Today’s Track: Sinead O’ Brien – “Strangers In Danger”

September 3, 2020 — 1 Comment

Are we witnessing a solid return, or heading into Stranger Danger? It’s new post time!

Pictured: Sinead O’Brien in a publicity shoot to promote a DIYMag.com feature (2020) (Photo Credit: Louise Mason)

Good Morning! I am Jacob Braybrooke and, as per usual, I’m typing up your daily post on the blog, since it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! I covered one of Sinead O’Brien’s singles a few months ago, and I remember it left myself impressed by it. So, after wondering what she’s been up to and Googling her name last week, I found this, “Strangers In Danger”, another new single release. An emerging poet and songwriter originally based in Limerick, Sinead O’Brien is a really unique talent who fuses Spoken Word poetry and Post-Punk synth beats in a way that seems very difficult to box into one specific musical genre. Signed up with Chess Club Records, Sinead O’Brien has been gaining exposure from KEXP, Stereogum and Paste in recent months, and she has previously performed with The Brian Jonestown Massacre at sold-out theater shows across the UK. Her production methods are most comparable to Kate Bush, and Nick Cave’s “Skeleton Tree” era of output. Her music influences include Mark E. Smith of The Fall, Patti Smith and The Slits, while her literate range of influences include Frank O’ Hara, Joan Didion and Albert Camus. Let’s have a listen to O’Brien’s latest track “Strangers In Danger” below.

With O’Brien’s debut EP release, “Drowning In Blessings”, set to come out on 16th September, I’m very much looking forward to hearing what the Irish artist has in store for us all. “Strangers In Danger” is lyrically based on an obscure epiphany that O’Brien experienced “Plastic flowers in bloom and the sound of soccer” during a live gig, while the finished track explores themes of two meanings behind the duality of a mirrored, conflicting meaning. “Back and forth, between loss and worth” rolls off her tongue as a shimmering guitar riff of a bubbling intensity, providing a warmth, kicks us off in the opening. The guitar instrumentation creates a consistent pace and a gentle structure that almost forms something of a melodic groove, although O’Brien’s vocals are delivered in a far more cerebral, low-pitched quality. “I thought I drew well until I drew you/I was better off then, than what I knew” signals a key change, and a teetering line of Drum rhythms which also increase the melodicism. The two sets interweave, to create a singular groove, that sets us back into a melodically-driven crescendo, as O’Brien lyrically vents “Strange things, are strangers/Other people’s people” and “Solitary revealing moves the meaning of the streets we live on/A strange range of normal to be” as the pulsating backdrop shifts the pacing and idiosyncratically tempers the course of the simmering track, based on her flow and merit. The arrangement is slowed at the end, as O’Brien concludes “What worth do you unearth with the way of your words?” above a vaguely Post-Punk/No-Wave composed section, and it pushes O’Brien’s vocal performance in some unexpected ways. While this may not be everyone’s cup of tea because this is simply not designed for the mainstream at all, I really like it. Her sound is very strange and distinctive, but I find that it fascinates rather than confuses because her vocal backdrop adds a cohesion and fidelity that makes the blend of No-Wave, Spoken Word and Post-Punk flow quite naturally. I think it’s down to the instrumentation that is rather melodic, and it provides a layered undertone that links up the dots together. The vocals convey a ghostly and cerebral presence, however, the Post-Punk and Avant-Garde elements of the instrumental backing track feel melodic enough, just ever so slightly danceable, to make it feel driven by beats, just barely enough, to succeed. There is something weirdly attractive about it too. I’ll be marking my calendar for release day.

Pictured: Sinead O’Brien in a press shoot to promote “A Thing You Call Joy” (in 2019) (Photo Credit: Zac Mahrouche)

As mentioned beforehand, I caught wind of Sinead O’ Brien on the blog just a few months ago. You can check out what I thought of “Taking On Time” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/20/todays-track-sinead-o-brien-taking-on-time/

Sinead O’Brien: “I don’t think anyone should be afraid to use their words” (2019) (Photo Credit: Zac Mahrouche)

Thank you very much for reading my new post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at the most recent single from a US indie artist who described himself as “a bedroom recording artist who writes musical diaries about living with his best friend in New York City.”, with his new track getting daytime exposure from BBC Radio 6Music, KEXP and Dudlab. 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: Martha Hill – “Grilled Cheese”

September 1, 2020 — Leave a comment

I hope you have the appetite for this hearty slice of Emmental. It’s time for a new post.

Pictured: Martha Hill in an official publicity shoot to promote “Grilled Cheese” (Single) (2020) (via Martha Hill Music)

Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I am typing up about your daily track on the blog, as always, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Currently residing in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Martha Hill is an observational Alternative/Indie Rock singer-songwriter who left her rural home, in Scotland, at the age of 17 to busk the streets of Europe to make her own living. In the time since, Hill has released a string of EP’s independently, including 2019’s critically-acclaimed release, “Be Still”, which gained significant exposure from BBC Introducing. In the meantime, Hill has also supported the likes of Maximo Park and Mahalia on tour. Her current project is “Summer Up North”, an EP release, of which she is currently pledging for public backers to fund it’s production through a Kickstarter online campaign. The first single of which she’s shared from her new EP is “Grilled Cheese”, a track which, coincidentally, is named after what I had for lunch yesterday! The track’s been doing the rounds on BBC Radio 6Music’s A-list curated playlist, and it has also gained airplay from X-Posure, John Kennedy’s evening show, on Radio X. So, it really seems to be causing quite the fuss! Let’s jump on the bandwagon for it below.

The only difference is – my grilled cheese last night… was on a stick! Back to the task at hand now, as Hill delivers a melodically-driven, lo-fi Indie Punk track that feels witty and anecdotal, often playing on the observational nit-picks that Courtney Barnett is very popular for. Hill tells a story of a couple struggling to agree on the simple things, in this case being meal prep, as she croons: “My baby messed me around/Yeah, she don’t love me anymore/and I know that for sure” with a fiery, if not aggressive, vocal delivery and a soft, 3-note guitar chord sequence. The second verse contemplates whether raw onions should go in a grilled cheese toasted sandwich, before Hill leads into a chorus that raises the intensity of the guitar work, and teases a tense bass guitar solo, before settling down into the repeating acoustic guitar strums. It builds to a key change in the chorus, as she dramatically sings: “I drink your kerosene, But I don’t like it when your mean” over the top of a multi-strand, layered guitar chorus that carries her vocal hooks with a deep, rhythmic beat. We soon get to another key change, where Hill adds: “I wish that we could feel better” to the familiar pop hooks of “She put her hands in the air, Then the air turned sour” as a harsh, cluttering Drum pattern is introduced to the mix, and it gradually intensifies in pressure over the top of the witty, rampant lyrical devices and the contending, fragmented guitar intervals. It results in a sound that frequently gets more diverse as the track’s duration nears it’s end, and, as a result, it makes the production feel clean and polished. I think that a casual listener would find it quite easy to access and not too demanding to grasp the point of it, but it never feels massively too commercial. I also like how the title of the track refers to a comfort food, as it connotates a sense of nourishment in which things will get better for the couple in the narrative. Overall, I don’t think I’d go as far to say it’s the best track of the year or anything, since I don’t find the song does that much in the way of innovation for me personally, but this is certainly an impressive landmark in the young musician’s career and it sounds very engaging. If you ask me, I think onions would definitely ‘go’ in a grilled cheese toastie!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Summer Up North” (EP) (Set for release at TBA, 2020) (via Self-Released/Kickstarter.com)

Thank you very much for reading this post! As always, I’ll be back to do the same all over again tomorrow. I actually turn 22 tomorrow, not that it really means anything. Therefore, I’m going to be a bit selfish and subject you to me having a rave about one of my all-time favourites, from an iconic American singer-songwriter who is known for partaking many different “phases” of his long-served career! This famous musician has won Best International Male Solo Artist at the BRIT Awards three times between the years of 1997-2000, along with seven Grammy Awards, most recently taking a prize in 2017. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: The Radio Dept. – “Could You Be The One?”

July 16, 2020 — Leave a comment

The latest in the sparsely transmitted frequencies of Lund’s Finest! It’s new post time!

Johan Duncanson (Lead Vocals, Producer) and Martin Larsson (Keyboard/Synths) (2020) (via Brooklyn Vegan)

Here we go again! Good Morning, I am Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up about your daily track on the blog, because, as per usual, it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every single day! I started off a two-part series yesterday, starting with the new single “You’re Lookin’ At My Guy” from The Radio Dept, a cult Dream-Pop/Shoegaze group from Lund, a small city in Sweden. The personal favourites released a new Double Single over the last weekend, and we are listening to “Could You Be The One?”, the B-side of the release, today. The band have decided that, instead of writing and producing a new full-length record, they will be scattering a range of sporadically released singles throughout the course of the year, with the intention to compile the singles onto an album-length compilation later in the year. If you’ve only jumped into the blog today, The Radio Dept. are the Swedish duo of Johan Duncanson and Martin Larrson (along with touring member Daniel Tjader), who got the name from a local gas-station-turned-radio-station-turned-repair-shop called “Radioavdelningen”, which translates to “The Radio Department”. The Dept. have never been a fixture in mainstream culture, but 2006’s “Pet Grief” and 2010’s “Clinging To A Scheme” were relative cult classics within the internet music community. I have a joke with my friend Harrison, where we call them “Lund’s Finest”. I’m certainly not sure what the competition surrounding that award is, but they’re massively underrated, and they added weight to the claim with “You’re Lookin’ At My Guy”, on yesterday’s post. Get ready for part two with “Could You Be The One?” below.

It was well-documented, on the blog yesterday, that the A-Side of the release “You’re Lookin’ At My Guy” was a changed-up cover of the Tri-Lites, a 1960’s girl vocal group’s original version, switching up the Jazzy doo-wops for hazy acoustic melodies, mixed up with a little synth distortion. The B-side “Could You Be The One”, however, is an original. Duncanson leads the track with a call-and-response lyric delivery, as he sings over the top of a radiant synth line and a glistening, breezy acoustic guitar riff: “You’ve been wishing away, Aching to be led astray, Anything to be the one who got away”, before a soft chorus incorporates a short and lush Horn section into the instrumentation of the ongoing, guitar-laden hooks. The lyrics are contemplative, but there is a sweet and progressive warmth that downplays the melancholy with a balance of joy and triumph. Duncanson adds “Could you be the one?/Could this be the day” to the vague and minimalist chorus, while the finale feels a touch more sad, but polished, as Duncanson builds up to a sweet, artistic outro of light acoustic guitar licks and subtle keyboard riffs with: “Could you be the one?, The one that gets to say, I took the chance, and got away”, using self-reflective and elegant themes of lust and unrequited romance. The “Turn To Camera One” refrain is intriguing, and it may connote a story of a film director trying to start a relationship with an actress or a producer on set, but that’s just my interpretation. Again, like with yesterday, it’s very subtle and it paints a pretty minimalist picture, but it feels more driven by character and narrative than “You’re Lookin’ At My Guy”. Another solid outing by ‘Lund’s Finest’!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “You’re Looking At My Guy” (Double Single) (Released on July 10th, 2020) (via Just So! Records)

Don’t forget to check out Part one of my two-day spread, with my review for “You’re Lookin’ At My Guy”, in case that you missed it, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/07/15/todays-track-the-radio-dept-youre-looking-at-my-guy/. I’ve also covered a few other tracks previously, you can check out my review for the recent single “The Absence Of Birds” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/03/06/todays-track-the-radio-dept-the-absence-of-birds/, and you can peruse my review for their sleeper gem “Memory Loss”, which I can’t believe was released exactly a decade ago, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/21/todays-track-the-radio-dept-memory-loss/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “The Absence Of Birds” (Released in 2020) (via Just So! Records)

Thank you very much for reading this post! A new weekend means another batch of new album releases, so I’m going to be choosing a single from a brand new album to cover tomorrow’s blog post. It’ll be from the new project of an English musician and songwriter who was the frontman of 90’s group Pulp, and he famously jumped on-stage during Michael Jackson’s performance of “Earth Song” at the BRIT Awards in 1996! 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: The Radio Dept. – “You’re Looking At My Guy”

July 15, 2020 — 1 Comment

AJ Styles. Idris Elba. Tom Hardy – those are all such guys! It’s time for a new blog post!

Pictured: Johan Duncanson and Martin Larsson in a press shoot for their Bandcamp.com page (2016) (via Just So!)

The voice that feels like home to me! Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing up about your daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! I’ve been very delighted over the last week to hear that The Radio Dept. are back to their sparse, scattered-about releases again, following their single “The Absence Of Birds” earlier in the year. An indie Dream-Pop/Shoegaze outfit from Lund, a small city in Sweden, I’ve been closely following the band since my college days of 2016, where I was introduced to them by my friend Harrison, and we have an in-joke by calling them: “Lund’s Finest”. They’ve never been a hugely promoted band, but they have a relative cult following, after 2006’s “Pet Grief” and 2010’s “Clinging To A Scheme” become cult classics on the internet. The band create music of a very articulate and whimsical style, drawing comparisons to The Postal Service. The band have cited My Bloody Valentine, The Cocteau Twins and Saint Etienne as a few of their influences. They got their name from a local gas-station-turned-radio-turned-repair shop called “Radioavdelningen”, a translation to “The Radio Department” in Swedish. Last Friday, The Dept. released a brand new single, “You’re Lookin’ At My Guy”, with the B-side “Could You Be The One?” to make it a Double Single release. The two tracks are very unlikely to get much, if any, exposure on the radio – so I thought that I’d cover both this week as a two-part series, with the former track today, and the latter track tomorrow. Without any further ado, let’s have a listen to “You’re Lookin’ At My Guy”, the title track, below.

Upon my research, it turns out that “You’re Lookin’ At My Guy” is actually a cover version of The Tri-Lites, a 1960’s girl group, track of the same title. It’s a move that might come somewhat unexpected to longtime fans of The Radio Dept, but it just reaffirms that Johan Duncanson and Martin Larrson have strong songwriting abilities, as they switch up Doo-Wop harmonies for gentle, if distorted, synthesizer loops and luscious, acoustic guitar melodies. Duncanson recites: “Little girl, just move on by/Don’t even try to catch his eye” and “Say girl, let me put you straight/You’re scheming on my steady date” to the beat of steady piano lines and distorted, low-quality synth patterns, over a poetic vocal delivery. The post-bridge is more melodic: “I don’t want to start no trouble/Little girl, you’d better move out/You’d better move, and on the double”, deposited over the top of a jangling guitar riff. A chorus rooted in the Shoegaze and Dream-Pop melodies that make The Radio Dept who they are, “Little girl, just step aside/Cause’ I’m gonna be his bride/This is where I draw the line” is slightly chant-led, and the vocals are layered above clashing drum rhythms that match the synth-led production. Duncanson continues to repeat the hook: “You’re looking at my guy”, over the top of a light string section composed by a swelling violin line. The sound is subtle and pretty, but in no way feels melancholic or dreary. It’s very nice to see (or hear, rather) The Radio Dept making more music that sounds creative and interesting, but light and warm, after a long hiatus. A new single from the duo feels like the equivalent of seeing a longtime friend after a lengthy absence. It’s rich and comforting. a wholesome outing. Although I have no idea of what their competition looks like, I feel there must be truth to the claim they are “Lund’s Finest”!

Pictured: Cover Art for “You’re Looking At My Guy” (Double Single) (Released on July 10th, 2020) (via Just So! Records)

As a dedicated follower of The Radio Dept, I have also previously covered a small portion of their previous work on the blog. You can see what I thought of “The Absence Of Birds” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/03/06/todays-track-the-radio-dept-the-absence-of-birds/, and you can revisit (or discover, for the first time!) their underrated, sleeper gem “Memory Loss” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/21/todays-track-the-radio-dept-memory-loss/

Pictured: Johan Duncanson and Martin Larsson with touring member Daniel Tjäder (Guitar/Synths) (Date Unknown)

Thank you very much for reading this post! Don’t forget to join me tomorrow for the second part of my two-part series on The Radio Dept’s new double single release, where I’ll be sharing my feelings on the B-side: “Could You Be The One?”, in due course. 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: The Flaming Lips – “My Religion Is You”

July 4, 2020 — 1 Comment

The Flaming Lips are back! Will they leave you burning with desire? It’s new post time!

Pictured: Wayne Coyne (Lead Vocals/Writer), Michael Ivins (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals), Steven Drozd (Lead Guitar/Kick Drums), Derek Brown (Rhythm Guitar/Percussion), Jake Ingalls (Keyboard/Synths), Matt Duckworth-Kirksey (Drums/Percussion) and Nick Ley (Sampling/Occasional Backing Vocals) (in 2020) (via DIYMag.com)

Top O’ The Weekend to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about your daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! Always a band to make a meaningful statement, The Flaming Lips have decided to go patriotic for the sixteenth album of their established, storied career. “American Head” is set for release on September 11, 2020, via Warner Bros. Records in the US and via Bella Union Records in the UK. This upcoming full-length release from the experimental art rock project, who were placed on Q Magazine’s list of the “50 Bands You Need To See Before You Die” poll in 2002, is “based on a feeling”, according to the 7-piece group’s front-man Wayne Coyne, who says: “A feeling that, I think, can only be expressed through music and songs”. He continues: “Mother’s sacrifice, Father’s intensity, Brother’s insanity, Sister’s rebellion… I can’t quite put it into words”… I’ll leave the meaning of that down to you for interpretation. Let’s have a listen to the latest single – “My Religion Is You” – below.

Paired with the chilling music video that sees Wayne Coyne clutching giant Roses next to a prairie bonfire, the band largely explore God above Country as Coyne murmurs through a series of lyrics about religions, in a psych-folk ballad sense, shrugging them off as the downbeat acoustic folk instrumental slowly increases into an Acid-shaded falsetto that slightly resembles Pop. He hums: “Yeah Budda’s cool and you’re no fool, To believe anything, You need” and “If Hari Krishna, Maybe it’s the thing for you, it’s cool”, over the top of sampled string melodies that form in the centre of a psychedelic swing that’s led by a synthesized bass drums, with warm acoustic guitar strums that shape the two verses, but they fade away in the electronic-led chorus. I can detect a sense of unity despite differing beliefs in the post-bridge, where Coyne adds: “If being a Christian is your thing/Then own it, friend”, before a sweeping chorus section where he sings: “I don’t need no religion/You’re all I need/You’re the thing I believe in/Nothing else is true”, layered above soft bass guitar strums, before he concludes: “My religion is you”, repeating the line over the three-line sequence. The track has a mournful, yet warm, tone, and the fairly off-kilter psych-pop instrumentals blend well with the lighter, acoustic guitar-driven opening sections to create a track which, lyrically, is a plea for focused universal love, which is suitable for a time where loads of political groups feel divided, and most of us are still effectively under house arrest. There’s an element of humor to it, with the quirky lyrics to balance the brutality out. Although The Flaming Lips are taking the similar creative approach to The Killers’ “Caution”, where it sounds more like a classic Flaming Lips track than an innovative creative breakthrough for the band, their messages are heartwarming on this track, and it’s a well-structured piece that artfully discusses what it means to believe in love.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “American Head” (Available to buy from September 11th, 2020) (via Bella Union)

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 your brand new weekly edition of Scuzz Sundays the day of the week where we have a look back at an emo-rock or pop-punk classic from between the late 1990’s- mid 2000’s to see if it holds up to modern standards! 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 Post: Khruangbin – “Pelota”

June 26, 2020 — Leave a comment

Does it live up to the hype or should it go in the Khruang-Bin? It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Laura Lee (Lead Vocals/Bass Guitar), Mark Speer (Lead Guitar/Occasional Backing Vocals) and Donald “DJ” Johnson (Drums/Percussion) in a press shoot for the “Con Todo El Mundo” debut album era (2018) (via Echoes.org)

At last, it’s big release time! Good Morning to you, I’m 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! I’m glad the scorching hot weather has calmed down a bit, aren’t you? But, imagine the feeling of partying on a pleasantly warm beach in Croatia while you hear a DJ busting out the Earthly, Dub-inflicted Funk sounds of Khruangbin! It would be perfection, and it’s a tranquil feeling that the Houston trio of Laura Lee, Mark Speer and Donald “DJ” Johnson are hoping to capture on the new album, “Mortdechai”, which is the follow-up to 2018’s “Con Todo El Mundo” and it’s 2019 dub remix album “Hasta El Cielo”. They also released “Texas Sun”, a collaborative 4-track EP with Leon Bridges, in January of this year. So, they’ve been all over the shop – both sonically and geographically. I was very impressed with “Time (You and I)” and “So We Won’t Forget”, the previous two singles from the brand new album, although they don’t switch up the familiar formula of Khruangbin from their previous releases very much. “Mortdechai” releases today on the Dead Oceans label. It’s up to “Pelota”, the new single to be released by the band in support of the new album, to carry the hype train along. Let’s have a listen to it below.

A music video that is loosely based upon an animated Japanese film which has not been named by the band, Khruangbin’s “Pelota” sees director Hugo Rodríguez pair images of a Japanese Anime-style character morph through spherical shapes as the guitar-driven motifs of “Pelota” warp around a Latin American Pop style, full of Polyrhythmic drum beats and hand-clapped Jazz intervals. Khruangbin’s new album is their first to feature prominent vocals on every track, deviating from their predominantly instrumental style prior, but I was even more surprised to hear vocalist/bassist Laura Lee sing in Spanish on the new track, “Pelota”. The core lyric hook, “Ahorita Yo Puedo Ser Uno Pelota”, is a rough translation to the irreverent chorus “Right now, I can be the ball” in Spanish – an undercurrent to the track’s hidden meaning of the band exploring and observing the world by envisioning themselves as rubber balls. Silly as it may sound, it works well. This is because the band retain their dub-based, Funk and World aura with bass guitar riffs that feel familiar to their existing work, pleasing their built-in fanbase. “Pelota” has a more grounded feel to the previous two singles, “Time (You and I)” and “So We Won’t Forget”, due to the tempo being slightly raised by the lead vocals, and a lesser focus on their psychedelic trip. The instrumentation feels quite percussive, with an energetic lead guitar melody and jolting Steel Drum melodies rippling throughout. Although it’s a mostly abstract outing, it manages to negate my light concerns of the new album not sounding different enough to their prior releases to stand out amongst them. The proof will be in the pudding, however, and judging by the quality of all three singles from the new album, it’s shaping up to be one of, and potentially even, their best. I absolutely can’t wait to stream it later today once my jobs are done.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Mortdechai” (Released on June 26th, 2020) (via Dead Oceans)

As I mentioned, I am a huge fan of Khruangbin so I have covered multiple tracks from them in the past. Have a listen to “Time (You and I)” and “So We Won’t Forget”, the other two singles from their new album, “Mortdechai”, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/05/02/todays-track-khruangbin-time-you-and-i/ and here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/05/20/todays-track-khruangbin-so-we-wont-forget/, respectively. Check out my thoughts on “Texas Sun”, the titular track of their collaborative EP with Leon Bridges, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/01/06/todays-track-khruangbin-feat-leon-bridges-texas-sun/. Finally, you can check out the festive hit “Christmas Time Is Here” below: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/13/todays-track-khruangbin-christmas-time-is-here/

Pictured: Khruangbin outside of the BBC Radio 6Music studios (2018) (via BBC Music)

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 track from a South-London based drums player who was one half of the sax-and-drums duo Binker & Moses, and he also fronted his own indie rock band, Exodus. 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: 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/

Today's Track: Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – "Cars In Space"

March 24, 2020 — 1 Comment

When it comes to writing a space-themed post, you have to planet! It’s new post time!

Good morning to you, I hope that you’re staying safe and healthy! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and I’m here to type up about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! “Cars In Space” is the new track by Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever, an Australian 5-piece Psychedelic Rock group who have enjoyed major breakthrough success with their debut LP, “Hope Downs”, released in 2018 through the Sub-Pop label. They previously had a lot of success with their EP’s “Talk Tight” and “The French Press” when they were signed to Ivy League Records. Last year, they released their “In The Capital” EP to another round of applause from both music journalists and listening fans alike. The band have been praised for their replay value, their punk-inspired approach to songwriting, their accessibility for casual audiences and their experimentation in the many rock genres of the 1970’s, such as Kraut-Rock, Math-Rock and No Wave. Following in the foot steps of commercially successful Australian rock bands like Tame Impala and Pond, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever have a lot of hype built up around them. Can the quintet do it justice? Let’s see below.

The Melbourne 5-piece with an incredibly long name respond to worldwide acclaim with the Julia Jacklin-directed video for “Cars In Space”, a sweeping country-inspired folk rock lullaby about “the swirling words and thoughts before a break-up”, according to lead vocalist Fran Keaney. Aided by in-tone backing vocal harmonies from Tom Russo, Keaney narrates a sun-dripped guitar riff and an uptempo drum rhythm that often feels reminiscent of The Magic Numbers and Supergrass, singing: “Could have been stumbling/On the ancient stone/Four feet, wandering/In the eve before we turn inside”, a choral refrain which repeats to the sound of propellant horn arrangements and intentionally makeshift, jangle-pop bursts of DIY-rock culture. Keaney continues to deliver short and simplistic vocal refrains: “You want it simple/How hard you make it” and “Buzzing overhead/Banging on and on and on”, as Keaney narrates an intense scene of romantic conflict over the top of an emotionally upbeat, reassuringly comforting guitar solo. At a long duration of nearly 6 minutes, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever almost justify the time and energy of the listener with a track that’s simply a bit of fun to make you feel good, as well as operating as a functional throwback to the 1980’s Australian Indie Pop era which housed acts like The Hard-On’s, New Christs and The Rockmelons. Now, I did write almost. I feel the track lacks a bit of boldness, as the tone of the track doesn’t drastically change during it’s long length and lyrically, I don’t feel it’s as engrossing as some of the band’s older work. That said, I still think it’s a welcome return from a well-liked group who have undeniably brilliant chemistry as a band! Let’s hope that a new album is in the works.

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

Thank you for reading this post! I hope you enjoyed it – keep washing those hands! I’ll be back tomorrow with a look at a slightly older album-only track from one of my personal favourite British Alternative Hip-Hop artists who’s a self-professed “mother’s boy” and sung a song to her on-stage at last year’s Glastonbury Festival – as well as appearing on Channel 4’s Celebrity Gogglebox with her! 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: Chicano Batman – “Color My Life”

March 12, 2020 — 2 Comments

This Batman is nowhere near as bad as that awful DC’s Suicide Squad film and it’s a lot more reflective in quality of The Dark Knight instead! It’s time for a new blog post!

Pictured: Bardo Martinez (Lead Vocals/Keyboard/Rhythm Guitar), Carlos Arévalo (Lead Guitar), Eduardo Arenas (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals) and Gabriel Villa (Drums/Percussion) (2019) (Official press shot via ATO Records)

I wonder how Superman would respond to this DC-related tomfoolery! It’s Thursday afternoon and you’re reading the words of me, Jacob Braybrooke, as I’m typing my musing about your daily track on the blog because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to so so! Chicano Batman are a Psychedelic Rock band from California who certainly don’t take themselves very seriously at all! A fun fact: They once starred in a TV commercial for Johnnie Walker’s Scotch Whiskey in 2018! The 4-piece group, who my friend introduced me to during our weekly playlist meeting for our student radio station last week – formed in 2008 through bonding over their shared love for Brazilian music from the 1960’s, a Jazz-Punk root which blends with the styles of Tropicalia, Dub, Progressive Soul and Electronic Indie Rock to form the basis of their sound. The band are gearing up for the release of their fourth album, “Invisible People”, which comes out on May 1st via ATO Records. Let them Color your Life with their new single below!

“Color My Life” is painted by a quirky video with a sunny palm background which, for me, gives off shades of the 90’s Hip-Hop parody “Windowlicker” video created by Aphex Twin and Chris Cunningham which was released back in 1999! Lead vocalist Bardo Martinez skates around the shoals, in front of lots of slightly disturbing camera close-ups, crooning: “Are you a lucid dream?/That’s what it seems/I’m not really sure if it’s real”, above a chilled psychedelic groove created by a sublime Conga drum beat and a lush Kookaburra melody – sounding accidentally precursored by the melody of Men At Work’s Down Under – which paves the way for a Reggae sound, leading up to a distorting, tripped-out bass guitar riff, before Martinez continues: “Are you a lucid dream?/Or just a beam of light/Shining on me?”, as the melodies settle into a harmonic pace again, before Martinez stutters: “With the feels I’m on”, as the rhythm takes a more soulful, R&B-infused turn, before the glitched-out haze of electro-tropicalia echoes the sentiment of Martinez’ highly reverberated Falsetto once again: “You’ve got to color my life/You’ve got to fill in my thoughts”, as the constant breezy underlayer crashes to an abrupt halt. The band match idyllic scenes of the Pacific coast with their eccentric sense of humor, matched by the cinematography, costume design and shot layout. It’s a well-produced video, and I think the song’s really good as well! There’s a subtle Australian psychedelia influence, as the track doesn’t sound miles away from the likes of Tame Impala – with the volume turned up to eleven, but it sounds closer to the frenzied sequencing effects of Pond. There’s also call-backs to 80’s Latino pop and the care-free songwriting shares the vibes of early 70’s Ska music. Chicano Batman have an awful band name, and they play that to their advantage by having fun with their ideas and going hell-for-leather with it all, ending up with a varied sound which takes elements from different genres for inspiration, but it doesn’t sound too close to one or the other as to sound very much like another existing band or solo artist. It’s quite out-there, but that’s what makes it work. I’ve only heard this one single so far – but I’m looking forward to hearing more from them!

Pictured: Chicano Batman playing a live Tiny Desk Concert for NPR Music on YouTube (2017)

Thank you for reading this post! As always, I hope you enjoyed it! I’ll be back tomorrow to introduce you to another comedic act – a novelty tribute band who are led by an Elvis Presley impersonator and who were publically endorsed by Robert Plant, who claimed that he preferred their cover of his own band’s track to the original version released in 1969! 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: Tame Impala – “Lost In Yesterday”

February 14, 2020 — 1 Comment

It’s time to address the ‘Elephant’ in the room, there’s a new Tame Impala record out!

Pictured: Tame Impala’s Kevin Parker in a photoshoot for “The Slow Rush” (Photo Credit: Neil Krug)

We’ve finally made it! It’s the weekend and it’s the day typically known as “Big Release Friday” to cynical music lovers such as myself, Jacob Braybrooke! It’s a biggie today, as Tame Impala have released their fourth major LP record, “The Slow Rush”. Kevin Parker’s obviously at the helm, as the writer, vocalist and producer on the new record, with a range of touring members to form the band line-up. I’m a fairly big fan of Tame Impala, but I wasn’t very convinced by the singles “Borderline” and “It Might Be Time” to be completely honest with you, so I hoped the full record wouldn’t leave me cold because Tame Impala has established itself with a lot of popularity and mainstream appeal now. I’ve just streamed “The Slow Rush” and it was very good, thankfully – as the album fuses a nice variation of genres together to explosive results and I feel that Parker’s production work is outstanding, although I think it does feel like a summer release and we’re in February. I know it’s sunshine back at home to Parker in Australia, but it’s still a little more geared towards festival sets, as Parker balances a reflective style of songwriting and instrumentation with a pop sensibility that allows us to see Parker question his inner demons – The Less You Know The Better, eh? Let’s play spot-the-difference with the video for “Lost In Yesterday” below.

A much more satisfying single than “It Might Be Time”, I think that “Lost In Yesterday” is a decent track which shines in it’s colourful production work, it’s stop-and-start structure and it’s slightly nu-disco guitar riffs. On the track, Parker croons: “When we were living in ‘squalor, wasn’t it heaven?”, a vocal refrain which he tonally contrasts with: “Eventually terrible memories/Turn into great ones”, over a sun-soaked keyboard riff and a consistent guitar riff. The riffs burst with a psychedelic trip of pop-filled strobes as Parker continues: “So if they call you/Embrace them/If they hold you/Erase them”, before the repetitiously bass-grooved main chorus kicks in: “‘Cause it might have been something, who’s to say/Does it help to get lost in yesterday?”, a refrain which Parker slightly varies with each line, at a rhythmic pace, with Parker lyrically realising that keeping your chin up and moving on is often the best way to go forward, even if it’s easy to keep your hands clinging onto a distant daydream of hope. It’s slightly different to the slow-building “It Might Be Time” and the bland R&B tinged “Borderline”, but it still retains a uniformed lyrical theme of self-evaluation and progression. The production work is much stronger, with the formation of the synths and the guitar-licked bassline adding a symphonic sweep to the trip-laden movement of the 90’s rock influences. Overall – as with “The Slow Rush”, it’s probably not their strongest, but it’s a nicely varied track which continues to make Tame Impala a very interesting band to listen to! Let me know your thoughts on “The Slow Rush” below!

Pictured: Tame Impala performing a live set at Prospect Park (2016) (Photo Credit: Scott Legato/Getty Images)

If you want to read my thoughts on another single from the new album, “It Might Be Time” was previously covered on the blog last November! Read it below: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/16/todays-track-tame-impala-it-might-be-time/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “The Slow Rush” (February 14th, 2020) (via Fiction Records in the UK)

Thank you for reading this post! We’ve almost reached Scuzz Sunday on the blog, but in the meantime, I’ll be back tomorrow – with an in-depth look at a new track from an Ohio-based indie rock songwriter who was famously the lead vocalist of The Afghan Wings and The Twilight Singers. 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/