Today’s Track: Lord Huron – “Not Dead Yet”

February 22, 2021 — Leave a comment

The Michigan Folk outfit are back ‘Alive and Kicking’ after three years. New post time!

Pictured: Ben Schneider (Lead Vocals/Acoustic Guitar/Harmonica), Tom Renaud (Lead Guitar), Miguel Briseño (Bass Guitar/Keyboard/Theremin) & Mark Barry (Drums) (2018) (Photo via The Bona Venture)

Good Afternoon to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time to begin the new week’s round of daily entries on the blog, and that’s because it is routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! The Los-Angeles based, but Michigan native, US Alternative Folk 4-piece band Lord Huron have been working on some brand new music, and “Not Dead Yet” has just been released as their first piece of new material in the three years following 2018’s “Vide Noir”, which was their first LP on a major studio label, Republic Records. The band gained some traction when “The Night We Met”, taken from their 2015 album, “Strange Trails”, surpassed over 680 million streams after being prominently used for the controversial Netflix Drama series, “13 Reasons Why”, in 2017. “Vide Noir” turned out to be their most critically acclaimed and commercially successful record yet, and it reached the top 10 of the US Billboard 200 Albums Chart after it’s warm acoustic tones were partly brought to life by mixer Dave Fridmann (The Flaming Lips, MGMT). Recently, the band have been teasing a new project with their series of “Alive From Whispering Pines” ticketed livestream performances, where the long-lost musicians who have previously occupied the Whispering Pines studio merge with the present day. There’s been no official word on a new full-length album yet, but since Lord Huron have made a habit of releasing a new album every three years, and they’re set to perform the new single on Jimmy Kimmel Live! in the US tomorrow night, it seems inevitable when you put the pieces together. On that note, let’s check out “Not Dead Yet” below.

At this point, I should probably mention that, I too, was on the little bandwagon for the hype of “Vide Noir” when it came out. It was a toss-up with Gaz Coombes for my own Album Of The Year in 2018, because the sound was a lot sharper than their previous releases, and the instrumentation was diverse and varied, leading to a gut-punch of powerful and exciting Folk compositions with a cool atmosphere. Lord Huron hasn’t quite seemed to stick on repeat on my digital libraries as much as Jacob Classics like La Roux, Jens Lekman and Foster The People though, and I can’t quite point my finger on why. Whether it’s the little less familiarity or the lack of more nostalgia with this act, though, I think that “Not Dead Yet” points to a compelling future for the band, especially now that mainstream eyes seem to have been drawn to their output in recent years. The instrumentals are a little more Acoustic, with the slight Power-Pop ferocity of “Never Ever” and “The Balancer’s Eye” from “Vide Noir” feeling slightly replaced with fuzzy, synth-less guitar tones and a warm influence of 70’s Rock ‘N’ Roll, even down to the Elvis references in the track. Hooks like “You got holes in your clothes/Booze on your breath/You look like hell, and you smell like death” feel a little comical, and there’s a soft flicker of Glam-Rock added to the mix too. The refrain of “There’s a stranger in my eyes again, I swear to God I Don’t know him” make it clear that Schneider is singing from the first-person perspective of a drifter reflecting on his personal issues, with lines like “If she asks about me, Tell her I’m not dead yet” paving the way for a silky instrumental of ascending little chords. The chorus of “But I ain’t dead yet, and I’ve got something to say” is a little more involved, but the gentle drums and the acoustic backing riff still keeps things at a nice, mid-tempo subtlety. One major critique that I have with this track is that, as my friend pointed out to me, it does sound A LOT like The Mountain Goats – with the referential songwriting and the simple Folk roots, and so I’m not certain about whether I think the sound is very unique. That said, the concept of unearthing forgotten musical relics in this Folk-led style of storytelling is not inherently uninteresting, and the fact that Lord Huron have always been a band who focus on their visuals and aesthetics as much as their music gives me more confidence. All in all, I feel that this new one plays out more like a “film trailer” for the sure-to-be new album instead of a conventional single. Overall, the results are slightly mixed on this one for me – but that’s not to say this might be the year for Lord Huron to properly shine for me. There’s a lot of potential, and so I’m watching them with my beady eyes.

