Gospel

Way Back Wednesdays: Gossip – ‘Standing In The Way Of Control’

March 16, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Beth Ditto (Vocals/Piano), Nathan Howdeshell (Bass/Keyboard) & Hannah Billie (Drums) (2019) (via PR)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for us to start spreading the word on the street (or the internet) that there is another daily track on the blog in town as we go retro for ‘Way Back Wednesdays’, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Formerly known as ‘The Gossip’ – Gossip were a Beth Ditto-led punk rock band from Arkansas who were originally active between 1999 and 2016 who were another name in a fairly familiar string of Garage Rock Revival sub-genre bands like The Yeah Yeah Yeah’s and The Hives who were also popular in the contemporary mainstream of the time. Exploring a mixture of indie rock, post-punk revival and dance-rock influences, they gained some breakthrough in radio charts popularity with their 2006 track ‘Standing In The Control’, a glitzy Pop-Punk number that reached the top ten of the UK Singles Chart and it has appeared on decade-end lists like NME’s ‘150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years’ at the #34 rank on the list in 2011 and at #429 on Pitchfork’s ‘Top 500 Greatest Tracks Of The 2000’s’ list in late 2009. It was the lead single of Gossip’s third studio album of the same name released in 2006, which reached #1 on the UK’s Indie Chart and it has reached Gold status in the territory. Produced by Ryan Hadlock and Guy Picciotto, it was Gossip’s first album to feature new drummer Hannah Billie, of Seattle’s Chromatics fame. If you used to watch the British TV drama ‘Skins’ on E4, you would also know the track as it was proclaimed to be the ‘unofficial’ theme track of the programme as it featured heavily in promotional materials and it would be played on the DVD main menu’s of the series’ home release. Let’s remember it below.

The yellow, black and red graffiti-style cover artwork for the physical single release was designed by none other than Kim Gordon, the bassist of Sonic Youth. Meanwhile, the track itself was written as a response to the Federal Marriage Amendment, a highly controversial code of law that would have outlawed gay marriage across the US. With this theme in mind, the impassioned instrumentation and the reasonably soft, yet minimal and pulsating, lead vocals by Beth Ditto hit harder as a battle cry for empowered liberation than anybody who has ever felt constrained or marginalized may have expected from Gossip. Bursting out of the gate energetically with the unforgettable refrain of “Your back’s against the wall/There’s no one home to call/You’re forgetting who to call/You can’t stop crying” that boasts the core sentiment of denying the authorities’ will to make same sex marriage illegal, a process that feels alien today, which paves the way for Billie to hit her metronomic hi-hat snares and four-on-the-floor bass kicks with her ragged Punk-infused Drum parts, while guitarist Brace Paine contributes some vigorous bass lines and high-energy guitar riffs, that chug along to the distortion-drenched production of the thin and treble-enhanced range of melodies, to the equation. Ditto’s vocals earn a distinction among the wealth of other talents in the Garage-Rock revival business of the mid-00’s as they feel rather Bluesy, yet propulsive, with a smoky delivery on mid-chorus hooks like “You’ll live your life/Survive the only way that you know” and a commanding presence above the instrumentation that recalls the vintage Motown acts of the 70’s like Diana Ross and Ann Wilson in her wailing notes and her lengthily sustained filler phrases. The track also fits squarely into the DIY ethics of an underground Punk feminist movement of the 1990’s called the ‘Riot grrrl’ era in the way that Ditto’s band combine Punk music with Politics on this, probably, best-known single from them. ‘Standing In The Way Of Control’ feels like a natural blend between the two styles, and it creates a noticeable Disco edge too, as it feels impossible not to mindlessly nod your head along to the groove. It was unapologetically brash, and Ditto’s band were transformed from a clan of Dance-Punk disruptors to Pop phenomena in the process.

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Standing In The Way Of Control’ (LP/Album) (Released on January 24th, 2006) (via Back Yard Recordings/Kill Rock Stars)

That brings me to the end of another nostalgic throwback post on One Track At A Time, and I hope that you have a pleasant day, and thank you for showing your support for the site today. I’ll be diverting your attention back to brand new music tomorrow, as we review the latest single by a Grime-meets-Punk duo based in East London who have toured with hardcore rapper Nascar Aloe, supported Gallows at their comeback gig at House Of Vans in 2019 and were featured in a guest appearance on a BBC Radio 1 session by Frank Carter & The Rattlesnakes presented by Annie Mac.

Connect with One Track At A Time:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OneTrackAtATim1?fbclid=IwAR2demHDssZESnHDMi6gzTGNZJvdS42Ot930CA9Rttw7n4CJ5nvB8VJbWxE

Today’s Track: Iraina Mancini – ‘Do It (You Stole The Rhythm)’

February 1, 2022 — Leave a comment
Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Do It (U Stole The Rhythm)’ (Single) (Released on September 24, 2021) (via Self-Released)

Good Morning to you! It’s the first of the month, meaning that I have completed my challenge of the month to get through the month, and it’s time to get the next month off to a joyous start with yet another daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Taking her inspiration from many sources as varied as French cinema and 60’s Psychedelia, the London-born singer, songwriter, DJ, actress, model and radio presenter Iraina Mancini has only released a handful of solo singles so far, but she has still been doing the rounds of the industry for an impressive number of years. Born into a musical family, her father was Warren Peace, a childhood friend of David Bowie, who provided backing vocals and songwriting assistance while touring with Bowie from 1973’s ‘Aladdin Sane’ through to 1976’s ‘Station To Station’. Iraina began modelling and writing music herself at the age of 15, with her first band being Mancini, an Electronic Pop outfit who appeared on Channel 4’s ‘Mobile Act Unsigned’. Since then, Mancini has been acting in films directed by the likes of Richard Jobson and Duncan Ward, and she went on to become a DJ who has played all over London and some cultural festivals like Glastonbury and The Toronto Film Festival. Mancini presents her own show on Soho Radio and she has also run a monthly event – ‘Soul Box’ – in East London with fashion photographer Dean Chalkley and Acid Jazz Records founder Eddie Piller. Therefore, she has really been busy through a relatively short span of time, and if a new album should be arriving in 2022, then I could definitely see the likes of BBC Radio 1 picking up on her career. Today, we are catching up with her single ‘Do It (You Stole The Rhythm)’ that she released last September. It was co-produced by Jagz Kooner, who has become a top name on the UK’s mash-up scene, where he has produced critically acclaimed music by Manic Street Preachers, Primal Scream, Reverend And The Makers, Kasabian, Garbage and others. Let’s give it a spin.

“I wrote this about that feeling of pure joy when you are surrounded by people you care about and there is music, sunshine, laughter and great energy.”, the former United Agents talent agency member Iraina Mancini has spoken about her BBC Radio 6 Music playlisted track, adding, “There is almost a magic in the air when all those things are combined, an electricity that makes you feel truly alive. I tried to capture that in this song as I thought now more than ever we are craving togetherness and joy”, to her straightforward press release. Drawing from the era where late great DJ Andrew Weatherhall was always at his knob-twiddling best for his legendary records such as 1991’s ‘Screamadelica’ as she mixes classic Soul influences with ruminating Gospel sounds and vintage Psychedelia callbacks. The opening is palpable and light-hearted, as the twinkling waves of eminent Synths and an inviting beat of layered percussion create an enchanting backdrop for Iraina’s iridescently performed vocals to plunge us neatly into her sun-soaked setting of euphoria. The vocals feel a little reminiscent of tracks like George Michael’s ‘Freedom’ and The Avalanches ‘The Divine Chord’ as nostalgic elements of Post-Disco take a controlling hold on the rhythm. The lyrics contribute to the hazy and joyously Psychedelic Pop vibe of the recording by accelerating the happy tone of the instrumentation and creating some false rhyming schemes that give her beats a punchy knack for melody. It also feels a little cinematic, and I truly could envision the track being licensed to get played during a flashback sequence of a care-free romantic comedy movie where the two lead characters are partaking in a fun travelling montage, yet the souffle-light chorus and the late 60’s psychedelia-influenced melodies fill up the background of the setting very nicely. There’s nothing about the lyrics that feel truly memorable, but they still contribute to the overall scene well because they simply fulfill the track’s feelings of untroubled contentment by echoing us back to a more simpler time alongside the funk-laden Gospel influence of the glistening synths and the ruminating keys in the fray. A solid, naturally progressive follow-up to her two previous singles, ‘Deep End’ and ‘Shotgun’.

Pictured: Iraina Mancini in an official promotional photoshoot for ‘Deep End’ (2021) (Photo via Clashmusic.com)

That brings us to the bottom of the page for another day! Thank you for checking out my latest post, and I will be back tomorrow to start up the engine for my throwback time machine as we go ‘Way Back’ for Wednesday once again. On the radar this time is a Scottish 80’s Synth-Pop singer often credited simply as ‘Natasha’ whose popular single of ‘Iko Iko’ experienced a resurgence in popularity when it was notably used during the soundtrack of the highest-grossing Italian film of 2014, ‘Un Boss In Salotto’.

Connect with One Track At A Time:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/OneTrackAtATim1?fbclid=IwAR2demHDssZESnHDMi6gzTGNZJvdS42Ot930CA9Rttw7n4CJ5nvB8VJbWxE

Today’s Track: Little Simz – “Introvert”

April 27, 2021 — Leave a comment

I used to play a video game on my computer… Where I had little Sims. New Post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Sometimes I Might Be Introvert” (LP) (Available from September 3rd, 2021) (via Age 101)

Good Morning to you – I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, as per usual, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Little Simz is an artist who I truly feel is paving the way for a lot of female, black and hip-hop artists in the UK. I absolutely lapped up everything on 2019’s ‘Grey Area’ and the ‘Drop 6’ EP that she put out last year, and Simbi absolutely knocked it out of the park with her Glastonbury performance two years ago. Her fourth album, ‘Sometimes I Might Be Introvert’, has seen a quicker turn-around from her that I was perhaps expecting, and she recorded the new body of work largely during lockdown in London and Berlin. It releases on September 3rd via Age 101 Records, and she’s said that it explores her personal life in an industry where everyone is expected to be “extrovert”. Her last album picked up Best Album awards at the NME Awards and the Ivor Novello Awards, along with scooping up a nomination for the Mercury Prize that year, and so I can see her picking up a bit more mainstream attention for this record than her last effort seemed to get, and BBC Radio 1 have started playing this one. Check out the comeback single below.

Despite her difficulties with opening up, Simbi finds her music to be her most pure form of expression, with tabloid The Observer revealing that her new album is 19 tracks long in length, some of which are Spoken Word interludes created to form a narrative. It says the record is “an epic, Wizard Of Oz-style quest as Simz confronts her fears and counts her blessings” that addresses a distanced connection with her father and the results of a relationship. One thing that we all loved about ‘Grey Area’ is that Simbi was very cool and collected, yet outspoken and wouldn’t compromise her work for any nonsense. It’s a trend that Simbi leans into once again on ‘Introvert’, where there’s certainly a lot to unpack in this 6-minute epic. It is somewhat similar to her work on the prior record, but she’s leaning a bit more into the soulful and Gospel undertones of her sound, and it feels like a natural progression for her, as an artist, into the new record. She mostly expresses the her experience of being a Black women today, with a visceral opening and a swelling String crescendo that gives the track a dramatic, sometimes cinematic, mood. Yet, she also balances her cutting edge vocals about race and identity with a personal contrast where she raps about her private feelings and her public persona. I’ve always felt that Hip-Hop has always allowed for the most fascinating contrasts for it’s artists to examine their role as a person and a performer, and Simbi provides a fresh take on it with ‘Introvert’ as she discusses her own desire to be left alone. Being reserved isn’t exactly a common asset when you’re projecting your music, potentially to the masses, and so I find it intriguing that she brings us into her own mindset and the idea that she seems to have different variations of her personality for different situations. So, overall, what do I think of the grand return? Well, I think it’s just absolutely solid. To be honest, it’s only been released to the world for a couple of days, and so I don’t think that I have spent enough time with it yet for it to personally connect with me on the same level that ‘Grey Area’ did, but that’s certainly not to say that it won’t. Everything that I love about Simbi and more is here though, and one thought I had is that it feels more like a trailer or preview for the new album than a standalone single, and so I can’t wait to hear the full results when the album becomes available… One day after my birthday, eerily. I mean, did you hear her flow on this track? Holy Mother of sacred cows, she’s good. It’s blindingly clear to me that she’s not just your average artist. A modern icon.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Drop 6” (EP) (Released on May 6, 2020) (via AWAL)

If you’re not on board with the hype train for the new Little Simz record like I am – here’s a few things to tempt you over. Get up to speed with my thoughts on ‘God Bless Mary’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/09/04/todays-track-little-simz-god-bless-mary/, and my thoughts on last year’s ‘Where’s My Lighter’, with Alewya as the featured artist, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/05/15/little-simz-feat-alewya-wheres-my-lighter/

  • Pictured: Little Simz with ‘Best British Album’ at the NME Awards (2019) (Photo by Dean Chalkley)

That’s all for today – I can’t believe it’s nearly time again for another ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ post tomorrow, yet, here we are. Join me then for a throwback to a 90’s classic from a staple West Midlands indie rock band who have just announced a huge 30th anniversary tour. Their frontman has also been a hero during the pandemic for many with his listening parties on Twitter. 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: Beverley Knight – “A Christmas Wish” (Theme from The Loss Adjuster)

December 28, 2020 — Leave a comment

Out of the ashes of Christmas week arrives a Knight in shining armor. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “A Christmas Wish” (Released on Nov 13, 2020) (via Pink Flamingo Recordings)

Good Afternoon to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and I’m here to get typing up about your daily track on the blog, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! New from Beverley Knight – who is often labelled as the Queen of British soul music by the media – is “A Christmas Wish” – which is the soundtrack to your bank holiday Monday right here on the blog. It’s also the theme track for “The Loss Adjuster” – a new festive Comedy Drama film starring Luke Goss, Lorna Fitzgerald and Joan Collins, and directed by Jayney Mackie – which is now available wherever you buy your digital films in these harsh times for Cinema. This track is also a soundtrack of another kind too, then. Beverley Knight is an MBE, and she has recently celebrated her 25th year of her musical career by releasing a live album, “BK25”, which was recorded with the Leo Green Orchestra, in 2019. Her career has seen her release several UK chart hits and Gold-selling albums, as well as receiving an Olivier Award nomination for her on-stage and off-stage career for Musical Theatre. Let’s watch the official music video for “A Christmas Wish” below.

The new single, “A Christmas Wish”, has gained national radio airplay on BBC Radio 2, and Knight explains it’s themes as “It is wonderful to release a Christmas song, spread some holiday cheer and put a smile on people’s faces. I have said in many interviews that music has the power to heal, and that we, in entertainment, are the nation’s cheerleaders, helping people through these challenging times” upon describing that she had not been moved to record a festive-themed track in her solo career up until this troubling point of 2020. A typically strong and soulfully-driven vocal performance from Knight leads the way, as she radiantly croons hooks such as “I’ve been hoping he would see the sign/Let him see that I can be his valentine” and “Santa must have read my Christmas list/Under the Mistletoe, just waiting to be kissed” over the top of a jovial, percussive Sleigh Bell and a catchy, Power-Pop driven style of production. Her vocal presence is quite commanding, and it moves to the upbeat pace of the 1960’s-inspired Piano rhythms and the Motown-esque Jazz subtleties powerfully. A big chorus comes in at the midway point, with Knight singing: “Take my hand, and I’ll take care of you” and “Baby, I’ll make all of your dreams come true” above the intensely melodic instrumentation and the polished feel. It’s admittedly pretty cheesy, especially lyrically, and so I think your mileage could vary on this. Although this is a very radio-friendly little tune, I think the callbacks to Motown Soul flair and 60’s Pop adds a bit of style to it, as opposed to a use of auto-tune. Is it experimental? No. Is it disposable? Yes, rather. But, do I like it? Yes. Knight is not missing a step in her vocals, and it’s full of a positive energy that is pretty listenable and easy to indulge in.

  • Pictured: Beverley Knight with her blue Audi RS-7 car (2018) (Photo via The Sunday Times Driving)

Thank you for checking out my latest post! Have you managed to get any snow where you are? Let me know in the comments section below – and please feel free to join me again tomorrow, as I try to keep you warm on a cold Christmas night with a new Festive canon entry from one of our recurring favourites on the blog – a soulful British indie duo whose Japanese name translates roughly to “True Feelings” in English! 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: Christafari (feat. Makamae Auwae) – “Angels We Have Heard On High”

December 19, 2020 — Leave a comment

Don’t ever forget that it all happened Once In Royal David’s City! Time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Reggae Christmas” (Released on October 8th, 2013) (via Lion Of Zion Ent.)

Twas’ the weekend before Christmas! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get writing up all about your daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to get virtually typing up about a different piece of music every day! “Angels We Have Heard On High” is a track that I’ve actually been really looking forward to sharing with you all week – but I thought I’d leave it until now because it feels closer to the week of Christmas, and I know that you always want to hear a good one on a Saturday, or, I at least hope so. It comes from Christafari, an 8-piece Christian Reggae-Dub super-group who were put together by Mark Mohr, an ordained Church minister who was born as a Rastafarian, before he became a Christian at the age of 17. Morh also fronts the band. “Angels We Have Heard On High” was originally released back in 2013, from their “Reggae Christmas” album released through Lion Of Zion Entertainment, but it was re-released a year later, along with a new music video. This is a Reggae take on the “Angels We Have Heard On High” French hyym, which tells the story of the birth of baby Jesus from The Gospel Of Luke. Let’s take a listen to it below.

My research indicates that Mark Mohr found an affinity for Reggae music, becoming a grower of Marijuana, in his teens, after a visit to Jamaica in 1986, but his life took a turn for the best, and, after enrolling in Biola University in 1993, he received his ordination in 1997. The video for “Angels We Have Heard On High” is a real Christmas Cracker (Sorry!) and it makes me laugh out loud with the cast of colourful characters who answer their front door to find Christafari and Makamae Auwae singing the carol to them, and I feel that the Thor guy really deserves a special mention, in this post, for his dance moves. As for the song itself, it’s highly joyous and cheerful, with a minimalist vocal production that reminds me of Pentatonix in it’s Acapella influences. A fun Marimba beat and a percussive Jamaican Steel Drum beat form the groovy rhythm, as Auwae sings: “Angels We Have Heard On High/Sweetly singing O’er the Plains/And the mountains in reply/Echoing their joyous strains” on top of a light auto-tune effect that makes her voice sound clear and on-point, but not too artificial and overproduced. A Dub beat is created by Mohr, who adds a rhythmic delivery to “Me say, we give him the glory” and he, in fact, almost creates a Hip-Hop melody. The rest of the group provide some well-spirited vocal harmonies in the background, throughout the song, which are quite subtle and inobtrusive, but the odd “Hey” and the longer notes of the chorus make it feel more ‘Christmassy’ and more seasonal. It’s the cheerful chants of “Gloria, In Excelsis Deo” that gives it an uplifting punch, while the instrumental beats sound very jovial and melodic throughout. The percussion is really crowd-pleasing stuff, and I think the track manages exceptionally well to remind you of the true meaning of Christmas and slightly distract you from the heavy consumerism of the Festival, while still retaining a fun, engaging, upbeat and positive vibe. It also feels very ‘Christmassy’, while providing a nice alternative to the generic tunes from Band Aid or Paul McCartney that you end up hearing ten times a year. If you ask me, this is an absolutely fantastic way to put the “Christ” back into Christmas!

  • Pictured: Mark Mohr, Avion Blackman-Mohr, Ziza Mohr, Nikita Carter, Renato Taimes, Markus Ritchie and Justin Nalimu in the official music video for “Broken Spears” (in 2019) (Photo via PR/YouTube.com)

Thank you for reading my latest blog post! As per usual, I’ll be back at it again tomorrow, for a Festive edition of our weekly Scuzz Sundays feature, where we take an in-depth listen to one of the ghosts of Pop-Punk or Emo-Rock’s past, released between the mid-1990’s and the late-2000’s. 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: Blimes & Gab – “Baptism”

December 18, 2020 — Leave a comment

Set flame to your lighter. Roll your papers. Let’s get down to business. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Talk About It” (Released on June 26th, 2020) (via B.A.G. Enterprises Inc.)

Good Afternoon! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up, yet again, all about today’s track on the blog, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to do so. Back to my laptop now, since my new charger has worked a treat so far, although writing my last two posts using my smartphone wasn’t really that bad, as it seemed slightly quicker. Nevertheless, we’re going to be taking a break from all the Christmas music for today so that we can keep things fresh! In fact, I’ve even got some underground West Coast Hip-Hop to show to you today. “Baptism” comes from the Seattle-based MC/Lyricist duo of Blimes Brixton and Gifted Gab – who go by Blimes & Gab. Their debut LP, “Talk About It” was released earlier, in the summer, through the B.A.G. Enterprises indie hip-hop label. This gained a ton of support from radio station KEXP in particular, as well as a positive critical reception, with most reviewers paying attention to their music video for the single, “Come Correct” which became a viral hit in 2018, by gaining over 10 million views on YouTube. They’ve also gained coverage from Billboard and HipHopDX. Let’s take a listen to “Baptism” below.

“Talk About It” gained support from fellow rappers Rah Digga and Joyner Lucas, with the duo describing their own project as “In order to talk about it, you got to be about it” in a recent interview with the GRAMMY’s, adding: “I think the vision behind {our album} is just, they’re always going to have something to say, always going to have something to talk about, so we might as well give them something to talk about” to express their female status in the face of adversity. “Baptism” makes amazing use of a Gospel backing vocal, contorting and molding around the shape of a Hymn verse sample, as Brixton and Gab deliver some smooth, flowing bars on top of an ushered, symphonic rhythm. Lyrics like “Y’all be taking double L’s like you hang around the J/You’re not down to blaze with two girlies from around the way” come thick and fast, at a melodic pace, with a briefly floating Piano section lurking between the layers, before coming into it’s own more fully near the conclusion at the end of the track. Bars like “90’s energy, like Keanu Reeves in denim jeans” hint at the influences that 90’s culture has on their sound, while lines such as “Can’t leave rap alone, we gotta hell ground to break” feel more rooted in political action and a call for non-stereotyped change in the music industry. The wordplay is clever, as Blimes and Gab deliver the lyrics which feel introductory to them as artists, telling us that they’re all about real songwriting, real rappers and real hip-hop, which is appropriate given the fact that “Baptism” is actually the opening track of their full-length album. Overall, it sounds pretty smooth – and I’m pleased to hear a lack of auto-tune which, for me, tends to plague releases from the likes of more mainstream names like Drake and Post Malone infused into their modern releases. On a contrary note, Blimes and Gab feel more old-school, with a sound that’s comparable to Public Enemy in the 90’s, and representing a melodic aggression alike Run The Jewels. Lyrics are a little generic, but the commentary on gender politics, and the chemistry of the two, keeps things sharp.

  • Pictured: MC Gifted Gab & Blimes Brixton in a promotional shoot (in 2020) (Photo via LADYGUNN.com)

Thank you for checking out my latest blog post! As usual, I’ll be back tomorrow – With a brilliant Festive track that I’ve been looking forward to writing to you about all week now. It comes from a Rastafarian-to-Christian supergroup who center their musical output around the personality of Mark Mohr, the front-man of the band, who is an ordained minister of religious faith. 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: Sufjan Stevens – “Christmas Unicorn”

December 5, 2020 — Leave a comment

In our latest episode of random christmas songs that really exist! Time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Silver & Gold” (Released on November 13th, 2012) (via Asthmatic Kitty Records)

Season’s Greetings! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get writing up about your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to type up right here a different piece of music every day! Sufjan Stevens is a singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and composer from Detroit, Michigan – and a very prolific one. There’s plenty of albums, mixtapes, EP’s and more for you to stick your teeth into, and he’s never the type of artist who really sticks to one genre. There’s the downtempo, symphonic instrumentation of 2005’s “Illinois”, the lo-fi and minimalist Acoustic Folk style of 2004’s “Seven Swans”, and the swooping electronic textures of 2001’s Zodiac-inspired “Enjoy Your Rabbit”. It also seems to be, however, that he loves Christmas. “Songs For Christmas” was a box set of five seperate EP’s worth of Festive-themed music recorded between 2001 and 2006 that he released in 2006, and if that wasn’t enough, six years later, he released “Silver & Gold”, another box set of five EP’s worth of Christmas-related songs and carols, all of which were recorded between 2006 and 2012, and it was the spiritual successor to the previous Seasonal themed release. “Christmas Unicorn” seems to be one of the most beloved tracks from the release, and it’s 12 minutes long. Make a cuppa and take a listen to it, with me, below.

Stevens’ latest regular release was “The Ascension”, which he released in September this year, a high-concept Electronica album which looked at the human nature of finding active purpose and escaping emotional crisis in a technologically dominated world. A fun fact about Stevens is that his name “Sufjan” is a Persian one, and it most famously belonged to Abu Sufyan, a figure who predates early Islamic history, and the name was given to him by an inter-faith spiritual community which his parents belonged to when he was born – So he happens to really know about these things. “Christmas Unicorn” is admittedly not one of his most accessible tracks, due to the sheer length of the product, but it is widely loved by the critics and his fans alike. I would argue that it has a three-act structure though. Sufjan immediately cries out: “I’m a Christmas unicorn/In a uniform of gold” and compares the majestic, enigmatic character of a Unicorn to a metaphor of religious holiday and festive consumerism, over the top of a harmonious backing vocal and an Acoustic guitar rhythm that evokes the 70’s Art-Pop Psychedelia of David Bowie. A long vocal note leads into an off-kilter, electronic transition into Sleigh Bell percussion as the second third of the track morphs into a leftfield call-and-response ballad of Dream-Pop melodies and experimental synth textures, as Sufjan chants: “You are the Christmas Unicorn, too/It’s alright/I love you” to a more immediate and quirky Synth pattern. The closing act of the segmented track is an inviting cover of Joy Division’s “Love Will Tear Us Apart”, where the 80’s New-Wave Synthpop classic is given a lease of new life through the intersection of Sufjan’s consistenly repeated hook, mixed in with jingle bells and a slowly depleting suite of electronic beats as we finally move through the gradual fade out at the end. There is a lot of depth, and it’s very long indeed. However, it’s the Electronic synth instrumentation and the track’s ability of gradually adding new elements that keeps it from lacking in cohesion and getting too tiresome. All-around, it does strike me as a track that probably should not really “work”, but it does. While I can’t see it being added to every single Christmas-related playlist on every music streaming service due to it’s alternative style and it’s sheer length, it manages to balance a comical quality with a more emotional feeling pretty nicely, and the “Christmas Unicorn” title of the track and it’s lyrical hook is an implication of multiple aspects of Christmas – like the consumerism, the religion and the celebration which goes with it – being rolled into one manifestation or being. Santa is on his way, but it could also be the ‘Christmas Unicorn’ that’s destined to pay your ears a visit this year!

  • Pictured: Sufjan Stevens playing “Christmas Unicorn” at Granada Theater, TX (in 2012) (via MTC MAG)

Thank you for checking out my latest blog post! Normal service resumes tomorrow, and it’s our final regular entry in the Scuzz Sundays series before we take a look at some more Seasonal-themed tracks that also fit the brief of the year-running feature. 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: Fleet Foxes – “Can I Believe You?”

October 26, 2020 — Leave a comment

A friend asked me if I believed in killer clowns. I’ve no doubt about IT! New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Shore” (LP) (Released on September 22nd, 2020) (via Anti- Records)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and I am here to write up about your daily track on the blog, because it’s routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write up online about a different piece of music every day! Fleet Foxes are an American (To tell the truth, I was originally convinced they are British, I swear they were up for lots of BRIT Awards in ’07 or ’08) Alternative Folk band who I’m not very familiar with to be honest with you, but I do know that they have always been very critically-acclaimed and have their signature sound of Woodwinds harmonies and refined lyricism. I have been hearing their latest single “Can I Believe You?” on BBC Radio 6Music in recent weeks, and it’s been steadily growing on me quite a lot, and the new album from the band has turned out to be very good, indeed. The single is taken from “Shore”, which is the fourth studio LP effort from the band. The album was released on September 22nd, which is the day after the group had even announced it. It was also released to coincide with the exact date of the Autumnal Equinox, and it is also the group’s first release on Anti- Records. Most of the new album was actually produced by Robin Pecknold, the front-man of the 5-piece band, during his time sitting at home over the COVID-19 pandemic, and Pecknold has worked with producer and mixing engineer Beatriz Artola to get the work done. Let’s have a gander to “Can I Believe You?” below.

“Shore” has been recognized by the critics and the press to have a “brighter” sound than a lot of the band’s previous output, and Pecknold has described the record as “A celebration of life in the face of death” in the press release. Pecknold joked that “Can I Believe You?” is “all backwards, but that was what made it so fun to make” in reference to the verse acting as the chorus, the chorus feeling like a bridge, and the bridge is “a different song”, as he’s explained in a recent interview. The track feels mellow and soft on the ears, as Pecknold sings: “Can I, Ever know your mind?/Am I handing you mine?, Do we both confide?” over the top of an isolated acoustic guitar rhythm and a rhapsodizing piano melody. The main chorus of “It never got less strange, showing anyone just a bare face/If I don’t, well, nothing will change/Staying under my weather all day” is delivered over a rolling set of percussion, and preceded by a quick burst of heavier guitar chords. It all builds up to a very refined, soothing bridge as Pecknold drowns his voice in a swelling falsetto, singing: “When I’m one way with them, one with you/What half is it of me rearranged” as a warm, ethereal folk harmony of choral voices add spice to the focused, harmonic vocal melodies. The off-kilter time signature is still there, however, and it adds nice layers of instrumental experimentation on top of an otherwise casual, easily accessible folk sound. Overall, I just feel it’s been layered very precisely, and quite meticulously to a degree, and the mixture of the darting percussion and the soulful vocal performance is a highlight. It also just sounds perfectly suited for the autumn and the weather obviously becoming darker and cooler, rather than being the upbeat summer-leaning hit that a lot of Pop artists are still trying hard to find. Overall, I find it to be an excellent recommendation.

  • Pictured: Robin Pecknold (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar), Skyler Skjelset (Mandolin/Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals), Casey Wescott (Keyboard/Synths/Backing Vocals), Christian Wargo (Bass Guitar) and Morgan Henderson (Upright Bass Guitar/Woodwinds/Violin/Saxophone/Percussion) (in 2020) (via PR)

Thank you very much for reading my new post! As always, I’ll be back at it again tomorrow. Join me, where we’ll be taking an in-depth look at the new, debut solo album from the front-man of The National, which has just been released on Book Records, a new imprint of Concord Records formed by the man himself and his producer, from the singer-songwriter who is known for his low-pitched, classic style Baritone voice. 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 Sunday: Reef – “Place Your Hands”

June 21, 2020 — Leave a comment

Happy Father’s Day to all of the good Dads around the world! It’s also Scuzz Sunday…

  • Pictured: Gary Stringer (Lead Vocals/Acoustic Guitar/Tambourine), Jesse Wood (Rhythm Guitar), Jack Bessant (Bass Guitar/Keyboard/Occasional Backing Vocals) and Dominic Greensmith (Drums/Percussion) (2014) (via P.R.)

Happy Father’s Day if you are a fella parent or guardian reading this! It’s still Scuzz Sunday, however, the time of the week where we look back at an emo-rock or pop-punk classic from between the late-90s to the mid-00s and we evaluate whether it holds up in the modern age, named in honour of the now-defunct Scuzz TV rock music video channel. I am Jacob Braybrooke and it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day. Worthy Farm is likely best associated with the Glastonbury music festival, but it’s also the birthplace of Reef, an English rock band who found mainstream success with hits like “Place Your Hands”, “Come Back Brighter” and “I’ve Got Something To Say” in the late 1990’s. Fronted by Gary Stringer, Reef made a name for themselves by supporting the likes of Feeder, Paul Weller and Soundgarden on tour, before getting their debut LP “Glow” to the #1 spot in the UK Albums Chart. Their best-known single is “Place Your Hands”, which got to #6 in the UK Singles Chart, becoming their most commercially successful single to-date and giving the album a boost. The track, written by Stringer, is an honest statement which explains the grief that he felt following the death of his grandfather, and the recovery in easing the pain. Let’s see the Director’s Cut for the “Place Your Hands” video below.

Good G-Reef! The music video was featured SO heavily on MTV and Scuzz that it’s impossible to forget about the weird zooming-in-singing thing that Stringer does, and how much it can disturb you. The irony is, the main hook is “Put Your Hands” and “Place Your Hands” is sparingly used in the lyrics. Stringer wails: “So Place Your Hands, on my hole, run your fingers through my Soul” over a Spin Doctors-inspired bass guitar riff that continues to get repeated throughout the entire song to create an immediate effect. A faster bridge: “You know you cannot hide/from what’s inside” ends in a soulful vibe with : “So I ask of you to help me through/I ask of you this thing to do”, while there is a Gospel feeling to the chorus: “Put your hands on/Put your hands on”, which permeated above the Pop-driven guitar groove and the two-note Drum structure. Stringer also leads a breakdown of piano notes and unintelligible vocals near the end. It sounds horrific – but it does manage to get an inkling of Gospel and Soul across, created by the Funky and Bluesy rhythm, although these elements sadly do not sound fleshed out enough to resonate much. The vocal performance has a slightly laddish glint, but a lot of the lead vocals sound absolutely indelible, filled with odd wails and a thick accent delivery which feels like an insipid cross between Irish, Welsh and Scottish, but settling on neither of those in particular. The songwriting is largely forgettable and completely generic – not capturing any of the pain or emotion that Stringer felt by the loss. It’s a fun novelty for a bit, but it’s insane with blandness otherwise. Obscenely crap, I don’t blame you if you want to smash your speakers in after hearing it, although the level of poor makes me feel uplifted. As chef Cherish Finden from Bake Off: The Professionals said this week – “it’s Cha-La-La”.

  • Pictured: Vinyl Copy of “Glow” (Released on 27th January 1997) (via Sony) (Available from http://www.Merchbar.com)

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. Everything be back to normal on the blog tomorrow ahead of the new week, and I’ll be looking at a recent track from a female R&B/Neo-Soul solo artist who became a viral hit in 2017 when the single “Antidote” from her compilation LP “A Collection Of Fleeting Moments and Daydreams” amassed over 6.6 million streams on Spotify! 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: Brittany Howard – “He Loves Me”

March 30, 2020 — Leave a comment

What better way to kick off a new week than with “The Real Deal”? It’s new post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Jaime” (Released on 20th September, 2019) (via ATO Records)

She truly is “The Real Deal”! I’m talking about four-time Grammy winner Brittany Howard, of course! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! Brittany Howard is an alternative R&B/Soul singer, with Gospel influences, from Athens in Alabama, in the the US! Hence the name of her former band, Alabama Shakes, whom Howard has been producing records with since 2009. She’s also the lead vocalist and songwriter for the aptly-named Thunderbitch! It sounds like a joke name, but Howard is actually a highly credible and gifted talent, hence why I think she’s “The Real Deal!”. With her powerful voice and her artistic writing flair, it’s easy for you to forget that she’s also done the production work behind most of her music. In most recent times, she’s been getting a little bit of mainstream attention, having performed on last New Year’s Eve’s Hootennany with Jools Holland and she also headlined the BBC Radio 6Music Festival in Camden earlier this year, replacing an unwell Michael Kiwanuka, in the Friday night headliner slot. “He Loves Me” is a single taken from her first solo record, “Jaime”, which was released last year by ATO Records. Let’s watch her perform the track below.

“He Loves Me” is a funk-rooted tour de force in contemplative, soulful R&B and personal, faith-based songwriting. Howard emotionally croons about a long-awaited, spiritual re-connection with God after a time where she was brought up away from her family church due to the passing of her older sister putting a damper on her religious values, but she’s found her voice as a result of finding God again. Howard uses a sample from a pastor’s sermon that she found on YouTube, which proclaims: “But we Christians ought not ever intentionally miss church”, a sample-based opening which leads to an upbeat performance from Howard, singing: “He loves me when I do what I want/He loves me, he doesn’t judge me” over a soulful, steady drum melody, which gets layered above an explosive bass guitar riff and a Trumpet chord. Howard sings: “I don’t need to know why/’Cause I know what love means/I don’t need forgivin'”, before repeating her main vocal hook: “He loves me when I’m smoking blunts/He loves me when I’m drinking too much”, as the sample of Rev. Terry K. Anderson’s service exclaims: “Somebodiness does not come from your opinion of God” in the background of the guitar-driven chorus and the knock-out vocal performance from Howard. I’d be intrigued to see what different Christian denominations would make of the lyrical content of the tune, as her blunt portrayal of God’s unconditional love is a thought-provoking theme. I really like the use of varied instrumentation on the track as well, with an eclectic mix of Jazz-based percussion, a late 1960’s rock-and-roll guitar sensibility and the robust, electric sample use within the vocal textures of the track. I think she really is “The Real Deal”!

  • Pictured: Brittany Howard performing her Friday headline set at the BBC Radio 6Music Festival in 2020 (via BBC)

Thank you very much for reading this post! Don’t forget to check back with the blog tomorrow, where I’ll be posting an in-depth review of a single from a collaborative album produced and recorded by a Florida-based musician who started rapping while in his sixth grade at school and released his first mixtape in 2011 – who’s been working with a Connecticut-based songwriter who’s produced records for the likes of Vince Staples, Gucci Mane and Zack Fox, among others! 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