home/Because this planet is our only one/But nobody saw it, and I felt all the worse for it, and it wasn’t my bike” truly standing out as an honest highlight. Later on, “If I had all that money in my pocket, drank all that local beer and ride that ego rocket” pokes fun at the wealthy, higher conservative elitism. The chorus is an expansion of these ideas presented in the post-chorus bridge, as Maries’ spitefully recites: “All the things they do, I don’t disagree/Purgatory, for me” before she wonders: “If I could only quit my job, and join the Hippy Elite” as the electronic Synth beats start to take shape, and the electric guitar riffs continually keep up a mid-tempo pace and form a groove that sits along the consistent bass guitar melodies with relative ease. There isn’t really a whole lot going on here melodically, with the focus remaining mainly on Maries’ resentful vocals and the attitudinal, genuinely funny lyricism. However, she builds the track with solid use of electric lead guitar patterns and riff-driven bass chord production to carry her personality across, along with recurring, programmed Synth beats and subtle, yet polished, electronic Drum textures that keep the momentum from lowering too much, as if to keep meandering around, as the lyrics glide between one comical rhyme to another. It skews poetic, but there are also elements of Country and Desert-Rock creeping in. Overall, I find this to be thoroughly entertaining throughout and the humor successfully manages to keep itself afloat and never get uninteresting due to the 60’s and 70’s New-Wave Punk template of her musical formula. I think it takes a longer time to properly connect with than some of the other recent output that’s been featured on the blog as new releases lately, but it’s re-playable and mature, like a fine wine. The achievement is that it’s a real grower.

  • Pictured: Billy Nomates pictured in promo materials for the Farmfestival in Somerset (in 2020) (via PR/press shoot)

Thank you very much for reading my new post! As always, I’ll be back at it again tomorrow, with an in-depth look at the latest single from another new album that was, rather coincidentally, released on the exact same day as the debut Billy Nomates album. It marks the second joint-album collaboration between two incredibly talented, no-nonsense Black musicians, as producer L’Orange links up, again, with US rapper-lyricist Solemn Brigham, for a new sequel to their defining work for label Mello Music Group’s portfolio. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio – “Inner City Blues”

August 14, 2020 — Leave a comment

What do you call a Wizard who Potters around the house a lot? Harry! New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Inner City Blues” (Single/EP) (Released on May 22nd, 2020) (via Colemine Records)

That has nothing to do with today’s track, by the way, I just wanted to make you roll your eyes! Anyhow, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up your daily post on the blog since, as you’re aware of, it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Also known as DLO3, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio are a Jazz Fusion group based in Washington in the US, who formed in 2015, under a different original line-up. Their band name refers to how Delvon Lamarr, who is obviously at the helm of the trio, switched to playing the Organ at the age of 22 after playing the Drums and the Trumpet since an early age. Lamarr now works with Jimmy James (Guitar) and Dan Weiss (on Drums) to make up the trio. Commercially, they are probably best known for their debut album, “Close But No Cigar”, which reached the #1 spot of the US Contemporary Jazz Albums Chart when it was released in 2015. “Inner City Blues” marks a new era for the Colemine Records label, who have launched the “Brighter Days Ahead” initiative as a response to the COVID-era difficulties being faced by independent labels. As a result, they have been releasing a new single, from their artists, weekly on their Bandcamp page to coincide with Bandcamp’s waiving fees on the day, meaning that 100% of revenue from sales goes directly to the artists. This is a cover of Marvin Gaye’s 1971 track “Inner City Blues (Make Me Wanna Holler)” from his landmark LP, “What’s Going On”. Let’s give it a spin!

An upbeat, instrumental version of a vintage 70’s classic track, which can be a hit-or-miss prospect in the odd few cases, Delvon Lamarr Organ Trio put a new spin and a different perspective on Gaye’s original composition with a hefty splash of cool, involving Acid-Rock guitar lines and a Dub-based Funk style which reminds me of Khruangbin, amongst a casual and contemporary Jazz format that seems akin to GoGo Penguin. Driven by an airy Organ harmony, as per usual from the Seattle-born trio, the Jazz trio infuse elements of Soul and Swing that recreates the authenticity of a 1970’s New Orleans sound. Its embellished with short Brass sections and joyous, childlike keyboard chords to replace Gaye’s original lyricism of the bleak economic situation of the 70s and his informed lack of support from the government during the recession with deep bass guitar lines and increasingly layered Classical instrumentals to create a hopeful and optimistic mood with a vintage 70’s Jazz Fusion feel. Jimmy James turns the Funk up a notch on his guitar part, with consistently grooving, light-hearted guitar patterns. Meanwhile, Dan Weiss creates warm Drum beats that feel momentous, increasing the pace from Gaye’s recording, before it comes together with a mellow finish. Frankly, they all play perfectly well individually, but they all sync-up together very cohesively, and that springs the record to life. A head-nodder of a cover.