Pictured: Cover Art for “Not Dead Yet” (Single) (Released on Feb 19, 2021) (via Whispering Pines Studios)

That’s all for today – Thanks for checking out the blog today, and I’m very grateful for your time. Please join me again tomorrow for a detour. I’ve been feeling a little bored of just “indie” lately, so I’m going to switch up the styles with a new Jazz release from a retro Funk and Soul collective who formed in 2007, and have six members as part of their ensemble. Signed to Daptone Records, you may not know the group by name, but their original tracks have been sampled quite frequently – including from the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Kid Cudi. 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/

New Album Release Friday: Mogwai – “Richie Sacramento”

February 19, 2021 — Leave a comment

Gizmo also stars in the Russian version of “Gremlins” – Kremlins! Time for a new post.

Pictured: Cover Art for “As The Love Continues” (Released on Feb 19, 2021) (via Rock Action Records)

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, because it is my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Another handful of brand new albums have been unveiled on to the record players or streaming platforms of your choice today, as is typically the case every Friday. I’m excited to hear the uplifting, dance pop vibes of SG Lewis’s new release. However, there’s also new Art-Pop from Issac Dunbar, the long-awaited return of The Hold Steady and the Psych-Rock of the ‘one-person band’ Tash Sultana that may take your fancy too. One of the most anticipated albums for the year, however, has been “The Love Continues” by the very influential Scottish Post-Rock band Mogwai, who have been going for 25 years now. John Peel championed them with Peel Sessions back in the day of the late-90’s, and the new record is being released strategically to coincide with their 25th anniversary of their debut single, “Tuner/Lower”, with it’s distribution being handled by their own label, Rock Action Records. Let’s find out what they’ve got to offer us with “Ritchie Sacramento” below.

Featuring contributions from Atticus Ross and Colin Stetson, the new album marks another chapter in the sweeping and the cinematic grandeur of the band’s sound, typically composed of lengthy guitar sequences and improvised sections. “Ritchie Sacramento” plays tribute to the legendary Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto, with the title of the lead single being a playful pronunciation of the name. In addition to this, lead vocalist Stuart Braithwaite also says this track is “the only conventional pop song on the record” in Mogwai’s press notes. Starting off with a highly distorted guitar hook, the lyrics of “Rise crystal spear flied through over me/Suddenly gone from here, left alone on the road” evokes a light sunset haze, with the slight melodic feel of these vocalss dipping in and out of the horizon conveyed by the fuzzy guitar beats and the variety of flickering bass tones. The bridge in the closing stages is a highlight, where the shimmering synth tones deftly undercuts the stillness of the rhythm. The chorus sweeps in for a straight-up late-90’s indie rock feel, with the lyrics of “Disappear in the sun/All gone” and “It took a while just to think/Of home” being backed by some powerful, quickly paced drumming and the irregular patterns of bass rumbles. The lyrics themselves are drawing and expansive, with little direct answers being given by the questions they ask. There’s a mid-tempo swing between a happy and sad emotion, however, with patches of reflective songwriting and emotional qualities being given off by the repeating themes of home and belonging. The textures are relatively light, however, and I feel the quiet sections of the vocal performance is selling the changing moments of tranquility and disorganization well. Overall, it’s a real grower, and I don’t think I really “got” this one initially, but I think the moments where Braithwaite looks back at companionship in the past flourishes under the Prog-Rock sound and the diversity of the emotions is good. Perfectly solid.

Pictured: Stuart Braithwaite (Lead Vocals/Lead Guitar), Dominic Aitchison (Bass Guitar/Rhythm Guitar), Barry Burns (Keyboard/Synths/Flute) and Martin Bulloch (Drums) (in 2021) (Photo by Antony Cook)

The days and the weeks keep flowing by – but that’s all for today! Scuzz Sundays is set for a new entry in two days time as usual, but before then, I’ve got one more for you. Tomorrow, we’re going to take an in-depth look at a recent collaboration between one of Warp Records’ experimental electronic mainstays, and the high-profile star of this year’s half-time show at The Super Bowl. You can have that one for free! 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: Julia Jacklin – “To Perth, Before The Border Closes”

January 21, 2021 — Leave a comment

This is my R&R day, so to the blog – before jobs begin to crop up. Time for a new post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “To Perth, Before The Border Closes” (Single) (Released on Oct 12, 2020) (via Sub-Pop Records)

Good Morning to you – My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s now time for me to get typing up about your daily track on the blog, because it’s always been my day-to-day pleasure to write to you about a different piece of music every day! Originally from the Blue Mountains, but now currently residing in Sydney – Julia Jacklin is an Australian singer-songwriter of Folk, Country and Desert Rock music who has a voice that you could class as an expression of Natural phenomena. Jacklin’s first steps into the music industry were made when she was performing with the band Phantastic Ferniture, before going on two release two solo studio albums – “Don’t Let The Kids Win” in 2016, and “Crushing” in 2019 – in the time since. She’s also opened shows for First Aid Kit and worked with producer Burke Reid (Courtney Barnett, Liam Finn) to craft the Dream-Pop instrumentals and the confessional indie pop sounds that she explored on her sophomore LP release. Her latest single is “To Perth, Before The Border Closes”, which was released late in November for the “Sub-Pop Singles Club, Vol. 5” single compilation – along with the B-side, “Cry”. Let’s take a listen to it below.

Covid-19 has made very life difficult for music artists, where the thoughts of touring on the road and playing at live festivals are being sorely missed from a therapeutic and financial standpoint. A change of locale was an inspiration for Jacklin’s latest tune, as she wrote: “I’ve moved around a lot the last 5 years. Chasing work, love, work, something new”, before adding, “I started writing this song in Melbourne and finished it in Perth. It was like a little song bridge between the two cities to make the change easier”, to her press release. I love how this single sounds calm and mild, although the subject matter of the lyrics are heavily inspired by a situation that is anything but mellow and straightforward. Jacklin starts off laidback enough, as she sings: “I loved it there, That city held me, Don’t you know that everything changes?”, with the voice of her contemplative refrains just drifting over acoustic-backed guitar melodies and a slowly increasing tempo of quietly simmering Bass guitar riffs. The bridges evoke a tone of sadness, especially with “When the time comes, will you get on that flight, I got a feeling I won’t do it alone”, with the final variation of “It’s just feeling though” conveying a self-reflective quality. Throughout the track, “Everything Changes” keeps being repeated over the deft songwriting strategies, and the chorus is sung with an equal measure of looking back, and looking forwards again. The instrumentals are minimalist, although a quiet anger can be heard by the big raise in tempo for the chorus, as these qualities continually emerge and retreat for a while to capture the stillness of our current moment. All-in-all, the sound is of a similar ilk to singer-songwriters like Angel Olsen and Sharon Van Etten – but I like the stillness of the vocals, despite the matter of it’s topical inspiration, and I like how it makes you stop and think for a minute – not really noticing the power of the lyrics because of the way it makes you feel. This may not be made for everybody, and I can see your mileage may vary because it derives to ‘Cheese’ a little – but I really like a bit of Emmental, and I like Jacklin too. She has a beautiful voice. Finally, don’t forget that, just like the rusty sign reads at the end of the music video, “We’re all in this together”.

Pictured: Julia Jacklin in a press shot for LONDON IN STEREO (In 2017) (Photo Credit: John Bell/PR)

Thank you for reading my latest blog post! Tomorrow marks the turnaround point for another installment in our recently added weekly feature – “New Album Release Fridays” – where we’re going to take an in-depth look at one of the artists behind one of the weekend’s new LP releases, for a review of one of the singles from it. It’s going to be the highest-profile album release to come in a little while – this time from a Northern Irish electronic dance music duo who are currently signed to Ninja Tune. Their second album drops tomorrow, and in 2012, the duo were given the award of “Best of British Breakthrough DJ” by DJ Mag. 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: Jens Lekman – “The End Of The World Is Bigger Than Love”

December 22, 2020 — Leave a comment

Oh, You’re So Silent, Jens. Every Little Hair knows your name. It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Jens Lekman performing “A Postcard To Nina” live (in 2008) (Photo via Interface Sessions)

Good Morrow to you, I am Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get writing up about today’s track of the day on the blog, because it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to write to you about a different piece of music every day. Jens Lekman, by far, is one of my favourite Songwriters of all time – and that is because the Swedish songcrafter is also one of the best pure storytellers. Bittersweet, witty and anecdotal – Lekman knows how to tug on your heartstrings with a simple strum of his Acoustic guitar, as much as he knows how to make you smile to a witty rhyme or a quirky bit of sample work. By now, Jens has truly cemented his place as one of the true “Jacob Classics” in my life, and he’s 9-times-out-of-10 the artist who I come running back to whenever I’m going through a difficult time. To be honest with you, I was desperate to see my sister and her fiance this year for Christmas, and given the news in the UK over the weekend that Covid has scrapped the country’s plans for this festive season, I was very cross with the government and I was very disappointed by the events. However – “The End Of The World Is Bigger Than Love” came to mind. I’m feeling a lot better now, by the way, and I felt this song was a particularly relevant one for the moment, because it’s a track that’s really about putting things into proportion, as you’ll soon see. “The End Of The World Is Bigger Than Love” was a single released from Jens’ second album, “I Know What Love Isn’t”, which came out to decent critical acclaim in 2012 – through the Secretly Canadian record label. Time for you to check it out below.

“I Know What Love Isn’t” was released five years after his debut LP record, “Night Falls Over Kortdela”, and to give a little bit of background explanation to the development of the follow-up, Lekman posted on his blog: “I believe in Love”, before adding, “I just get so wrapped up in it sometimes that I need to put it into proportion, it’s something that you have to do a lot, when you’re Jens Lekman”, to his description of this track. Yes, Jens is singing about a failed relationship here, but the focus isn’t about how everything ends, it’s on how, as Jens put it in another track from the record – “The World Moves On” – the world just shrugs it’s shoulders and keeps on going. Opening with a sombre Piano line and a swirling electronic sample beat – he settles into a folk-led bass guitar melody and a gradually evolving, sampled Horn melody. In the chorus, Jens croons: “A broken heart, is not the end of the world/’Cause the end of the world/Is bigger than love” over the top of a fluttering rhythm of softly sweeping String melodies and a jovial, upbeat acoustic guitar beat, with some pleasant vocal harmonies being thrown in for some emotive effect. The bridge is a highlight, where Jens lists how much bigger that life is than a relationship with trivialities such as: “And it’s bigger than the Stock market/and the loose change in your pocket” and “And it’s bigger than the Spider floating in your Cider” just to add a little more context to the message behind the vocals of the track, and detail how the latest heartbreak is quite meaningless compared to a literal collapse of the world. The songwriting feels quite emotionally rich and thematically mature, and it’s great to see how Jens has been able to see life past a broken love, and evolved as a person in the mechanics of the wider world. Although there’s nothing about this track that would strike you as particularly experimental, or culturally groundbreaking – It was, and still is, a very worthy addition to Jekman’s canon of weary-eyed and anecdotally driven musings of life and mindset, with melodies that are simply sumptuous and the lyrics are just flat-out nice. I think anybody can benefit from hearing a little bit more of Jens in their life.

Pictured: Cover Art for “I Know What Love Isn’t” (Released on Sept. 4th, 2012) (via Secretly Canadian)

We previously looked at ““Kanske är Jag kär I Dig” from “Night Falls Over Kortedala”, right at the beginning of the time where I started out by writing this daily blog online. For more of Jens, you can still check it out here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/09/03/todays-track-jens-lekman-kanske-ar-jag-kar-i-dig/

Pictured: Cover Art for “Night Falls Over Kortedala” (Released on Sept 5th, 2007) (via Secretly Canadian)

Thank you for checking out my new blog post! I’ve got more Christmas-themed music to show you tomorrow. This will be a track that’s brand new out for this year, and it’s all about spending Christmas in the hard time of the Covid-19 pandemic. It comes from an Indie Rock duo who once wrote a song about the Darts player Richie Burnett. 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: Dent May – “I’ll Be Stoned For Christmas”

December 16, 2020 — Leave a comment

Fair enough. It’s been a pretty tough year, after àll. It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Dent May recording music in his home studio (in 2017) (Photo via WeirdoMusicForever.com)

Good Afternoon! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get writing up about your daily track on the blog, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to get writing up about a different piece of music every day! Truth be told – I’m writing this on my smartphone toay because my laptop charger decided to cop out yesterday, and so I naturally fiddled around with it to try and fix it until my battery went flat, so you may have to bear with me, if the format isn’t quire right today, but that’s not going to stop me from sharing more Alternative festive music with you as Christmas time quickly approaches. “I’ll Be Stoned For Christmas” is a modern, red-eyed take on the seasonal ballad “I Will Be Home For Christmas” that comes from Dent May, a Los-Angeles based singer-songwriter signed to Carpark Records – where you’ll also find Toro Y Moi, The Beths and Skylar Spence. He loves to explore Psych-Pop, Prog-Rock, New Wave and Indie Folk tones in his music, and he started out his music career as a member of The Rockwells – a Power-Pop group from Missisipi. May’s most recent album is “Late Checkout” – which he released in August this year. The Christmas track, however, is six years old now – releasing on his Cat Purring self-release label – back in 2014. Let’s check out the festive music video for the track – which was directed by Robbie Hillyer Barnett – down below.

“I’ll Be Stoned For Christmas” was released on December 12th of that year, “Just in time to soundtrack your own disillusionment with Christmas week”, according to a press release from May, at the time of it’s release. It seems to be that May was a little ahead of the ball game of the current “Bedroom Pop” trend of indie music at the time, as he mixes the excitement of coming home to his family for Christmas with the mental isolation that could sometimes string along with that. May sings on about visiting his childhood friends over the top of an 80’s-influenced Synth bed which adds a hint of melancholy to the soft, Acoustic guitar strums. He later sings, above a slightly off-kilter Soprano production tool, “I’ve been chilling with my parents, they’re driving me mad, So I’m trying to get lifted with you now” and “We roll up my Cousin’s stash, and go wild at the party, yeah, we’re having a blast” to convey the slacker Rock sensibilities that come with the mild Psychedelic electronic loops. The chorus is a slightly less downbeat affair, as May adds a gently propulsive Guitar and Drums combo to the vocals, as he chants “I’ll Be Stoned For Christmas, this year” above the Psych-Folk mixture of sounds, before adding an “I’m sorry, Momma” for good measure. The hook feels heavily inspired by Mac DeMarco, as a mid-tempo Psychedelia adds some emotive lyricism to the noticeable Folk inflictions. It isn’t a bad thing though, as it’s still a decent sound that conveys May’s range of emotions pretty nicely, despite obvious similarities, as it’s also encalsulated under the same genre umbrella. In any case, May will be getting stoned for Christmas and, in a year of some absolute turmoil, I have a feeling that he will not be the only one this year.

Pictured: Dent May in a promotional shoot for “Across The Multiverse” (2017) (Photo via Tidal.com)

Thank you very much for checking out my latest blog post – and for bearing with me for today! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, for an in-depth look at another Alternative festive tune – This time from a legendary Japanese D.I.Y. Post-Punk female group who once used to perform as The Osaka Ramones – a tribute band to The Ramones. 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: This Is The Kit – “Coming To Get You Nowhere”

December 15, 2020 — Leave a comment

Your ears definitely won’t be needing a First Aid kit after hearing this. New post time!

Pictured: Kate Stables of This Is The Kit at a gig (2018) (Photo by Michael Bowles/Rex/Shuttershock) — Pictured: Kate Stables of This Is The Kit at a gig (2018) (Photo by Michael Bowles/Shuttershock)

Good Afternoon to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get writing up about your daily track on the blog once again, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to get typing up all about a different piece of music every day. We’re taking a break from the Christmas-themed music today, as I deliver to you a track from earlier in the year that has sadly been hanging around my ‘Drafts’ tab for a little while. Much like Tame Impala, This Is The Kit isn’t really a group per-say, but it’s the alias which Paris-based English singer and songwriter Kate Stables uses to release her music under, along with a touring band. A fun fact about Stables’ act is that her band once appeared with her on an episode of the BBC One TV series, “Wanderlust”, playing at the night club in which Joy, played by Tony Colette, goes to. Wikipedia told me that, so it must be true. Stables’ latest album is “Off, Off, On”, which she released in mid-October via the renowned Rough Trade Records label. The album was really showered with praise and acclaim from music critics, and it was the follow-up to her 2017 LP, “Moonshine Freeze”. The album was recorded just before the first Lockdown in March, and it was produced by Josh Kaufman, of the bands Muzz and Bonny Light Horseman, who recorded the album with Stables in Wiltshire at Real World Studios. A track which Stables explains is about “getting stuck”, “Coming To Get You Nowhere” was the second single to be released from the LP. Let’s watch the music video below.

Stables explained the hand-crafted visuals of the Automobile mishap in the music video in a press release: “We made {it} from footage of our friend’s car getting stuck when they came to visit us during our rehearsal time just before we went in the studio to make Off, Off, On”, adding, “It felt like a Car getting stuck and people having to work together and ask for help to get it unstuck was a fitting story to accompany this song, which is, itself, about getting stuck and the ways we can help or hinder ourselves when it comes to getting out of unhealthy problems” when comparing the unprocessed video to the Acoustic Folk sounds of the Soprano-led vocals and the warm Horn-oriented rhythms of the track. What surprises me the most about this track is the use of the melodic Jazz-based instrumentation. Stables croons: “There was too much noise/I’ll meet you back there in the dark” following a subtle Saxophone melody and a swinging little Horn section. She sings, during the chorus, the lines of “You don’t need to need/Anything from me” and “You won’t even see anyone else when they’re, Coming to get you nowhere” at a laidback tempo that slightly ups it’s pace with a reverberating drum and guitar beat, while the Folk inflictions of Stables’ previous work is noticeably retained by the mellow vocal delivery and the slight resonance of the bass guitar patterns. Much of the production is DIY and honeyed, and Stables amusingly remarks: “Energy, energy, please” when the rhythms need a slight raise of tone. I wouldn’t say that it feels delicate, but it feels soft and light, as the textured Folk instrumentation blends with the warm, smoky Jazz melodies to create a lush range of calming textures. The track, overall, has a pleasant feel, and the minimalist production really helps to achieve this emotive sweetness, even if the tempo is really mid-range and non-violent. It’s all in the attention to detail.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for "Off, Off, On" (Released on October 23, 2020) (via Rough Trade Records) — Pictured: Cover Art for “Off, Off, On” (LP) (Released on October 23, 2020) (via Rough Trade Records)

Thank you for checking out my latest blog post! Join me again tomorrow for an in-depth look at a Festive tune that you might not have heard before. This seasonal track comes from a Los Angeles-based singer, songwriter and producer who is currently signed to Carpark Records, the independent music label where you will also find the Vaporwave producer Skylar Spence – who is one of my personal favourites. The label is also home to the likes of Toro Y Moi, The Beths and Dan Deacon. 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: Robin Kester – “Sweat and Fright”

December 9, 2020 — Leave a comment

That title is reflective of my two reactions for an exam deadline date. New post time!

Pictured: Robin Kester in a publicity shot to promote “Sweat and Fright” (2020) (Photo via Podcart.co)

Good Afternoon to you – I am Jacob Braybrooke, and it is time for me to deliver yet another daily post on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! This single – “Sweat and Fright” – is a track that I set up for a review earlier, but I sadly never quite got around to covering it yet. I look forward to jogging my memory about it, since it sadly fell down the wayside of my mind a little bit ever since. Nevertheless, it comes from Robin Kester, who is an Experimental Electronic Folk singer, songwriter and producer, who is from Utrecht in The Netherlands. “Sweat and Fright” was the final single from her “This Is Not A Democracy” EP, which she released in September on the AT EASE indie label. Having previously recorded some work in a vacant psychiatric institution with retro guitars and vintage synthesizers to draw on 70’s pop and Shoegaze-influenced compositions, Kester decided to explore a dark variation of dream-filled tones for the EP, which she calls her “ode to Nightmares”. Let’s try not to fall asleep to “Sweat and Fright” below.

Kester’s “This Is Not A Democracy” EP was co-recorded and co-produced with Marien Dorlejn in his studio and it plays on the abstract themes of nightmares and shifting mental states – along with a glimmer of hope in it’s explorations of escapism and free voice. It’s an intriguing new direction for the up-and-coming Netherlander, who has previously toured with the likes of Villagers, Aleila Diane and Laura Gibson. Evoking a hint of Weyes Blood-like folk idioms, Kester cries out: “Woke up/Sweat and Fright/Dreams more violent with each night” as a textured synth line slowly flickers in-and-out of the centre. It becomes surprisingly Blues-inspired, with a line of steady bass guitar riffs and an up-tempo Drum signature gently pushing a melodic undercurrent to the forefront of the hypnotic, slow-building atmosphere. As if the track were a dream, these elements feel surreal, but structured enough to convey some semblance of a narrative and theme on needing self-empowerment in a waking life, as Kester calls out: “All my days, start with the same idea” and “Poisoned with an appetite/Carry on so carelessly/Singing haunted melodies” as if she is a dreamer within the lyrical framework. Her vocals are slightly distorted and never feel quite so clear, but the laidback instrumental beats and the accompanied sonic loops feel dramatic and theatrical to a point, enough to display the dream-laden thematically of the track. It feels psychedelic to a certain extent, but internalized due to the miniature synth beats that imply closed space and intimacy. Overall, it’s great to hear these moods coming across so vividly. Though it may be an over-used word in music press – it feels very ethereal. An interesting narrative and detailed production contribute to it.

Pictured: Cover Art for “This Is Not A Democracy” (Released on September 11th, 2020) (via AT EASE)

Thank you very much for reading my new post – I’m sure you might agree that this was a great winter track to listen to. We’ll be getting back in the Christmas spirit tomorrow, for an in-depth look at a slightly more widely appealing indie pop/rock track that references the old 80’s Nostalgia of the season, coming from a British band who were formed in Sunderland. Their band name derives from the title of The Flaming Lips’ “Hit To Death In The Future Head” album, that was released back in 1992. 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: Jade Bird – “Headstart”

November 28, 2020 — 1 Comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

November 19, 2020 — Leave a comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

One Track At A Time

Progressive Folk