Today’s Track: Porij – ‘Can’t Stop’

November 30, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Baby Face’ (EP) (Released on September 22nd, 2021) (via Oat Gang Records)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for us to shuffle along to the beat of yet another daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! An Art-Rock 4-piece from Manchester, Porij are a comically named act who formed while studying and staying in halls together at the Royal Northern College Of Music in 2016. Since then, they have supported Cory Wong at Manchester’s 02 Ritz and have received positive reviews from publications like Clash, NME and FADER. The likes of Radio X’s John Kennedy, BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephens and the BBC Radio 6 Music daytime playlist have also given them airplay. During the summer, they impressed us all on the blog with their peaceful protest anthem ‘Nobody Scared’, which was inspired by a documentary about Jack The Ripper that the boys saw on Netflix, and it was their call out to violence against women. If you are a fan of bands like Alt-J and Everything Everything – or even Glass Animals and Django Django – I think you’re going to really like this Experimental Pop project. The boys were at it again with the release of their new ‘Baby Face’ EP in September, which featured some previously released singles and new original tracks. The lead single – ‘Can’t Stop’ – was written by drummer Tom almost two years ago as an attempt to bring focus to his over-active imagination, and it arrived with a music video and a plethora of UK tour dates. Let’s give it a spin below.

Porij said in a statement, “Can’t Stop is a super intense, pretty relentless dance tune, about uncertainty, changing your mind and being completely consumed by your thoughts – but all while having a pretty sick time” when they released the track, which is built upon some House-like qualities with an occasionally manic Garage beat, which is complemented by some intentionally dodgy Synth patches and processed vocals that sometimes drift into an energetic auto-tuned frenzy. The band also say that it matches a quirky UKG drum and bass influence to some neat synthetic Pop elements, and it becomes clear from the infinitely tinkered fusion of late-90’s dance music facets and late-00’s indie rock motifs that the band have created a fun track that is sure to brighten up your day. The lyrics, with rhythmic sections like “I feel out of control, got me thinking/Spent a night on your own got me thinking” and more spoken word-like bridges including “Hold me in, push the time on/In your room, take my eye off” sound conventional for a modern indie dancefloor anthem, but their mode of delivery is playful and off-kilter, and so the vocals capture the overarching theme of questioning your own surroundings and sanity with a decent amount of weight to them. In terms of the instrumentation, Porij become known for looping strange Synth sounds and bulky, hefty basslines pretty early on in the track. They contrast the dance elements with a good mix of neatly woven production and more unpredictable melodies through the keyboard riffs later on. Some Jamiroquai-esque guitar riffs and a small touch of percussion round the equation off, and we are left off with a psychedelic number that treats us to the daring bounds of Porij’s creativity once again. While I would have liked for more of their serious social commentary to come through more clearly, as with ‘Nobody Scared’ that was a nod to the ‘Reclaim The Night’ movement for street safety, I think ‘Can’t Stop’ is a catchy and infectious single that would make me get up and dance in a night club with no difficulty. Generally, I really like how Porij approach each of their singles at a ‘case-by-case’ basis because it makes their discography feel quite fresh and diversified, and I like how the Manchester-based act are comfortable with the fact that different directions require different tools to others. In conclusion, ‘Can’t Stop’ is a crowd pleasing and danceable single that appeals to both indie dancefloor fans and club attendees alike.

Pictured: ‘Eggy’ (Lead Vocals/Keyboard), ‘Tommy’ (Rhythm Guitar/Occasional Backing Vocals), ‘Jammo’ (Bass Guitar/Percussion) and Tom (Drums/Occasional Backing Vocals) (in 2021) (Photo courtesy of PR/DIYMag.com)

If you’re feeling frightened, here’s a reminder that Porij wants ‘Nobody Scared’ with their previous single ‘Nobody Scared’, which has already been covered on the blog: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/06/15/todays-track-porij-nobody-scared/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Nobody Scared’ (Single) (Released on April 21st, 2021) (via Oat Gang Records)

That’s your lot for the day! Thank you for continuing to support my content on the blog each day, and I’ll be back tomorrow to resume our ‘Countdown To Christmas’ for the year because it will be December 1st, after all. It still feels a little early for me, and so we will be going for something that’s a little more winter themed in general than specifically festive. However, it comes from one of my favourite pure songwriters in the industry. He fairly recently completed the unique ‘Correspondence’ side project with Tracey Thorn from Everything But The Girl, and had a Swedish #1 album in 2007.

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Today’s Track: Ibibio Sound Machine – ‘Electricity’

November 25, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Eno Williams (Lead Vocals/Chief Songwriter/Producer), Scott Baylis (Synths/Trumpet), Max Grunhard (Saxophone/Synths), Alfred Kari Bannerman (Lead Guitar/Occasional Backing Vocals), Tony Hayden (Trombone/Synths), Phillip PK Ambrose (Bass Guitar), Anselmo Netto (Percussion) and Joseph Amoako (Drums) performing at the Pool Recording Studio, London for NPR’s ‘World Cafe’ (2019) (Photo via Kimberly Junod/WXPN)

Good Morning to you! I am Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has come for me to take you through yet another eclectic variety of sounds with yet another daily track on the blog, because it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Led by Eno Williams, Ibibio Sound Machine are a ten-piece Afro Jazz collective that she formed with producers Benji Bouton, Leon Brichard and Max Grunhard in 2013 with their idea of combining the unique vocals of the Ibibio language that she used to speak whilst growing up in Nigeria with both traditional West African and more modern electronic music elements. Although currently based in London, Williams sings her lyrics in both English and the Nigerian tongue of Ibibio, and the group are known for taking their musical inspirations from the golden ages of West African Funk and Dance music, modern Post-Rock and Electro-Pop music. Since forming, the band have been interested in creating music which fuses elements of 1990’s Drum & Bass and 1980’s Afrobeat. The band also notably performed at KEXP’s ‘International Clash Day’ event in January 2019, and they have since linked up with Merge Records to issue 2017’s ‘Uyai’ and 2019’s ‘Doko Mien’ for release, with their self-titled debut album being released on Soundway Records in 2014. Their latest single, ‘Electricity’, was premiered by Lauren Laverne during her breakfast show on BBC Radio 6 Music a pair of weeks ago, and it was recorded in Hot Chip’s studio. The group will also be embarking on a UK tour next March and April, including dates in Bath, Birmingham, Worthing, Newcastle, Manchester, London and Leeds. Let’s give it a spin.

Giving her insight into the direction of the new single ‘Electricity’, frontwoman Eno Williams says, “This one started out as an idea to mix Afrobeat with Giorgio Moroder-style synth vibes”, explaining, “The end section with Alfred’s korogo (Ghanian 2-stringed Folk guitar) solo was already there when we got into the studio, but then we added the big kick drum that happens underneath and Owen from Hot Chip’s crazy drum machine percussion at the end, which gave it a futuristic Afro feel when mixed with the more talking drum parts”, in her press statement. More or less doing my job for me with the press release, ‘Electricity’ is lyrically exploring the connection between different people and the power resource. The instrumentation leans towards an 80’s Synth Pop style, with a buoyant bassline and some tight drum melodies undercut by some more grounded, progressive Synth loops courtesy of the drum machine sequences. The pace builds gradually, starting off with mid-tempo beats and purely Synth-based rhythms before introducing a decent amount of variety with sparse Saxophone melodies and short Horn sections towards the middle. A big crescendo of danceable Synth riffs and more cerebral Jazz production creates a burst of energy in the third fourth of the track, before a longer instrumental section of ritualistic chants and quick, extravagant Horn scatterings rounds off the track before we get a final repeat of the chorus. It brings a somewhat new element to the chorus, where Williams talks about love and speaking from the heart as the simple answer to life’s complexities. An uplifting track with a slightly rougher edge that reminds me of Soccer 96’s ethereal Prog-Jazz production during brief intervals, ‘Electricity’ is a single that is lyrically radiant and evidently listenable. A focused and charming return.

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Electricity’ (Single) (Released on October 26, 2021) (via Merge Records)

That’s all for now! Thank you for reading my latest post, and it is ‘New Album Release Fridays’ tomorrow, meaning that I’ll be guiding you through one of the weekend’s most notable new album releases. This week’s pick gives you a taste of the new posthumous album by a cult favourite Alabama-born singer-songwriter who sadly left us in March. Encompassing a variety of styles including Blues, Rockabilly and Country – you may know him for opening on-tour for The Hives and The White Stripes in 2007.

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Today’s Track: Confidence Man – ‘Holiday’

November 18, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Janet Planet, Sugar Bones, Reggie Goodchild and Clarence McGuffie (2019) (Photo via PR)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to ensure that yet another daily track on the blog bursts your eardrums in spirit, because it’s always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! A quirky Alternative Dance group, led by the wacky characters of Sugar Bones and Janet Planet, the Brisbane native indie pop band Confidence Man have continued to find success throughout their musical journey since their debut album, ‘Confident Music For Confident People’ brought their dorky concoction of costumed rhythms and lightly acidic beats to the international club circuit in 2018. The band have found themselves performing at many festivals like Splendour In The Grass Festival and Falls Festival, while also remixing the likes of DMA’s, Working Men’s Club and Erasure over the years. They have also received wins and nominations at the AIR Awards, J Awards, National Live Music Awards and Queensland Music Awards over the years since they became active in 2016. Although singles like ‘Does It Make You Feel Good?’ and ‘First Class B**ch’ have filled the gap a little, Confidence Man have just announced their first album in four years. Their second studio album, ‘Tilt’, will be released on April 1st, 2022 via the I OH YOU label. According to a press release, the new album is “fierce, flirty and full of anthems” and listeners “might need to sit down before you hit play”. Back in September, Confidence Man also unveiled an extensive run of rescheduled and new tour dates across the UK and Ireland that will hopefully start in May of next year. The list includes dates in Brighton, Cambridge, Norwich, Nottingham, Edinburgh, Sheffield and more. Before then, let’s book a ‘Holiday’ below.

Talking about the inspiration behind ‘Holiday’ – the Aussie dance outfit’s latest euphoric anthem – Janet Planet stated, “No one tells Confidence Man what to do. Who said a holiday can’t last forever?”, explaining, “Spend big and live free, that’s our motto. And it can be yours too. A vacation is just sunburn at premium prices but a holiday is a state of mind”, in her joint press notes with Sugar Bones. Elaborating on the ideas of holiday and relaxation as a mindset instead of a physical destination, Planet and Bones join their fellow bandmates in conjuring slightly acidic Synth beats and some high tempo Drum rhythms to the tune of lyrics like “Best weed back on the block, I’ll take it” and “When I was a child, I was so naked” that creates the distinctly nerdy and comedic attitude that Confidence Man are known for evoking. The instrumentation continues to add some variety to the proceedings, with a lengthy sequence of backing harmonies in the opening sequence and some 80’s film soundtrack-esque Synth stabs to create silky ambient washings in the closing sequence, continuing to give off a light-hearted and care-free Summer formula. The vocal hooks are super sized, with the likes of “I live it up on the go/I’m getting high, I’m never low” and “Kicking off and I lose control/I’m born to fly/I want it all” being recited quickly, as to match the frivolous energy of the Acid Disco rhythms and neatly aligned basslines. While there’s no subtlety to the vocals, the brief String sections and the stinging Synth stabs are complemented by the floor-filling feel of the sound. A decent reminder that Confidence Man are all about having fun, ‘Holiday’ is a familiar summer anthem to see their own country of Australia throughout the summer months. Due to this ‘summer release’ feel, however, it feels a little odd when you are listening from the rest of the world as the rain gets frequent and the bitterness of the cold keeps sharpening. This also feels a bit more straight-faced than usual from the group than usual, although they’re still donning some Synths that wouldn’t sound out of place on the ‘Top Gun’ soundtrack. Despite not being in season for me, this is still a solid return from Confidence Man. Camp, unique and irreverant, ‘Holiday’ is everything you might want (and expect) from the forward-thinking Australian project.

Pictured: Janet Planet and Sugar Bones in a promotional photoshoot (in 2019) (Photo Credit: Zac Bayly)

If you liked the sound of ‘Holiday’, you may like the various other tracks by Confidence Man that have appeared on the blog over the years at various points. If you want something still recent, you can check out my review of ‘First Class B**ch’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/10/20/todays-track-confidence-man-first-class-bh/. If that doesn’t mate you feel right, you can see if this ‘Does It Make You Feel Good’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/02/26/todays-track-confidence-man-does-it-make-you-feel-good/. Or, for something more in tune with the festive season, you can view their seasonal single ‘Santa’s Comin’ Down The Chimney’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/04/todays-track-confidence-man-santas-comin-down-the-chimney/

Pictured: Confidence Man performing at ‘The Great Escape’ (2017) (Photo via Brighton & Hove News)

That’s all for now! I hope that you enjoyed the trip, and thank you for continuing to support my content like this. I’ll be back tomorrow for ‘New Album Release Fridays’, as we divert our attention to an indie rock band from Croydon in South London who have been signed to the Boston-based label Counter Intuitive Records. They have toured in the UK with NOAHFINNCE and they went on a debut headline tour this year.

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Way Back Wednesdays: Stereolab – ‘French Disko’

November 10, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Tim Gane (Lead Guitar/Keyboard), Lætitia Sadier (Lead Vocals/Percussion), Andy Ramsay (Drums), Joseph Watson (Synths) and Xavier Muñoz Guimera (Bass) (2021) (Photo by David Cowlard)

Good Afternoon to you! You are reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to take you back to a much simpler time for another weekly entry of ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! A cult favourite and influential band who were one of the first bands to be dubbed as “Post-Rock” in the 1990’s, Stereolab have seen a few line-up modifications in their share of time since they formed between London and France, but they currently tour and record music together as a 5-piece. Known for combining some elements of Kraut-Rock, Lounge Jazz and Motorik music together, and realizing some philosophical and sociopolitical themes of Surrealist and Situationist themes within their lyrics, Stereolab were a key figure for renewing interest in older analogue equipment during the Synth-oriented times of the 90’s. Also drawing from Brazillian and Funk influences in their sound, Stereolab have been regarded as one of the world’s most important bands and have once managed their own record label, Duophonic. Despite achieving relatively little commercial impact in their 90’s heyday, the band have reunited as recently as 2019 and they have hopped between the likes of Warp Records and Elektra Records when releasing their material. 1993’s ‘French Disko’ is one of their most recognizable singles, and it had originally appeared on their EP, ‘Jenny Ondoline’, before finding a second life on their 1995 compilation, ‘Refried Ectoplasm (Switched On, Vol. 2’. As someone who’s been to a handful of gigs before as a young adult in Cambridge and Stoke-On-Trent, I can say that I often see a die-hard in the crowd with a Stereolab shirt. Give them a spin below.

‘French Disko’ has been covered by the likes of Editors, The Raveonettes and Cineplexx since Stereolab’s original release in 1993. Another very interesting fact about the track is that in the UK, due to ‘French Disko’ becoming a surprise commercial success due to unexpected commercial radio airplay, the ‘Jenny Ondioline’ EP had stickers that read “Includes French Disko” on the cover art, and so the EP was being sold on the strength of ‘French Disko’ as an unnofficial single at one point. Stereolab also gained attention with the live performance on TV above, which was broadcast on a programme called ‘The Word’ that was designed to replace ‘The Tube’ in Britain. The track itself, ‘French Disko’, isn’t really the soulful and funky disco tune that you may expect when reading the title, and it instead places an emphasis on driving 60’s Motorik beats and absurdist lyrics that act as a call to arms for action against a dominant socio-political force. Refrains like “Well, I say there are things worth fighting for”, often recited by Lætitia Sadier, feel conversational and catchy, bolstered by a wry delivery that plays on the absurdity of the overall themes of the songwriting. There’s some elements of the Grunge era led by Nirvana in the 90’s with the distorted bass guitar riffs, and there’s some slower sections of the recording that point towards a more Acid Rock-oriented sound. The vocals have an air of 70’s Jangle Rock about them, mainly in their upbeat and quick-witted delivery. Other lyrics, such as “Though this world’s essentially an absurd place to be living in/It doesn’t call for a total withdrawal” and “Acts of rebellious solidarity/Can bring sense in this world”, that play on how we believe the things that we read in the news as humans, and how the media is typically motivated by a secret agenda. Overall, the concise lyrics are touching upon personal freedom and how there’s a path to a better future if you’re going to spend time calling out what clearly isn’t working. These themes still feel relevant today, in a world where we’ve been following instructions on how to navigate the Covid-19 pandemic as a mass society. While Stereolab are dealing with a rich assortment of some complex themes here, the sound of the track itself felt contemporary for it’s time and the formula of Sadier intonely droning above the harsh Synth climax and the noisy, collage-like guitar and drums melodies creates enough of a late-80’s New Wave element to balance a retro and modern style for its time to a point where it feels original and not outdated. The hook of “La Resistance” is a powerful and ominous one, and the track has an overall playful style to it that weaves together the band’s different influences of Kraut-Rock, Prog-Rock, Drone, Noise-Pop and Synth-Rock in a way that feels accessible yet stacked. Therefore, it’s that reason why I would suggest ‘French Disko’ as a good entry point into the rest of Stereolab’s discography if you are not familiar with their music. In conclusion, ‘French Disko’ is a very punchy cocktail of academic influences that still sounds unique today.

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Jenny Ondioline’ (EP) (Released in 1993) (via Duophonic/Elektra Records)

That’s all for now – and, as I mentioned yesterday, ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ will be going on a short break until Wednesday 5th January, 2021, because it’s time to begin our ‘Countdown To Christmas 2021’ feature that we’ll be spreading throughout the days of the coming weeks because Santa’s on his way – whether we like it or not. With the goal of adding some Alternative festive options to your playlists, we’ll be mixing some of the latest seasonal releases with older tunes from some of our favourite on-brand names on the blog. Tomorrow is ‘New Album Release Fridays’ and we will be shifting our focus to the new LP from multi-time ARIA award winner Courtney Barnett.

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New Album Release Fridays: Nation Of Language – ‘A Word & A Wave’

November 5, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘A Way Forward’ (LP) (Released on November 5th, 2021) (via PIAS Recordings)

Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, we’ve somehow made it to the end of the week, and so it’s time for a new entry in our weekly ‘New Album Release Fridays’ picks as we discuss one of today’s most notable album releases, because it’s always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! If you are a fan of 80’s New Wave bands like Soft Cell or Depeche Mode, or even newer variations of that sound like Hot Chip and White Lies, I think that the latest album from the Brooklyn-based Synth Rock band Nation Of Language – ‘A Way Forward’ – releasing today in association with PIAS Recordings – could be right up your street. Ahead of the Christmas rush, this week’s album releases also include new offerings from Brighton indie rock band Penelope Isles, the latest team up from Greek producer Zenjungle and Canadian Jazz musician Valiska, a new solo LP from Curtis Harding, the return of Motown icon Diana Ross and the fast-emerging Lo-Fi Pop project Snail Mail, along with the debut extended play from Monday’s subject on the blog, Cathy Jain. There’s also ‘Voyage’, the companion album to the Swedish Eurovision legends virtual comeback tour. Still a relatively new band, Nation Of Language’s line-up features frontman Ian Richard Devaney, Synth producer Aidan Noell and bassist Michael Sui-Poi, who we have come to know from earlier seperate projects like Machinegum and The Static Jacks. The band came together in New York in 2016 when Devaney heard ‘Electricity’ by OMD in his dad’s car, and that one was a record which resonated with him during childhood, and this became the inspiration to form the group together, who have received airplay across the UK and US across stations like BBC Radio 6 Music, NTS Radio and KEXP. Their second album has arrived with a share of hype attached to it today, and it has already earned a five star review from NME. It was produced by Nick Milhiser (from Holy Ghost). Let’s have ‘A Word & A Wave’ below.

Songwriter/vocalist spoke about the recent single in his press release, offering, “When writing the song, I kept finding myself imagining this person living in Portland, Maine. It’s never mentioned in the lyrics, but I found myself wishing I could have conveyed the rest of the scene I pictured – a warmly lit room on a calm overcast evening in a small coastal city.”, later adding, “When it came time to make the video, I saw our chance and decided we would journey up there and follow that vision as much as we could”, in his notes. “Retro” is probably a word that could have been used to describe Nation Of Language’s nostalgic blend of traditional Post-Rock and mature Electronic Pop music a thousand times before, but it is a term that is certainly a good fit for their sound and, possibly, the most accurate depiction of what they do. Walking the same tightrope as successful bands like New Order and LCD Soundsystem in terms of their production, ‘A Word & A Wave’ is an emotionally driven piece of twinkling early-80’s Synth patterns and continous flashings of Drone-influenced vocals that resonates with a sweeping sense of memory and anxiety, as lyrics like “Aching for something you could save/A word & a wave” and “Fall asleep romanticizing/Heartache in the city centre” are given melancholic aplomb. Ambiguous in their direct meaning, later lyrics like “Softening the seconds/As they’re falling from the open window” play on some atmospheric instrumentation and a rattling kick-drum melody to mirror the feelings of taking a small step to make a giant leap of some form. The notions of a bright, yet flickering light are created by the repetitious Synth groove that wanders along to the sonic sounds and quite mellow vocals throughout, and the track interweaves some Staccato vocals with some more minimalist instrumentation throughout. Although sounding directly lifted from the 1980’s at points, the overall sound is not massively dance-oriented because the themes are touching more regularly upon reminiscence and contentment instead. It feels like the slightly socially anxious lyrics of 80’s Synth artists like Deacon Blue are given a more cinematic sense of grandeur in turn. Overall, the melodies of ‘A Word & A Wave’ are given a patient and cautious approach that makes it feel very old, yet never quite outdated, packing a sweeping sense of filmic influence into a tighly packaged four minute duration where the looping Synths and the self-believing drum machine loops are slowly fading away to reveal an emotive core. It makes for a nice change of pace where the authentically 80’s-leaning beats become more hushed and meditative, and the band find some space for the instrumentation and vocals to shine equally because the band don’t feel hidden, as such, behind they keyboards and Synth desks. It would make for a compelling fit on mainstream adult radio stations like BBC Radio 2 due to its accessibility and 80’s sound, yet it stands out decently enough on its own. A heartfelt symphony of Synths.

Pictured: Ian Richard Devaney (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar/Percussion), Aidan Noell (Synths/Keyboard) and Michael Sue-Poi (Bass Guitar/Cowbell/Backing Vocals) (in 2021) (Photo Credit: Robin Laananen)

That’s all for now! Thank you for checking out my latest post, and I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth review of some new music from a legendary Leeds-born and Ibiza-based electronic Trip Hop producer known for crossover chart hits like ’70’s/80’s, ‘Finer’ and ‘Aftermath’, and he is one of the oldest serving names for the renowned Warp Records label. He’s also released material under the title of DJ E.A.SE.

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Today’s Track: Cathy Jain – ‘Green Screen’

November 1, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Artificial’ (EP) (Available from November 5, 2021) (via Yala! Records)

Good Morning to you! This is Jacob Braybrooke, and you’ve arrived at the right time for yet another daily track on the blog, since it’s always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! This is a brand new week and a brand new month, so I’ve got some brand new music from a brand new artist to mark the occasion of the theme. Cathy Jain is a 17-year-old singer-songwriter who mostly gravitates towards Bedroom Pop and Alternative R&B in terms of her production. She was raised in China and Australia before moving to the UK when she reached the age of 13, and she now finds herself currently based in Wistaton, Cheshire. A recent Brine Leas student, Jain can speak Chinese fluently and, in her time there, she learned how to play the Guzheng, a traditional Zither-like instrument. Jain found her break when she landed a top five place in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge Talent Search among more than 10,000 entries, and she will be releasing her debut EP – ‘Artificial’ – on November 5th via Yala Records. Her fans include BBC Radio 6 Music’s Lauren Laverne and Steve Lamacq, and BBC Radio 1 hosts Clara Amfo and Jack Saunders, and she’s also gained support from NME, Clash and The Line Of Best Fit. The follow-up to her debut single ‘Cool Kid’ is ‘Green Screen’, which was co-produced and co-mixed by her frequent collaborator Rob Heron at the Cracked Analogue studio. So, let’s give it a listen below.

Cathy Jain’s work has been featured in major playlists across streaming services including Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon Music and Deezer, and when talking about the major themes of her soon-to-be-released EP, she explained in her press release, “Together, the four tracks take a look at how we define what is really ‘real’ when we spend so much of our time either in our own heads or in a virtual world online”. For ‘Green Screen’, Jain aimed to write a single with a more “epic vibe”, and she gradually weaves together several layers of Soulful instrumentation and vocal harmonies to build the recorded track up to create some accessible Alternative Pop with hints of Lo-Fi ambience and mild Psychedelic Rock. Pulling in some Vaporwave and Chillwave influences for a surprisingly laidback opening, she complains, “I’m bored/It’s late, the stores are closed and I’d explore my phone I have some more”, during the introductory verse. The themes of virtual interaction soon become clearer, with seductive lyrics like “Notes on every sting, making each one sting” and “Things I pretend to have experienced” in later sequences while the electronic textures dabble between blissful Synths and tender, acoustic guitar riffs. Jain refuses to follow the traditional Pop/Rock/Indie single structure of the present day and abandons this pre-conceived idea in favour of switching over to different backdrops to keep things interesting, including a more glitched combination of Keys and Synths aided by some more ballad-like and sing-song vocals in the later part of the single. A few hooks like “Sometimes we just wanna be/Some melodramatic teens in the feels” and “Kissing the green screen/Making me feel things” seem to reoccur now and again, but she places a larger emphasis on sweetly drawled verses and changes of tone plus timbre rather than relying on a typically catchy chorus. The music of the overall package has a back-and-forth pace to it and the harmonies feel a little playful at times, with the attitudes of self-awareness and reflection mixing neatly with the more Dream Pop-inspired backing beats that complement her explorations of exploring a virtual self shared with her colleagues and friends. Overall, ‘Green Screen’ is an intriguing and alternative Lo-Fi Pop single that may take some less acquired listeners a few listens to wrap their heads around, but I really enjoyed how it subverted my expectations of a teen, emo dream Pop song and she does things differently to her peers. The chilled synths reminded me of Still Woozy, the long-winded romantic croons made me think about La Roux, and her youthful take on the Alternative Soul game feels fresh while appealing for fans of Lorde. One that I’d like to experience outside of my own screens.

Pictured: Cathy Jain in an official publicity shot for her ‘Artificial’ EP (2021) (Photo courtesy of artist)

That’s all for now! Thank you very much for your continued support regarding the blog, and I’ll be back tomorrow for an in-depth look at some more brand new material, this time coming from another gifted female solo singer songwriter from Wales who has pulled in an appearance on the site before, although it was covered in the early stages of 2019 and so I would forgive you if you’ve forgotten all about it. The Carmarthenshire-born artist, who sings in English and Welsh, will issue a new album via Mexican Summer in early 2022. She’s toured with St. Vincent and Perfume Genius.

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New Album Release Fridays: Helado Negro – “Outside The Outside”

October 22, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘Far In’ (LP) (Released on October 22nd, 2021) (via 4AD)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up for yet another daily track on the blog, because it’s always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! ‘New Album Release Fridays’ is the time of the week where we unbox one of the most exciting new LP releases of the weekend, and this week’s line-up includes plenty of options to choose from. The likes of Elton John, Self Esteem, HONNE, JPEGMafia, Parquet Courts, Biffy Clyro and Don Broco are all releasing new albums today, but, for me, the Miami-born and New York-based Nu-Disco producer Helado Negro (the main alias of Roberto Carlos Lange) is the little artist who could. You may recognize his voice from ‘Close’, the closing track of Colombian electronic music producer Ela Minus’ album ‘Acts Of Rebellion’, which he was featured on last year. As a solo artist, Lange won the United States Artists’ Fellow In Music in 2019 and he was later the recipient of the 2019 Grants To Artists Award from the Foundation For Contemporary Arts. He was also the winner of the Joyce Foundation in 2015, so there’s plenty of critical acclaim under his belt. Lange has been producing a significant amount of musical and visual art work since he first became active in 2009 through various aliases, and he’s known for his non-conventional approaches to Avant-Pop while also expressing his Latinx identity and his pluralistic sensibilities. 2021’s ‘Far In’ is his seventh full-length solo album, and it is the follow-up to 2019’s ‘This Is How You Smile’ and 2016’s ‘Private Energy’, as well as his first record to be issued on the 4AD label. Born to Ecuadorian immigrants, the record explores his childhood anxieties of feeling like an outsider in his family’s community, and his road to finding a sense of belonging. Lange simply said, “Escape is never out there, you have to look inward”, in a press release. The notable single ‘Outside The Outside’ is married beautifully to a music video consisting of camcorder footage of his family’s South Florida house parties of the 1980’s, so let’s give it a listen.

“This is a song about intimate partnerships and long-loving friendships. To be loyal freaks and an outsider amongst outsiders”, he says about the standout single ‘Outside The Outside’, while adding, about the video, “My family came to this country as outsiders looking for and finding community. People would come to our house and bond through music, family and dancing. They usually began at 8 PM and lasted until 5 AM”, he says of the guests who would stay up all night to dance the Salsa or Merengue, before he concluded, “I used to wake up and it would be 7 AM in the morning and people would still be downstairs drinking”, with a laugh in a recent interview. I think it’s fair to say that this particular concept is alien to us Brits, and so ‘Outside The Outside’ does a great job of creating a late-night vibe with an infectious groove and calling to mind the alienation that Lange struggled handling when he was being raised as a South Florida native despite his rich descent. Lyrics like “There we were/Up all night/Terrified, kissing you twice” and “They were mine/Changed my life, I forgot to show you why” feel hushed and intoned, while the electronic Synths warping around these words feel Lo-Fi and Minimalist in production. The chorus is a simple one, while a touch of introspection touches the other lyrics, as if Lange is reminiscing over the innocence that he also used to feel at the parties while growing up, as he uses lyrics like “Because my world only opens/When your world comes in” to demonstrate these emotions, and discuss how a group of lost souls coming together has formed close relationships. While the lyrics are well-written and inspired enough, it’s also the instrumentation and production that makes the track come together so strongly like it does. The track has a dance music feel, yet it goes for a more reflective and nostalgic tone instead of a swooping and euphoric one, not relying on dancefloor-ready builds and festival-friendly basslines, and instead going for something more subdued and hushed. It feels like a nice platform for Lange’s crooning vocals to create a variety of moods from, while the glistening Disco melodies and the spiraling percussion feels melodic enough to dance along to, whether as a casual listener or a hardcore fan of his work. Overall, ‘Outside The Outside’ is a cracking single that confidently captures the feelings of fostering an environment that feels supportive and comfortable that have shaped the inspiration of Lange’s new album, and the only light we see is that of a dangling Disco ball on the house’s ceiling.

Pictured: Helado Negro performing for GRAMMY’s ‘Press Play At Home’ series (2021) (Photo via PR)

That is all for today! Thank you very much for joining me, and I’ll be back for more musical musings tomorrow. We’ll be listening to the latest single from the quirky indie New Zealand Psych-Pop group Unknown Mortal Orchestra, who have teamed up with the puppeteer of The Muppets and Sesame Street to produce their latest music video.

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Today’s Track: Gorillaz (feat. Jelani Blackman & Barrington Levy) – “Meanwhile”

October 18, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Damon Albarn with Murdoc recording ‘Momentary Bliss’ in Kong Studios (2020) (Photo via PR)

Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and you’ve tuned in to One Track At A Time, where it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! It is quite unusual that I would cover such a big band as Gorillaz, and especially on a Monday instead of a weekend day where there would typically be more eyes and exposure to the site, but I hate to admit that I am fairly late to the party on this release already. ‘Meanwhile’ comes from Gorillaz – the beloved and eccentric project of Blur frontman Damon Albarn and visual artist Jamie Hewlett, which was listed as the world’s “Most Successful Virtual Band” in 2010’s Guiness Book Of World Records, and the duo also scooped up the award for ‘Best British Group’ at the BRIT’s in 2018. It has long become a vehicle for Albarn to experiment freely and make some exciting collaborations happen, and it has sold over 25 million records globally. The ‘Meanwhile’ EP was released with no prior announcement on August 26th, a new three track release that includes new tracks featuring Barrington Levy and Jelani Blackman on the title track, as well as additional guest spots from AJ Tracey and Alicai Harley on the other two tracks. Together, these three tracks are a homage to carnivals and growing up in West London – and they were all debuted during a live concert performance at London’s O2 Arena earlier in August, which was free to attend for NHS workers and their selected family members and it featured cameos from De La Soul’s Posdunos, Robert Smith of The Cure and Peter Hook of New Order. To say the animated animals behind Gorillaz have been in hibernation would be far from true, since the suprise EP follows up the release of the ‘Gorillaz Almanac’ last year, a graphic book documenting Gorillaz’ 20-year history as a project. Last year, there was also the release of ‘Song Machine: Season One, Strange Timez’ that paired quirky collaborations with new music videos and staggered single releases, which allowed Albarn to explore collaborations with artists like Slowthai, St. Vincent, JPEGMafia, Chai, Elton John & Schoolboy Q. Give ‘Meanwhile’ a listen below.

