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: Jockstrap – “The City”

June 17, 2020 — Leave a comment

The two giving ‘The Beauty and The Beast’ a needed modern spin! It’s new post time!

Pictured: Georgia Ellery (Lead Vocals/Violin) and Taylor Skye (Backing Vocals/Producer/Flute) (2019) (via BBC News)

This Experimental duo are inseparable… Or, so it seems! Good Morning, I am Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because – as I keep reminding you each time – it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Jockstrap, along with 5-piece alternative punk group Squid, are one of the most recent sign-ups to the iconic Warp Records label, which has housed a range of genre-blurring artists like Aphex Twin and Squarepusher since the 1990’s. Jockstrap are a brand new duo from Guildhall, London comprised of youngsters Georgia Ellery and Taylor Skye, who met while studying at the Guildhall School Of Music and Drama in 2016. It’s very difficult to box the duo into one specific genre, and Kev Geoghegan of BBC News called them “The music duo defying description” in 2019. It’s fair to say that “Acid”, their single released in April, completely blew my socks off. “Acid” paired soft violin strings with metallic synth beats, with classical-style lyrics, that created an odd ballad of strange Acid-Pop sounds. I was delighted to read that Jockstrap have been working on their second EP, “Wicked City” – and it’s set to release this Friday! Get a taster of the unique duo with new single “The City” below.

In a way that feels inspired by “Acid”, the duo mesh two seemingly different songs together to lull you into a false sense of security and comfort, before unleashing an unexpected storm of strange, surreal brilliance on “The City”. Again showing off an impressive vocal delivery, Georgia Ellery starts: “The city I met was pink/I tasted the city, ate out in the city” over a somber Piano line and very minimalist instrumentation as she remembers her time spent in a city shared with someone who is no longer part of her life, and a dream or a fantasy that never materialized. The piano notes feel lonely, and Ellery continues to sing in an old-fashioned crooner style that gives off a broken record effect, before, all of a sudden… They flip the switch. An aggressive, industrial synth beat creeps into the frame, which glitches and buckles with heavy distortion effects, and the duo put the use of feedback noise to strong effect by making this plot twist sound glitched and trippy. The tempo shifts with disorientation, and the pitch dips in-and-out of a compressed high-pitched and an overly bass-driven reverb delivery. The vocals dramatically change from a child-like lullaby to a freakish nightmare, as Ellery spins the surreal spoken word section with lyrics like “I sat on the beaver’s face/He sat on the beaver’s face and told him what the problem was” and “Ginger Marmalade/Plastic Jelly, Jelly”, that sound nonsensical and cold to a degree that makes it begin to feel grotesque. Ellery’s vocal pitch delivery sounds incomprehensible, ranging tremendously, with a beat that feels influenced by hip-hop and drum-and-bass in it’s ever-winding distortion effects. The innocent piano ballad feels beautiful and soft, while the lysergic second half is visionary and uncomforting – and this bewilderment is what is making me feel captivated by Jockstrap. I even prefer “The City” to “Acid” due to it’s energetic storytelling, and a sound that has to be experienced individually. I could never see this track getting on a daytime radio playlist of any station because there’s no way that the mainstream are going to get it – but I don’t want them to. The sound feels very creative and inspired, it seems a bit too clever for the masses. It’s faultless. I’m highly excited for the new EP.

Pictured: Georgia Ellery & Taylor Skye in a press shoot to promote the release of “Acid” (2020) (via DIY Mag.com)

You can also discover or revisit “Acid”, along with my positive thoughts on it here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/03/21/todays-track-jockstrap-acid/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Wicked City” (EP) (Set for release on June 19th, 2020) (via Warp 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. I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at a slightly older track that I didn’t get around to covering earlier, from a Newcastle 5-piece Indie Rock band led by Hazel Wilde who are signed to Bella Union in the UK, and PIAS Recordings in the US, who released their underrated fourth album “Spook The Herd” back in February! 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: Jehnny Beth – “Heroine”

June 13, 2020 — Leave a comment

The Heroine we wanted – but not the one we expected to get! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Jehnny Beth performing with Savages at an undisclosed gig (in 2018) (Photo Credit: Raymond Flotat)