  • Pictured: Delvon Lamarr (Keyboard), Jimmy James (Guitar) and Dan Weiss (Drums) (2020) (via Promogogo.com)

Thank you very much for reading my daily blog post! Don’t forget that your weekly edition of Scuzz Sundays is coming up very soon, but in the meantime, please make sure that you visit the blog again tomorrow for an in-depth look at the brand new solo project from the frontman of one of the world’s most internationally popular Alternative Rock music groups, Sigur Ros. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Willie J. Healey – “Fashun”

August 13, 2020 — Leave a comment

Let’s get to it, Strike a pose, there’s nothing to it – Vogue! It’s time for your new post…

  • Pictured: Willie J. Healey in a shot to promote the release of “Twin Heavy” (2020) (Photo Credit: Hollie Fernando)

Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up your daily post on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to get typing up about a different piece of music every day! A singer-songwriter from Oxfordshire, Willie J. Healey has established a new-found freedom and imagination as the result of his departure with major label, Sony. He told Ali Shutler of NME: “When I was dropped I remember thinking, ‘You idiots – I’m the next Paul McCartney”, as he follows up his meandering debut album from 2017, “People and Their Dogs”, with his second album “Twin Heavy”, a record that he’s crafted in 1970’s psychedelia decadence, which he released last Friday, now as an independent artist. He’s been working on the 12-track follow-up LP with Loren Humphries, a producer who has previously worked with the likes of Florence & The Machine, Tame Impala and The Last Shadow Puppets. “Fashun” is the lead single of the new album, a track that has been getting very popular as it’s been making the rounds on BBC Radio 1’s Indie Show With Jack Saunders, X-Posure with John Kennedy on Radio X, and an A-list spot on the daytime playlist selection on BBC Radio 6Music, along with a memorable appearance on an Instagram live-stream where Healey visited Piccadilly Records in Manchester, the UK’s largest independent record store. Listen to “Fashun” below. Warning: Keep your Volume down at the start.

I hope your headphones were not on full blast – That’s all I can say, before a delicate acoustic guitar strum diffuses the tension. Willie J. Healey’s “Fashun” feels lustful and flamboyant, as he dials up the theatrical aesthetics of promised fame and overhyped superstardom with a mocking, knowing wink, as he recites: “You’re gonna be a big star, honey/A real household name” with a satirical, knowing wink at his former label, and the negative experiences that he lived during his time as a puppet for executive big-wigs at a media institution. He pulls on 1990’s Brit-Pop influences for the verses, which feel quieter than the chorus, with gentle guitar work and a catchy drum beat, as the tongue-in-cheek lyricism shines through: “How’s your father been? Is his heart still pumping” in a Soft-Pop croon which calls back to Elvis Costello and Lonnie Donnegan. The bridges harken back to 70’s Glam-Rock, as Willie sings: “Oh, it’s not your fault/That you’re wild, you know” above a sparking keyboard riff that leads to a neat, reflective guitar solo. He later introduces 60’s Doo-Wop female backing vocals to the mix, swooning us away with: “The cream rises to the top, they tell me/I’m going to be best friends, with fame” above an authentic 80’s guitar rock sound, and a dreamy backing guitar riff that makes it feel almost like a parody of The Beatles. Overall, I think it’s brilliant, and even the bantering track name of “Fashun” shines through on a track that displays very likeable, expressive lyrical prowess alongside the satire and evocative aesthetics of 70’s, 80’s and 90’s Pop, with a quirky songwriting style that feels reminiscent of Pulp, and “Pure-Pop” moments of sharp, luminescent melodicism that makes me think of Supergrass. It heavily reminds me of Prefab Sprout’s “The King Of Rock N’ Roll” in a neat way, since that’s one of my favourite 1980’s tracks. If he plays his cards right – this may just make him a household name…

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Twin Heavy” (Released on August 7th, 2020) (via Yala! Records) (via Bandcamp.com)

Thank you very much for reading my daily blog post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, as we switch gears with an in-depth look at a recent track from an American 3-piece Jazz group who also dabble in Soul and Classical, best known for playing an organic instrument that you would find in a church. Their debut album went straight to #1 of the US Contemporary Jazz Albums Chart in 2018. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime