Today’s Track: SAULT – “Wildfires”

July 28, 2020 — Leave a comment

Well… this is gonna make my image gallery for today really boring. It’s new post time!

Pictured: Cover Artworks for “5” and “7” (Albums) (Released in 2019) (via Forever Living Originals)

Is this an Enigmatic treat, or just an aa-SAULT on the ears? Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, as per usual, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! What is there to write about SAULT? Not much, as there’s little to no information on them. All we know is they’re a trio. They are based in London. They are signed to Forever Living Originals, and they drew high acclaim from NME, The Quietus and NPR for the release of two albums in 2019, titled “5” and “7”. As Alexis Petridis, of The Guardian, put it: “No one seems to know who they are, but one thing is for sure: SAULT make hooky, dubby, funky music with echoes of ESG and Can”. In response to the #BlackLivesMatter movement and political protests, SAULT have uploaded a brand new full-length album, “UNTITLED (Black Is…)” to their Bandcamp page, explaining: “We present our first ‘Untitled’ album to mark a moment in time where we, as Black people, and of Black origin, are fighting for our lives”. They’ve clearly been working very hard, with the rapid turnaround. Let’s listen to the lead single, “Wildfires”, below.

Their Spotify biography mysteriously reads: “Add a little SAULT to your life”, and it’s a simple plea that anybody could follow up on pretty easily. on “Wildfires”, SAULT demonstrate now, more than ever, how their music is firmly rooted in dense Black musical traditions, with the sound drawing from the likes of Afrobeat, Soft-Funk and R&B, but predominantly remaining to be a Neo-Soul record. A smoky, but vulnerable, female lyricist recites: “You should be ashamed”, pointing a finger at the US law and order system, before singing: “The bloodshed on your hands… Take off your badge, we all know it was murder”, as a gauzy and meditative synth line glosses over a hand-clapped drum beat and a calming bass guitar riff. The verses also address systemic racism in the US, but it’s more directed closely to SAULT’s personal thoughts and opinions on police brutality, as the female vocalist pines for a better future, and expresses a desire to escape from the political issues, adding: “We are dying, it’s the reason we are crying” to the emotionally-driven core of the heart in the lyrics. A call-to-arms: “But we will never show fear/Even in my eyes/I will rise, In Wildfires”, is used as the narrative thread, to string the anthemic and Ballard-like ideas together. It’s got a hefty amount of depth to the songwriting, and the lyrics can be painful and heavy to process in your head, but it never feels desperate or as though it’s deliberately seeking attention for the group, as instead, the Soul-driven backdrop and the elements of the Blues influence, created through the soft piano section and the mellow guitar-based instrumentation, convey a soothing and light texture. It’s also very refreshing to see a band make a name for themselves in secrecy and mystery, at a time where imagery can often be an over-saturated part of the multi-media music industry. Overall, this is another solid hit for the band. You should definitely check out “Why Why Why” and “Let It Go”, from the two previous albums, while you still can too.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “UNTITLED (Black Is…)” (Released on June 19th, 2020) (via Forever Living Originals)

Thank you for reading this post! Tomorrow, I’ll be switching things up with an in-depth review of the lead single from the new album created by an act which isn’t really a “band” per-say, but it is more described as a collective of various musicians, film producers, street artists and costume designers from Vancouver who contribute to fresh music which straddles between Art-Rock and Post-Punk. 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: Leila Moss – “Atoms At Me”

July 21, 2020 — Leave a comment

You’ll have a hard time studying her Particle-ular theories! It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Liela Moss in an official press photoshoot to promote “Who Got Power?” (2020) (via Bella Union)

It’s an Atomic Bombshell! Good Morning to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and, as always, I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! “Atoms At Me” marks the beginning of an exciting spread of new music from Leila Moss, a London-based musician and songwriter who is a key member of English indie rock band The Duke Spirit, along with her electro-rock side-project Roman Realms, a duo with Duke Spirit bassist Tony Butler. Liela Moss has confirmed the news of “Who Got Power?”, a new solo LP, due for the release date of August 7th via Bella Union. To go along with the announcement of the new album, Moss has dropped the music video for it’s lead single, “Atoms At Me”. It was directed and filmed by her neighbor, who is IYEARA vocalist Paul O’ Keefe. Not a completely random favour, then. Moss explains: “I am dancing with the walls and grooving in the recesses. Preparing – but hesitating – to reveal more of myself. The visual quality softly distorts and abstracts me, hinting at the way we keep old emotional patterns at bay; a bit too afraid to bring them to surface, to witness your needs and fears with clarity.”, with an electronic sound that deviates from the acoustic, serene sound of 2018’s “My Name Is Safe In Your Mouth”, her personal debut solo release. Let’s hear the results of the beautiful concept below!

The beginning of the track evokes Folk and Blues, as we find Moss delving deeper into Dark-Wave and New-Wave, while lyrically searching for a fiery immediacy, calling for her senses to find a new passion for modern society. A raspy, but not harsh, acoustic guitar line paves the way for the first verse, Moss croons: “Be a beginner when you’re older/Can I climb back into my bed?” and “Everybody’s buried into my shoulders, everyone that I’ve ever met”, before she layers a Gospel-driven, aired backing vocal above a bridge: “Wake my senses up right now, you know I can’t be right this time”, before a chorus that bursts with disquiet Bass Guitar riffs and harsh Keyboard lines. Moss recites: “Say whatever you mean, Atoms coming at me/”Say whatever you want, I’m just following me”, before interrupting proceedings with a softly distorting synth bed, teasing an Acid-Pop element that never quite goes to the forefront. The guitar work is Industrial and contorted, but the overall tone remains to feel uplifting amidst the self-reflective lyricism. The lead guitar and bass guitar melodies create a tense atmosphere, but they feel hopeful and open as Moss holds onto each chord for as long as possible, opening the contextual meanings out, and making the fantastical aesthetics sound spacious, but grounded in reality. The addition of the short Acid lines feel intriguing, layering a simmering Dark-Wave throb on top of the acoustic instrumentation to make the synths evoke 1980’s-era New-Wave. A Marimba is briefly used to complement the breathy, summer feeling of the vocal sections. It basically sounds like a Bluesier, more alternative Florence & The Machine, with a decent vocal performance, which teases the album effectively. It’s good music – not rocket science!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Who The Power?” (Available to buy from 7th August, 2020) (via Bella Union)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, with an in-depth look at a track that was brought to my attention yesterday, but the new album of the project was released in April earlier in the year. The track comes from an American Alternative Hip-Hop duo from Seattle, Washington who produce rap music that never stops experimenting, having released four studio albums on the Sub-Pop Records label. The duo curated part of the programme for the Dutch music festival “Le Guess Who?”. 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: Phoebe Bridgers – “I See You”

June 23, 2020 — Leave a comment

I spy with my little eye, something beginning with New Music! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Phoebe Bridgers in a promotional artwork photoshoot for “Punisher” (in 2020 (via PR/Dead Oceans)

Good Morning, Afternoon or Evening – My name is Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! One of the most highly-anticipated album releases in recent weeks has been “Punisher”, the new album from visionary emo-folk independent rock singer-songwriter Phoebe Bridgers. Based in Los Angeles, California – but born and raised in Ukiah, California – Bridgers made a name for herself as a part of two groups: Boygenuis and Better Oblivion Community Center. She has built up a promising solo career and a loyal fan following with the help of her universally acclaimed debut solo LP, “Stranger In The Alps”, released in 2017. Her music has been described as “exquisitely raw and revealing” by Sam Sodomsky, the staff writer of Pitchfork, and as “wise beyond her years” by Josh Modell of The AV Club. “Punisher”, her second solo LP, was released on June 18th by Dead Oceans – brought a day forward from the original date of release to encourage donations for racial injustice in response to the #BlackLivesMatter movement. “I See You”, stylized by Bridgers as “ICU” on the album, is her most recent single. Let’s have a listen below.

Based on her breakup with ex-boyfriend/drummer Michael Vore, who co-wrote the track and plays the drum parts on it, Phoebe Bridgers’ “I See You” feels more radio-ready than some of her darker tracks from her new album, but it’s still by no means a compromise of decent quality in favor of commercial viability. “I See You” begins with a backdrop of throbbing drum patterns, before Bridgers’ vocals eerily creep in: “I’ve been playing dead my whole life/and I get this feeling whenever I feel good, it will be the last time” are recited over the top of minimalist guitar riffs and skittering synth beats, but a fiery sense of aggression keeps bubbling underneath the pop-friendly instrumentals. A percussive break leads into a later verse, where Bridgers wails, over a Mellotron beat,:”I used to light you up/Now, I can’t even get you to play the drums/Cause’ I don’t know what you want/Until I f**k it up” above a steady stream of idiosyncratic lyrics and tired guitar riffs mixed in with peppered synthesizer washes. As she documents the exhaustion of leaving her anger behind, she also busts out funny lines about hating her ex’s mother, sections which contrast the punk-fueled rage with sad moments of self-reflection. The vocal delivery reminds me of the bleak low-tempo of The National, but her reliance on using synth-led refrains make her feel original. To conclude, it all comes together to form an infectiously solid folk-ballad that takes cues from Blues and Dream-Pop to illustrate her strength and vulnerability. This is a well-structured, mature showing from one of the tip-top popular new talents.

Pictured: Vinyl Copy of “Punisher” (Released on June 18th, 2020) (via Dead Oceans) (Photo via Eel Pie Records)

Thank you for reading this post! In regards to #BlackLivesMatter, we endorse the peaceful protests on One Track At A Time. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. Don’t forget to join me tomorrow, where we’ll be marking the release of Khruangbin’s highly-anticipated new album “Mortdechai” with an in-depth listen to “Pelota”, the latest single to be released from their new, third LP record. 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: Lanterns On The Lake – “Swimming Lessons”

June 18, 2020 — Leave a comment

They binge watched loads of “Spooks” in preparation for this herd. It’s new post time!

Pictured: Hazel Wilde (Lead Vocals/Multi-Instrumentalist/Writer), Paul Gregory (Lead Guitar/Producer), Bob Allan (Bass Guitar), Angela Chan (Violin/Cello) and Oliver Ketteringham (Drums/Percussion) (in 2020) (via http://www.DIYMag.com)

Good morning or Afternoon or Evening, or whenever you’re reading this! I am Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because, as per usual, it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! “Spook The Herd” is another one of those new-ish releases that I’ve been meaning to get around to writing up about, on the blog, for a little while now, but since that if you don’t do it in lockdown then you never will, it easily deserves a showing now. “Spook The Herd” is the new album from Lanterns On The Lake, a 5-piece Indie Rock group hailing from Newcastle. The group are led by the very talented multi-instrumentalist and songwriter Hazel Wilde – also comprised of Paul Gregory, Bob Allan, Angela Chan and Oliver Ketteringham. “Spook The Herd”, their fourth album, was released on February 28th by Bella Union in Europe and PIAS Recordings in the US. From start to finish, the album is a diverse trip through a wide sonic palette and more traditional electronic rock instrumentation. “Every Atom” is a fantastic slow punk ballad, yet “This Is Not A Drill” feels aggressive and unrelenting. The album was released to positive reviews and some airplay on BBC Radio 6Music, but it otherwise seemed to release to underwhelming fanfare, which is a shame considering that it’s pretty well-produced! Let’s see them perform “Swimming Lessons” from the recent album below.

A track which I first heard on John Kennedy’s X-Posure evening show for Radio X, “Swimming Lessons” is my favourite outing from “Spook The Herd” because it conveys the band’s abilities to create melding folk amidst electric instrumentation. Hazel Wilde’s vocals sound very passionate when she boldly proclaims: “When they come for us/Pull me in tight” over despondent electric guitar riffs and uplifting, fast-paced drum notes. Each verse builds to a punk-driven crescendo of eruptive bass guitar chords and delicate String sections, even if Wilde is crooning: “Like a flood light in a power cut” over a synthetically modulated vocal part which echoes above the layered, organic instrumental noises. The vocal delivery within these verses feel wry and dry, but it’s noticeably self-restrained, which really reminds me of The National, a more well-known group who I am a big fan of. Each layer of the track flows into a touching display of methodical folktronica and progressive post-rock inflictions, leading up to a powerful chorus refrain which feels cinematic in broad strokes, as Wilde wails: “When they take their aim/Repeat after me, When I say, I think the time has come to let go of their side”, and relaxes her tense guard over light synth riffs and minimalist guitar strums, although it retains it’s feeling of grandeur due to the remains of the layered crescendo. It may be lacking just a little bite to make them seem more distinctive, but it’s a very solid and impressively consistent track that feels anthemic, but it sadly didn’t quite receive the attention that it perhaps deserved to get. “Spook The Herd” is worth a listen for sure – so it may be time to rectify this error!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Spook The Herd” (Released on 28th February, 2020) (via Bella Union/PIAS Recordings)

Thank you for reading this post! In regards to #BlackLivesMatter, we endorse the peaceful protests on One Track At A Time. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. I’ll be taking a trip back to the Big Beat electronic days of the mid-1990’s tomorrow with an in-depth look back at a classic dance floor-filler from a British duo who only have two album releases to their fairly big name. All I can say is this – Bentley’s gonna sort you out! 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: Kirsty MacColl – “There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis”

June 12, 2020 — Leave a comment

Did you know that Elvis is not dead? I heard him on the radio! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Kirsty MacColl in a photoshoot to promote “Desperate Character” (1981) (Photo Credit: Smooth Radio/Getty)

That guy better get spiking his hair and get a-rocking-and-a-rolling then! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day, even on my Dad’s birthday! You would probably know Kirsty MacColl best from her collaboration with The Pogues on the 1987 Christmas hit “Fairytale Of New York”, but she also struck out on her own as a successful solo artist. MacColl was born on October 10th, 1959 and she grew up with her mother and brother Hamish in Croydon. Unfortunately, her life was cut short by a tragic accident while on holiday in 2000, where she was deep sea diving with her sons in the Chankanaab reef and a powerboat was speeding towards them. MacColl saw it coming, but the boat ran over her after she moved her 15-year-old son out of its way. MacColl was originally signed by Stiff Records, and she had a few hits in the 1980’s and 1990’s. This includes “They Don’t Know”, which was famously covered by Tracy Chapman in 1983. “There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis” was released back in 1981. It was one of her highest-charting singles, and it reached #14 in the UK Singles Chart, where it stayed for nine weeks. It reached #9 in the Irish Singles Charts. An interesting fact about the track is that, in the promotional version for the US, the very British “Chip Shop” line is replaced by “Truck Stop”, but this was only handed out to the Radio DJ’s version and it wasn’t given a full CD release. Take a listen back to the track with a title far too long to write again below.

MacColl deserves a few bonus points, just for that title. “There’s A Guy Works Down The Chip Shop Swears He’s Elvis” sees her gallop confidently through Western, Country and Blues sensibilities, but it largely comes across as just a Novelty effort and not a lot more. MacColl croons about resisting flirty talk from a guy, who, as you’d guess, works down the chip shop and swears he’s Elvis, adding: “Just like you swore to me that you’d be true” and “But he’s a liar, and I’m not sure about you” to add a poetic effect to the chorus’ refrain. She also shows a pessimism and sarcastic tone in the guy’s teases, singing in the second verse: “News is you changed your pickup for a Seville” and “Cos’ you’re out there on the phone to some star in New York” before showing her attitude: “I can hear you laughing now/And I can’t help feeling that somehow/You don’t mean anything you say at all” before a guitar solo and a longer version of the chorus ends it. The acoustic instrumentation is simple throughout, with a three-note guitar groove in the verses, and an added line of piano notes in the chorus, with an upbeat lead guitar solo near the end. It sounds energetic enough to get a crowd jiggling around for a bit, but it rolls along for three minutes without doing anything very interesting, and it doesn’t innovate or experiment in any real ways. The novelty factor would provide a small burst of fun and the title is a great one for a Zoom quiz, but the music itself leaves room to be desired, and it seems forgettable overall. But, just who is the guy who works down the chip shop, if he’s not really Elvis?

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Desperate Character” (Original Album Release in July 1981) (via Polydor Records)

Thank you for reading this post! As a reminder, at One Track At A Time, we endorse the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Please go and check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at a recent single from a female solo artist, who is the lead vocalist of the popular French-English indie punk band Savages, to mark the release of her new album! 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: Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – “She’s There”

June 8, 2020 — Leave a comment

Rolling Blackouts CF are back again! Here comes the Tide! It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Sideways To New Italy” (Released on June 5th, 2020) (via Sub-Pop Records)

Good Morning! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and it is the start of a new week! I’m here to write about your daily track on the blog since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Last Friday, the tide of new music releases unleashed the second album from Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever. Pun Intended, of course! “Sideways To New Italy” is the Australian 5-piece Psychedelic Indie Rock outfit’s very highly anticipated sophomore follow-up to their debut record “Hope Downs” from 2018. It’s a fairly quick turnaround for a new full-length release, but their debut album became hugely popular with music critics and rock lovers alike, which really provided a platform for the band to build up a huge following and earn a large amount of both critical and commercial success. The sound of their new album dabbles slightly more into Experimental World and Blues genre influences, as heard on “She’s There”. Have a listen to the track “She’s There” from the album below.

A track that instantly reminded me of the acoustic summer romance sounds of cult 00’s folk-pop group The Magic Numbers, “She’s There” from Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever (Stylized by the band as Rolling Blackouts C.F.), is a good platform for the band to show off their refined Jangle Pop sensibilites, although the lyricism sadly doesn’t grab my attention as much as it could. It feels wistful, as Fran Kearney croons: “Stuck on the edge, she said/Time, it’s a river” over a sparkling composition of licked guitar motifs and whimsical backing vocals from Tom Russo, with a robust drum beat added in for extra punch. The chord progression is fast, but the guitar work is noticeably a bit more restrained, as shown on the instrumental break between the final two vocal parts. The final section is a powerful outro with a festival-primed guitar solo after the band croon “All my accidents breathe in time” together, which displays their great cohesion of instrumental skills as a band. I like how all of the band members contribute something different to the sound, and the mid-tempo sentimentality of the pacing is sure to please a few ears. For me, the slight deceleration that is required of the hook-built pop melodies slows it down a little too much and the songwriting doesn’t peak as much as it did on the first record because it could do with a little more intensity. It is a solid 3-star track, but it just strolls into territory which feels a little forgettable to me. The good guitar work and the band’s cohesion are plus points.

Pictured: Fran Keaney (Lead Vocals/Acoustic Guitar), Joe White (Lead Guitar), Tom Russo (Rhythm Guitar/Backing Vocals), Joe Russo (Bass Guitar/Percussion) and Marcel Tussie (Drums) (2020) (press shoot via DIYmag.com)

Back in March, I wrote an in-depth post about “Cars In Space”, the first new single to be released from the new album “Sideways To New Italy”, as a promotional teaser – which I also gave a mixed, but quite positive review. If you loved this, why not check it out here?: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/03/24/todays-track-rolling-blackouts-coastal-fever-cars-in-space/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Cars In Space” (Single) (Released on 10th February, 2020) (via Sub Pop Records)

Thank you for reading this post! Just to remind you, at One Track At A Time, we endorse the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Please check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at a new track from an excellent Industral Hip-Hop duo from the US who brought the release date of their new album forward to coincide with the protests. On top of that, it’s now a FREE download! 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/

Scuzz Sundays: Ocean Colour Scene – “Hundred Mile High City”

June 7, 2020 — Leave a comment

This indie scene is not fit for a Beauty Queen – It’s time for a new Scuzz Sundays post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Marchin’ Already” (Released on 15th September, 2007) (via Island Records)

Good Morning! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up your weekly Scuzz Sundays post on the blog following up on my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! It’s the time of the week where we revisit an old Pop-Punk or Emo-Rock track from the late-1990’s to the mid-2000’s, the likes of which would have been played on the defunct Scuzz TV rock video channel, to see if it holds up to this day! Ocean Colour Scene are a 4-piece Indie Punk band from Birmingham who formed in 1989. After steadily rising up the ranks due to their support slots for Paul Weller, Ocean Colour Scene became very commercially successful in their own right. Their third LP record, “Marchin’ Already”, shot straight up to #1 in the UK Albums Chart and became one of the highest-selling albums of the year in 1997. The band have had 4 more top ten albums, with 17 top 40 UK Singles, including 6 Top 10 singles, to date. “Hundred Mile High City” was one of their biggest hits, reaching #4 in the UK Singles Chart, as a single from their third album. The track was certified platinum. The songs from the album were made up of previous material the group had recorded since forming years earlier. It famously knocked Oasis’ “Be Here Now” off the top spot to achieve it’s No. 1 status, of which Noel Gallagher responded by sending them a golden plaque declaring them “The Second Best Band In Britain” – after The Beatles, of course. Let’s take a listen back at their top mainstream hit below.

A nodded reference to Northern Soul, “Hundred Mile High City”, the Britpop Brummies craft a guitar-tactic retro rock anthem that gives them a sense of vigour and potency to stand them apart a bit from the likes of Oasis, Weezer and Jimmy Eat World. However, the soulful edge struggles not to fade away, due to the commercial feel of the songwriting, making the lyricism feel like a much less interesting part of the track. The visceral chords provide fun, so it’s not without it’s merits. Simon Fowler leads: “So I said I’m on the roam so I need a car/And I know that I’m getting alive” over a well-honed guitar riff that peaks and boroughs throughout the track. The chorus is chant-led, with the band exclaiming: “I get a need and I’m wanting to please it/I gotta face and I’m wanting to feel it” and “The more I feel it, is the more that I need it/The more I need it, is the less that I believe it”, a rhythmically positioned refrain which keeps getting repeated over a three-note guitar-note structure for maximum layering effect. Steve Cradock contributes a resonant guitar solo, before the high-pitched blast of a whistle being blown closes the track out. There is an underlying Funk influence that keeps it refreshing and the guitar-oriented rock beats have a good sense of energy that would appeal to live crowds. The songwriting feels dull, however, with a laddish tone which makes the tedious chorus section start to get quite tiresome near the end. It isn’t bad overall, though, it just struggles to maintain it’s consistency a little. Look past these gripes and you get a youthful-sounding, fairly inspired punk track which sounds radio friendly, without sounding too overly produced. I wouldn’t say they’re “The Second Best Band In Britian” – but they’re far from the second worst!

Pictured: Simon Fowler (Vocals), Steve Cradock (Lead Guitar), Raymond Meade (Bass Guitar) and Oscar Harrison (Drum Kit) (Current band line-up as of rescheduled December 2020 & January 2021 UK tour dates) (Photo via press shot)

Thank you for reading this post! Just to remind you, at One Track At A Time, we endorse the #BlackLivesMatter movement. Please check your local area for good charity causes that help those directly affected by racism and injustice. I’ll be kicking off the new week tomorrow with another brand new single from an Austalian indie-rock outfit with a lot of buzz to their name who just released “Sideways To New Italy” last weekend on Sub-Pop Records, the highly-anticipated follow-up to their breakout debut album from 2018. 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: Jealous Of The Birds – “Ode To Fire”

June 3, 2020 — Leave a comment

Not quite the “Ode To Joy” we learned how to play in school! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Jealous Of The Birds (Naomi Hamilton) in an interview with Stephen Byrne (2018) (Photo Credit: Goldenplec)

Good Afternoon! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, as per usual, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Naomi Hamilton, a singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist from Portadown in Northern Ireland, is the brains behind the brawn of Jealous Of The Birds, the pseudonym for her alternative and indie folk music project. Currently based in Belfast, Hamilton has a string of critically acclaimed EP’s to her name, like 2018’s EP “The Moths Of What I Want Will Eat Me In My Sleep”, a reworked version of her self-released 2016 album “Parma Violets”. Great name. In recent times, Hamilton’s been working with longtime collaborator Declan Legge, a manager and sound board, on some brand new material. In March, she released the new single “Ode To Fire” after signing with Canvasback in the US and Indie Hand In Hive in the UK. I first came across the track on John Kennedy’s X-Posure show in the weekend evenings on Radio X. Have a listen to “Ode To Fire” in the lyric video below.

“Ode To Fire”, The follow-up to last year’s single offering “The Grass Begins To Eat Itself”, sees Hamilton enlist the production help of Marta Salongi, an Italian mixer and recording engineer who has worked with Bjork and M.I.A. in the last few years. Mainly an Acoustic Rock-driven track that was written by Hamilton in a tiny apartment on a writer’s block trip to Lisbon, Portugal, Hamilton places a large emphasis on emotive lyricism and simple guitar-led instrumentation. She softly sings “Ride the 28th up through old town/cherry trees cast their blossoms down” over a very light synth effect and a mellow bass guitar riff, followed by a short bridge consisting of a longer guitar riff. She becomes more visceral in the chorus as she bellows: “What is rest, If I cannot sleep next to you?” and “What is warmth?, What is truth?, If I can’t have an effect on you?”, seeming rhetoric as she questions her isolation in a fading connection with a former lover. The second verse is poetic: “Memory folds itself on desire/I am ice, but married to fire” as she challenges the notion that opposites attract. Lyrically, she ponders her mental sense of time and place in a poetic and idyllic way. The style is slow-moving, but an underlying emotion of fury carries the chorus forward. It almost sounds like if Dido were to make an acoustic rock ballad, combining a feeling of mellow warmth with a controlled anger. It’s not hugely melodic, but it’s an interesting piece of music which shows decent songwriting merits and pulls a soft Blues influence out of its top hat. It’s good. I’ll keep my eyes peeled for more from her.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Ode To Fire” (Single) (Released on March 20th, 2020) (via Northern Transmissions)

Thank you for reading this post! At this time, I ask that you please stay safe at home, don’t do anything silly and keep on washing your hands! I will be showcasing another track from an emerging artist that I heard on John Kennedy’s Xposure weekend evening show on Radio X tomorrow! It comes from a very talented female solo singer-songwriter who is an Australian-American indie dream pop artist who is based in Oakland, California. She’s now signed to Polyvinyl Records following her three-year run on Marathon Records. Pun intended, of course! 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: Iceage – “Lockdown Blues”

May 7, 2020 — Leave a comment

You won’t find a Mammoth, a Squirrel, or baby, in this Ice Age! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Elias Bender Rønnenfelt (Lead Vocals), Johan Surrballe Wieth (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals), Jakob Tvilling Ples (Bass Guitar) and Dan Kjær Nielsen (Drums/Percussion) (2014) (Photo Credit: DIY Mag)

It’s certainly a bright Spring day and not an Ice Age in my part of the UK! I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! It turns out that it’s not just Benjamin Gibbard, of Death Cab For Cutie fame, releasing music about their lockdown experiences for the benefits of their local charities. “Lockdown Blues” comes courtesy of Iceage, a Danish 4-piece rock band from Copenhagen with four albums under their belt. The single was inspired by the empty schools and frontline workers in the band’s dead environment, with all proceeds from the track’s sales on Bandcamp going directly to Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders). Let’s listen to “Lockdown Blues” and reflect on its thoughts with the lyric video below.

“Lockdown Blues” is the first piece of output that I’ve personally ever heard from Iceage and it’s messages are maybe a little less relevant now that it is over a month old, but it’s a strong effort at a punk-based charity single that feels different to a novelty charity track or the acoustic ballads we’ve been getting otherwise. The lyricism does not beat around the bush at all, as Elias Rønnenfelt sings: “Covid-19/Lockdown Blues/The only way out is through/A wraithlike peril spread across the seven seas” with the Celtic-Punk touch of a searing guitar chord and a Bluesy touch of instrumentation. He sings about social distancing: “Empty shelves in barren streets/Confined domestic quarantine” and navigates the viewpoint of a party animal in a lonely and isolated time: “How the itching for lost touch is deafening”, all of which gets delivered by clean, Indie Rock production values and a post-punk touch of black comedy with a wicked humour to it. The faster paced section puts an emphasis on the guitar-driven melodies and the youthful, rebellious sound. While I can’t say that it really encourages you to stay at home, it puts a spin of hopefulness onto the current circumstances. I like how it addresses the elephant in the room in a bold way and it’s a refreshing change of pace to the somber tone of similar tracks inspired by our quarantine situation. The chant-led vocals may seem a bit too laddish for some listener’s tastes, but I certainly think it’s very appealing to a young target audience and the track is a strong effort in making the best out of a bad situation, while feeling a little bit different to other topical releases. You’ll have to mosh to it at home though!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Lockdodown Blues” (Single) (Released on 2nd April, 2020) (via Escho Records)

Thank you for reading this post! As per usual, please make sure that you be careful, don’t do anything silly and keep washing your hands! I’ll be back tomorrow to take a short break from my final university work with a look at the brand new track from a British multi-instrumentalist and rapper who wrote his famous debut album on a laptop in his bedroom, featuring an Australian artist seen at the forefront of the Psychedelic Rock genre. 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: Sharon Van Etten – “Beaten Down”

May 5, 2020 — 1 Comment

If she were baking a Cake, she’d need to Beat the Eggs Down! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Sharon Van Etten performing a live set at Worthy Farm at Glastonbury Festival (June 2019) (via BBC Music)

Good morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and – you guessed it! – I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! “Beaten Down” is the new single from American singer-songwriter and actress Sharon Van Etten, who had one of my favourite albums of 2019 with “Remind Me Tomorrow”. On that album, her fifth overall, she was the “Comeback Kid” by name and nature, making her return to writing music after a 5-year hiatus to give birth to her son and star in Netflix’s “The OA” series as Rachel. Etten’s recently continued to display her acting chops with “Never, Rarely, Sometimes, Always, an Eliza Hittman-directed film where she plays the lead role. It remains to be seen whether this is a one-off single or a slow build to a follow-up album, but she says “Beaten Down” is a ballad on love, empathy and patience: “It’s about making life-changing choices and remaining strong enough to see them through.”, wrapped up in her typically dark Bluesy, Chamber Rock style that sounds moodily atmospheric. Let’s have a listen to “Beaten Down” in the video below.

“Beaten Down” sees Etten veer slightly away from the Folk-inspried, Bruce Springteen-esque characteristics of her Desert Rock textures of her previous album as she experiments with electronic instrumentation more fully, dabbling into a sound which feels more cinematic and self-reflective. The lyrics are bleak, but radiant, as she croons: “Your big ol’ heart takes a lot on/Shoulders the world/It takes a lot to unfold/And you compromise so don’t try to understand” over a darkened percussion sound and sparse electronic beats. She continues: “We’re dig on life/You try to see her but she wants you back/And you see it all over our face” while the bass, drums and guitar riffs filter into a dark synth undercurrent between the layering of the harmonies of the chorus. She declares, in a soft pitch,: “It ain’t beaten down” as the riffs become more keyboard-oriented, leading to a more vibrant sonic palette. It’s an impressive work of art which manages to expertly blend a chilling, ghostly presence with a quiet confidence that shines throughout the pain on the record. Etten’s music is the perfect companion for when you want to indulge in a sadness and “Beaten Down” is a cerebral track that doesn’t feel melodic, but there is enough of a chord progression for it to develop a Synthpop element. Etten shines in her quiet brilliance!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Remind Me Tomorrow” (Released on January 18th, 2020) (via Jagjaguwar Records)

Thank you for reading this post! As always, I hope you enjoyed it! Stay safe, don’t be a nutter and keep washing your hands! I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at the calming new track from a British folk musician who was nominated for Best British Female Solo Artist at the BRIT Awards in 2011, 2012, 2014, 2016 and 2018, as well as her previous album being nominated for a Grammy Award in the Best Folk Album category. 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