She ain’t no Wonder Woman, she is more like an Anti-hero. Good Afternoon, my name is 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! One of the weekend’s new releases is “To Live Is To Love”, the debut solo album by Jehnny Beth, a French multi-Instrumentalist and songwriter whose musical journey began in late 2006 when she moved to London with Nicolas Congé to pursue a musical career as a duo. Since then, Beth has built up an impressive and dedicated fan following as the frontwoman of Savages, a French-English alternative rock band who have been nominated for the Mercury Prize awards in both 2013 and 2016. Beth has released three singles to support her first-ever solo album, which was released yesterday, on June 12th, on Caroline Records. Originally set for it’s release in May, delayed due to Covid-19, Beth’s album was produced by Atticus Ross and it features contributions from Joe Talbot and Romy Madley Croft. The Forty-Five called it: “a wide-ranging sonic exploration of love, sex, lust, and desire.” Let’s have a listen to “Heroine” below.

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

The latest single to be released from the new record, the intrinsically dark melodies of “Heroine” pairs beautifally with the lighter instrumentation to create a diverse and powerful social commentary of the widely discussed modern themes of femininity and self-empowerment. Beth explicitly refers to sex: “All I want is some good use of my great body” and “All I want is to go dancing with the devil” over stuttering lines of electronic guitar riffs and a radiant line of Gospel-like backing vocals. The distortion of her voice during the breakdown is a nice touch, while the reverberated drum patterns create a tense atmosphere that draws you in to the vocals and songwriting. She is constantly using an “All I Want” refrain to connect her lyrical parts together and she noticeably sings in a first-person, internalized style to directly convey a reflective stream of her thoughts and emotions. “All I want is to be the woman you never see”, a hook in the chorus, and “All I want is to never fall in love again”, the opening line, are particularly effective in creating an aggression that bubbles underneath throughout the track. Beth relaxes her guard with long vocal notes and light Brass sections as she cries: “She must be there” at the end of the track. All in all, it makes for a compelling listen. You might want to check out the other singles “Flower” and “I’m The Man” too. The layered effects make for an excellent bit of artistry and she clearly has a lot to say.

Pictured: Signed CD Bundle of “To Love Is To Live” (Released on June 12, 2020) (Buy from store.universalmusic.com)

Thank you very much 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 your new weekly edition of Scuzz Sundays, where we take a look back at an era-defining late 1990’s- mid 2000’s emo-rock or pop-punk record from my childhood to see it it still holds up! 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: Baxter Dury – “I’m Not Your Dog”

April 30, 2020 — Leave a comment

In times like this, here is one of the reasons to be cheerful! It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Baxter Dury in promotional material artwork for “The Night Chancers” (2020) (via The Yorkshire Post)

Good afternoon, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and, as per usual, I’m writing about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write to you about a different piece of music every single day! Baxter Dury is another artist who I’ve been meaning to shine a spotlight on the blog for a while now. He is the son of the legendary British songwriter Ian Dury. The passing of Ian Dury is still deeply affecting to this day and Baxter Dury was very close to his father Ian, even appearing on the front cover of Ian’s debut album, “New Boots and Panties!”, released back in 1977. Baxter left school at just the young age of fourteen in order to pursue his musical interests. “The Night Chancers” is his sixth album, arriving after a four-year gap since he released his fifth album, “Prince Of Tears”. Baxter Dury follows a somewhat similar vein to the likes of his dad, Jona Lewie and Dave Kelly, writing 80’s-style pop music with a higher level of intellect than your typical pop release. Let’s have a listen to “I’m Not Your Dog” below.

One of the leading singles from his “The Night Chancers” new album release, it goes without saying that Dury’s really observing and looking into a past 70’s period of dark synthpop in order to craft his own cinematic sound that feels more revised than his father’s shadow or Jona Lewie in connecting with his modern, contemporary audience. This video depicts Dury walking across a beach in sadness and isolation as an odd-ball, French female backing vocal and a claustrophobic, Kubrick-esque keyboard riff that feels very ominous, almost demonic. Dury writhes: “I’m not your f***ing friend” over a moody synthesizer line, before Dury later continues: “But, I’ve followed you everywhere/Some people like to watch, Some people like to show”, over a sharp electronic beat, later adding: “And I watch a bit too much/You show too much”, layered above a filtered grand piano section that feels downbeat and simplistic – but it gets repeated, although sporadically and sparsely, for more dramatic heft. The lyrics are decidedly one-note and thinly scattered, but they feel powerful and moving due to their minimalist production and I feel the small dispersement makes them feel more important when they are used. The enigmatic lyrics are complemented by spacious synth riffs and the cerebral, gradually developing structure adds a perplexed and claustrophobic feel to it. Overall, it’s very character-driven and cinematically produced, with an underlying coldness to the stripped back guitar lines and the subtle string sections. It’s slow and methodical, but it’s told intelligently and it’s darkly melodic. He stands alone – but in a very good way!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “The Night Chancers” (Released on 20th March, 2020) (via Heavenly Recordings)

Thank you very much for reading this post! Stay at home, stay safe, keep on washing your hands and listen to all that advice! Please join me on the blog again tomorrow, where I’ll be having some fun by commemorating the big release of Chicano Batman’s new album “Invisible People” with a final look at “Blank Slate”, the last single to be released from the album! I look forward to it! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every daily new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Scuzz Sundays: Editors – “Munich”

April 26, 2020 — Leave a comment

If you’re asking to be my Editor, you’ll be cutting a long story short! It’s Scuzz Sunday!

Pictured: Tom Smith (Lead Vocals, Piano), Russell Letch (Bass Guitar, Synths), Edward Lay (Drums), Justin Lockey (Lead Guitar, Backing Vocals) and Elliott Williams (Keyboard, Backing Vocals) (2013) (via Festileaks.com)

Good morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! If you’ve just joined me, Scuzz Sundays is the time of the week where we revisit a well-known pop-punk or emo-pop anthem from either the late 90’s or the mid 00’s, to see if it holds up, the likes of which would have been played on the defunct Scuzz rock music video channel on Freeview TV. I can never believe it’s the end of another week when it comes around! This week’s trip down memory lane is more of a post-punk tune than the ones that I may normally cover, but it’s a popular track that I can remember growing fond of at the age of 7 when it was first released in the midst of my Robot Wars obsession era. I remember a level in a Robot Wars PC game being named Munich. Anyways, “Munich” is a single released by Editors, a highly established British post-punk revival band, on their debut album – “The Back Room” – released in 2005. The band have been going for 15 years now and they released “Black Gold”, a Best-Of compilation album, last year, along with a world tour announcement. “The Back Room” wasn’t initially a big success commercially until many of the singles were re-issued in early 2006 after it got a nomination for the Mercury Prize, after being released to positive reviews, leading to a marketing push. “Munich” was one of the best, reaching the specific spot of #10 in the UK Singles Chart in January 2006! Time to take a trip to “Munich” below!

Released towards the beginning of the mainstream post-punk revival period of the mid-00’s, an 80’s synth-inspired commercial movement made popular by the likes of Lostprophets (The less said about their frontman, the better), Franz Ferdinand, Interpol, The Cribs, The Bravery and BoyKillBoy (Anyone else remember those?), I don’t think it comes as any accident that “Munich” struck a chord with casual music listeners, but that’s not to say it doesn’t deserve a fair share of artistic credit. “Munich” is based around a fast tempo and a heavy, repetitious bass guitar riff that’s easy to nod along to, along with synthesized keyboard elements. Tom Smith, the lead vocalist, chimes: “It breaks if you don’t force it/It breaks if you don’t try” and “With one hand, you calm me/With one hand, I’m still” in a cold, calculated and methodical Baritone vocal hum which sounds a little bit Leonard Cohen, but distinctive to his peers. The highlight of the track, for me, comes with the chorus, a part that’s matched by a frenetic drumming chord and a sharp electric guitar riff as Smith croons: “People are fragile things, be careful what you put them through/People are fragile things, you should know by now/You’ll speak when you’re spoken to”, lines which are delivered with a decent emotional weight to them, creating a mildly spine-chilling effect. Although Editors were at an early part of their career when “Munich” was released and they were just finding their feet as a group without truly doing much differently to the other post-punk bands in their era, it’s really just the quality of the music itself that I would point to as the reason why it has stood the test of time. The tone feels gloomy and dark, while the synthesized instrumentation adds a level of urgency and foreboding gloom to the sound. Smith’s sarcastic lyricism: “I’m so glad I found this”, adds a level of urgency to the focus on the sonic bass riffs that move away from an acoustic style. It isn’t really a groundbreaking record in terms of any utter experimentation, but the different pieces of the British, grim sound fit together very densely. The result is a great “daytime radio” track – one that feels pretty underrated.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “The Back Room” (Debut Album) (Released on 25th July, 2005) (via Kitchenware)

I have previously covered “Black Gold” by Editors on the blog here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/10/15/todays-track-editors-black-gold/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Black Gold: Best Of Editors” (Released on 25th October, 2019) (via PIAS Group)

Thanks for reading this post! I hope that you enjoyed this week’s edition of Scuzz Sundays! It’s business as usual tomorrow, where I’ll be kicking off the new week with a classic, that you don’t hear very often, from an Irish Rock band which had a series of big hits in the UK and Ireland when they were active between 1975 and 1986. The band had a reformation in 2013, but without two members of the band’s original line-up! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every daily new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Moby – “Power Is Taken”

March 7, 2020 — 1 Comment

In the words of the great Scott Pilgrim in the 2010 Edgar Wright-directed cult classic film, “Once you were a Vegan and now you will be gone”! – It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Moby (Richard Melville Hall) with his “Vegan For Life” neck tattoo (2020) (Photo Credit: Jonathan Nesvadba)

Did I mention that he’s a Vegan? I’m Jacob Braybrooke, writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! “Power Is Taken” is the 90’s EDM-rave new track from American electronic composer Moby, who is also a famous animal rights activist and a bestselling author, having published four books, including two memoirs and a photo gallery. He was born in 1965 and raised in Harlem, before moving over to New York City in 1990 to pursue his interest in Electronic music and he then became a very prolific DJ after finding his roots in the underground Punk scene in the decade prior. “Go” and “Porcelain” were his breakthrough hits, before the release of his fifth album, “Play”, in 1999 – an album which is still regarded as one of the all-time best. His seventeenth album, “All Visible Objects”, is set to be released on May 15th via Little Idiot and Mute Records, with the new LP record facing a two month setback, as it was originally set for release in March. The album’s sales will go to eleven not-for-profit organizations. Let’s hear the new single, “Power Is Taken”, below.

The music video for “Power Of Taken” begins with a gleaming array of light ambience, before the comic-art drawings lead to a dramatic shift in tension, as a frightening strobe synth line and a beat-driven punch of siren noises, mixed with a Prodigy-esque, unashamedly mid-90’s drum machine melody. D.H. Peligro powerfully recites: “We who hate oppression/Must fight against the oppressors/Power is not shared/Power is taken”, a line which hints at a call of political action. That’s more or less it for the vocals, as an aggressive line of heavy synthesizers and energetic jolts of acid-techno beats maintain the forefront of the track. It slows down for a breather at the 3-minute mark, before the heavy layer of raved-up dance beats call for a final run, to the imagery of real-world brutality in the video. It has a very daring and aggressive nature, with a clear defiance in focus. The problem is how the vocals feel brief and vague, along with a repetitious EDM beat which doesn’t feel very contemporary. A rebellious and youthful spirit is created, adding a decent sense of tongue-in-cheek fun, but it lacks the meticulous production of Moby’s down-tempo phase. I’m also struggling to really identify who it’s for, as these kinds of rave tunes aren’t being played in mainstream venues anymore and the 90’s kids who fell in love with Moby in his peak era might not really go clubbing anymore and it’s not really the kind of track that you would sit and play at home either. The general gist is that it feels outdated, a sentiment of sadness since the underground trance genre still has a niche. I think that it’s fun and entertaining for a little while, but it’s sadly not very original or interesting!

Pictured: Moby (Richard Melville Hall) in a press shoot (2019) (Photo Credit: Mo Kaufer/www.dancingastronaut.com)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow with another weekly installment of my Scuzz Sundays blog series! Be prepared to take a stroll down my personal memory lane of late 90’s to early 00’s emo punk anthems! 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: Moses Sumney – “Me In 20 Years”

March 2, 2020 — Leave a comment

Goodness knows how I’ll end up in two decades for now! It’s time for your daily post!

Pictured: Moses Sumney in a press photoshoot for “Me In 20 Years” (February 2020) (Photo Credit: Eric Gyamfi)

20 years is almost double my own age! I’m Jacob Braybrooke – an (almost) penniless student – writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! This is a track which I’ve recently heard from our latest radio music package from the SRA for my university’s student radio station, which comes courtesy of Moses Sumney, who is an experimental Soul singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, California – over in the States. Sumney made his first steps in the music industry by touring with Sufjan Stevens – along with the likes of Junip and Dirty Projectors as well, performing on live tours as their supporting act. He released his debut LP record, “Lamentations”, in 2017 – and now he’s back with “Grae: Part 1”, which he dropped over the last weekend. “Grae: Part 2” is, as you may have figured out by now, the second chapter of his new double release strategy, which becomes available for purchase on May 15th, 2020 – a day which also houses the release of both parts in a physical format. A little bit like Foals did for “Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost” parts 1 and 2 last year. Let’s hear his new single, “Me In 20 Years”, with the lyric video below.

Moses Sumney, exhibiting his very distinctive and his softly feminine voice, croons about his difficulty of accepting that an intimate relationship has now ended and he self-reflects on the errors of how he’s been treating himself emotionally, as well as repressing his abilities to find a new experience to diffuse the pain of the heartbreak, on “Me In 20 Years”, a gentle electronic ballad filled with a noticeable late Bowie mannerism and a sultry, ambient texture that blurs the lines of art-punk and lo-fi, alternative Jazz characteristics. Under a feral, glitched falsetto, which is layered above a dizzying line of wavering synthesizers, he starts: “Hey, after all these years/I’m still here/Fingers outstretched/With an imprint on your bed”, as a minimalist productions style comprised of astral pop beds and a segued riff of keyboard chords adds a deliberately spacious effect, as if the composition is transcending across the concept of time and space. He explores a cosmic theme and lyrically deals with the negative sentiments of self-punishment, giving advice to his older self: “Hey, me in 20 years/Does your milk still turn to rot too soon?”, before he conveys a danger in the desperation of holding on to a lost connection with a time that he hasn’t forgotten: “I wonder how I’ll sleep at night/With a cavity by my side/And nothing left to hold but pride/Will I hold out a little more?”, a refain that he ends with “Have I become the cavity I feared?/Ask me in 20 years”. Sumney fuses ambient pop elements with a twisting falsetto vocal melody, transitioning into a hopeful ending where Sumney questions the curiosity of his future self. I think that his voice might be an acquired taste for some and the track has a very art-based quality to it, so I don’t think it’s necessarily accessible to casual music listeners. However, I feel that Sumney has a unique identity, which he successfully translates with the dark synth-pop elements and his lyrical expression in this deeply textured track. Will it go down as a career-defining classic? I can’t wait to ask him in 20 years…

Pictured: Moses Sumney performing at “End Of The Road” in 2017 (Photo Credit: Ben Lawrence/The Telegraph)

Thank you for reading this post! As always – I hope that you enjoyed it! I’ll be back tomorrow with my in-depth thoughts on a track from an American singer-songwriter, specialising in the soft-rock genre, who once entered a competition to write 20 songs in 24 hours – and some of the resulting work was included on his most recent album! 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: Alexandra Savior – “Crying All The Time”

February 19, 2020 — Leave a comment

Welcome to the blog which I’m Writing All The Time – I’ve written the new post below!

Pictured: Alexandra Savior in a press photoshoot for “The Archer” (2020) (Photo Credit: Eliot Lee Hazel)

It’s the middle of the week, but here’s a track which is by no means middle of the road! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, trying to get rid of those mid-week blues by writing about your daily track on the blog. In this case, it comes courtesy of a remarkably talented independent singer-songwriter from Portland, Oregon – who goes by her birth name of Alexandra Savior. Savior is a new, emerging artist who doesn’t seem to have gotten much recognition for her second LP record, “The Archer”, which Savior released on January 10th via 30th Century Records. I’ve done my research and I’ve found that she used to collaboratively write and produce her earliest output with Arctic Monkeys’ frontman Alex Turner, under the stage name of Alexandra Semitone. A few of these tracks ended up being licensed for use on the “True Detective” crime drama television series. This led Alexandra Savior to the release of her debut album, “Belladonna Of Sadness” on a commercial music label, Columbia Records, in April of 2017. Let’s watch the official video for her recent single, “Crying All The Time”, below!

A stunning and beautiful little track from the 24-year-old artist, “Crying All The Time” feels very established and mature in it’s Vegas-esque, Blues-ish, moody Americana sound, which also leans into influences of the Desert Rock genre and the Spoken Word influences of Nick Cave and Kate Tempest. I can also hear a slice of Lana Del Rey and Fiona Apple in there, although it doesn’t feel dominated by one particular genre or influence, instead feeling nicely structured, with the light synth-wave elements creeping in at a brisk pace. Savior croons over the minimalist production of a Western guitar line: “My death, It haunts him like a ship, Without a sail/I know I’ll be gone soon/But just for him, I’ll prevail”, over the top of an emotive guitar twang, with a brief solo ramping up in the background, although she wisely holds it back again to focus on the Brass-focused instrumentation instead. Savior sings about the difficulties of moving on from a, possibly abusive, romantic partner: “He doesn’t like it when I cry”, adding: “And now he’s gone/So I’m crying all the time”, before a mid-tempo, electronic synth riff interrupts the minimalist production style with a bold quality of luscious melancholia and cinematic traits. Her voice is uniquely low-pitched and has a dry distinction to it, which she uses to draw credibility to the lyrical themes of empty pain and psychological warfare, making her sound very strong, yet there’s also a slight vulnerability to it, which is given weight by the simplistic formula of her songwriting. As a result, her voice acts as a magnet – which attracts these different elements and ultimately pulls them together with a forceful nature. I feel it’s a remarkably impressive and startlingly promising piece of art in the young career of an artist who seems to have been criminally overlooked at the moment. In short, it’s one of the best James Bond themes, which isn’t actually a Bond theme, ever written.

Pictured: Alexandra Savior in a photoshoot for a “Discovery” interview with interviewmagazine.com (2020) (Photo Credit: Anthony Blasko)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with a look at the new track from a Brooklyn-founded post-punk revival band who dive into the Noise Rock sub-genre with the use of analogue machines, loops and other assorted lo-fi software. They’ve just released their fourth LP record to critical acclaim. 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/https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Gary Clail (On-U Sound System) (feat. Bim Sherman) – “Beef (Future Mix)”

February 10, 2020 — 1 Comment

I’ve got no issue with this beef! A new week, a new set of posts, starting with this one!

Pictured: A still image featuring Gary Clail in the official music video for “Another Hard Man” (1995)

I would usually be cooking a meatless meal in aid of the Meat Free Mondays campaign tonight, but since I’m covering a track with the title of “Beef”, it’s hard to know whether that’s necessarily gone out of the window this week! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, covering your daily track on the blog, as always. I’ve noticed that I’ve been covering a lot of new tracks on the blog lately and so I thought it would make a nice change to share a little 90’s house track which I’ve recently found out about, which comes courtesy of Gary Clail, An English DJ and recording producer who made a name for himself from the Bristol music scene in the 1990’s, a little before the late 1990’s IDM movement featuring the likes of Aphex Twin, Plaid and Boards Of Canada. The founder of On-U Sound Records and the producer of early 90’s club hits like “Human Nature” and “These Things Are Worth Fighting For”, Clail established himself as an important fixture of the underground electronic music side of the 90’s dance craze. “Beef” is an interesting old record which is taken from his second LP, “End Of The Century Party”, which he released as Gary Clail On-U Sound System in 1989. There was no music video, but the future mix audio of “Beef” is available on YouTube below.

Clail repeats: “Beef, how low would you go?” over a fluctuating snare line as he reminds me of the Limbo games that I used to play at the end-of-term party at Primary School. It’s an upbeat, groove-driven synth hook which is used to anchor the diverse arrangement of the track. The instrumental disco sound is heavily infused with light elements of nu-disco and dark-wave synthpop, with an overall Dub-plate format. The pacing is noticeably inflected with Reggae and Clail adds a sense of ambient techno vibes to proceedings with his gradually building layout of BPM rises and synthetic funk-tinged vibrations. The vocals float above a layer of politicized themes and minor-key drum-and-bass sensibilities which provide a catalyst for the propelling drum waves and the building tempo of the vibraphone riffs. I’ve heard a story that Clail nicked the lyrical refrain from an old Public Enemy classic, “Bring The Noize”, released in 1988. He reworks the phrase: “Bass, how low can you go” and he replaces the line of “Death row, what a brother knows” with the intercepting vocals of “Hear the cry/Cattle row”, led by a chant-based question of “Would you kill it yourself?”, a not-so subtle comment which supports the ideas of Vegetarianism. Overall, I believe it’s a cohesive house anthem which brings the best out of the different elements which it musically pulls it’s influences from, as the track sounds uniformly structured and it effectively pulls a wide array of talent together. Constructively, I find the vocal hooks to sound a little under-cooked, if you pardon the pun, as the slow build doesn’t necessarily lead to a fast payoff, but it sounds like Clail has some fascinating political views to express – which I’m inclined to explore further.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “End Of The Century Party” (1989/On-U Sound Records) (Photo from eBay.com)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow with a look at the new track from the leading man of REM – I was in a curry shop when I heard the band had split up and I fell in the Korma! 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: Pink Lotion – “Activated”

January 31, 2020 — Leave a comment

It’s been a good 7 months since I “activated” my blog, but I’ve somehow managed to keep up with it every day since! It’s a real mystery to me… It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Lusters” (EP release) (December 2019)

Good afternoon to you, Jacob Braybrooke, as always, writing about your daily track on my blog, One Track At A Time! Two powerhouses of the Seattle local independent music scene, Erik Blood and Rachael Ferguson, have recently teamed up for the sensual, pop-laden collaborative project, Pink Lotion. One of Blood’s solo LP’s, “Lost In Slow Motion”, originally released in April 2016, is one of my all-time favourite alternative albums, so I was very delighted to hear about the project when I saw that Seattle music and arts organization KEXP had premiered the official music video for “Activated” on their radio station’s website. “Activated” is the closing track on the Pink Lotion EP, “Lusters”, a six-track release which was dropped on their Bandcamp artist page on December 18, 2019. Let’s take a look at the video for “Activated” below.

The music video features Blood, on the right, in a black wide-brimmed top hat and a pink scarf while Ferguson, on the left, wears a similarly bright-coloured pink dress with an elaborate headdress topped with several small coloured balls. It also features cameos from many other musicians from the Seattle indie music scene – such as Emily Nokes from Tacocat, Lelah Maupin and Ishmael Butler, who works as Blood’s collaborator on the Knife Knight project, among a few others. They aren’t necessarily taking it very seriously and neither are Blood or Ferguson, which is a very good thing. “Activated” starts off with the memorable vocal hook: “I would like to know/how to say your name/I would like to see/how you play the game”, a sensual nod to late-night sex calls and adult chat rooms. A call-and-response format begins to follow, as Ferguson calls the likes of: “I won’t let you win/Nobody can lose/Do I have consent?”, while Blood responds with the likes of: “I won’t let you win but I have to say/Nobody can lose, not the way I play/Do I have consent/and if you’re all set”. The lyrics are very suggestive and the playful vibes of the electronic production work, triggered by a bouncing synth pad and a bassline which feels dipped in the purple glitter of an 80’s bass guitar melody, with added reverb for extra measure. This leads into a gorgeous, atmospheric bridge: “Tell me when my sun is shining/Baby I can see your star is rising”, another instance of the very comedically sexual writing on the track. It mostly reminds me of Blood Orange, as it infuses elements of classic R&B and Soul, along with an overall Prince influence. On the surface, it appears completely different to the gloomy atmosphere and the spiritual tone, created through a darker texture, on Blood’s “Lost In Slow Motion”. It deals with similar themes of disconnection with a lover as well as intense, personal feelings of isolation and intimacy, though. I think the dark synth-pop underlayer also forms part of the Bread and Butter Pudding of this Pop project as well, due to the light sprinklings of guitar riffs and the euphoric sense of romance which provides a synth-based backdrop to the sound, although the tone and mood is much more light-hearted and tongue-in-cheek compared to the sound of “Lost In Slow Motion”. Overall, I’m really glad that I’ve discovered the project, with other tracks including the funny titles of “Sex On Mars” and “Moisturbate”, although there is a professionalism which holds the overall sound together very well. Overall, this is a deeply satisfying and curiously appealing exploration of progressive synthpop within a context which endlessly has a lot more to give, unfolding and rewarding in repeated listens. Make sure you check out the EP!

Pictured: Erik Blood (Producer) and Rachael Ferguson (Lyrics/Vocals) in a photoshoot for “Lusters” (December 2019)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at the brand new track from Enfield’s finest, an indie rock songwriter who gained his big breakthrough from winning the Emerging Talent competition at Glastonbury Festival in 2015! 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/