The titular track of the recent EP release includes featured spots from Barrington Levy and Jelani Blackman, and has been pitched, in the accompanying press notes, as a tribute to the cultural historical event of The Notting Hill carnival, which would have taken place in late August alongside the record’s release, but it was cancelled again due to the ongoing ripple effects of the Covid-19 pandemic. 2-D, the animated frontman, added, “Meanwhile Gardens are just round the corner from Memory Lane. If you get to Crawley you’ve gone too far”, to the document. The most noticeable element of ‘Meanwhile’ is how the tune plays with a nostalgic Grime element, with some smoky Hip-Hop vocals from Blackman during the opening verses that lay into the traditions and significance of the event in his life, with lyrics like “Play street with the street I played” and “See when the sound system break/We make the system shake” that reminisce over the fun of the carnivals and the cultural diversity that it celebrates. The chorus is an expansion of these ideas, with lyrics like “I love Carnival bass, ya don’t feel the same, That’s cool, don’t get in my way” that feels a little catchier, but it still feels grounded within the rumbling Grime-style instrumental beats. The second half of the tune, where Albarn and Levy enter the fray, similarly sings of longing for another live event disrupted by the pandemic and the rich heritage of the event, while exploring memory with a more call-and-response style of structure. These different pieces, including the first-hand Brit-Rap sequences from Blackman and the bittersweet tones of Albarn & Levy’s sections, are all held together cohesively by the interweaving Synth patterns that twinkle along to the stoned backing beats and the dream-like aesthetics of the overall package. This probably doesn’t feel like the most inventive lyricism that we have ever heard from Gorillaz before, but it is a charming and coherent celebration of Carnivals and their meaning of purpose, both to an intimate and broader perspective. The instrumentation feels bold and vibrant too, while the sound swoops in for a clear Grime element but never gets too harsh or abrasive for a casual audience group to find too disorienting, and so Gorillaz continues to feel like an exciting project due to the well-produced graphics and fun feature spots. An engaging reminder that Notting Hill is more than just a film.

Pictured: 2-D (Vocals), Murdoc (Drums), Noddle (Guitar) & Russell Hobbs (Percussion) (2017) (via PR)

We have covered a few of Gorillaz’ tunes before, including the launch track of the ‘Song Machine’ series, which featured Slowthai and Slaves. You can find out what I thought of ‘Momentary Bliss’ for an escape here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/22/todays-track-gorillaz-on-melancholy-hill/. Alternatively, you can read up on their 2010 classic ‘On Melancholy Hill’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/22/todays-track-gorillaz-on-melancholy-hill/

Pictured: Gorillaz with Slowthai in a press shoot for ‘Momentary Bliss’ (2019) (Photo via NME.com)

That’s all for now! Thank you for joining me on the blog, and I’ll be back tomorrow for an in-depth look at a laidback single from a London-based Psychedelic Jazz quintet who have just released their fourth studio album over the past weekend on Fire Records. The band are female-fronted and the one of their members was previously a member of Fanfarlo. The drummer’s production credits also include Bat For Lashes and Gruff Rhys’ “Neon Neon” project. Their style has been oft-compared to Stereolab.

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Today’s Track: Bardo Martinez – “Patterns Of Being”

October 5, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Everywhere Reminds Me Of Space’ (LP) (Released on July 23, 2021) (via Yemaya Sol Records)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, and I’m reaching out to you on the day that ‘Super Monkey Ball: Banana Mania’ gets released for yet another daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! A week earlier to this day, we took an in-depth look at the new solo LP record – ‘South Sinner Street’ – from Marlowe’s Solemn Brigham, one half of one of my favourite Hip-Hop acts in recent times. This week, we are adapting that formula for Bardo Martinez, who is the frontman of the Latin American Prog-Rock outfit Chicano Batman, who have also garnered praise on the blog beforehand. The band have always drawn from a mix of genres including Psych-Soul, Neo-Rock, Funk and Indie music, which the 4-piece have taken to the stages of the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival and Ruido Fest over the course of the past few years. This July, Bardo quietly released ‘Everywhere Reminds Me Of Space’ on his own label Yemayá Sol Records – a self-produced little collection of 11 tracks that have allowed him to experiment more freely with some of the solo material which he has been compiling together for a few years on his own, with the global state of the Covid-19 lockdowns giving him ample time to explore his early Hip-Hop influences with a heavily beat-focused approach. One of the singles that Bardo finally had a decent amount of time to finally nurture was ‘Patterns Of Being’, the lead single from the album. Bardo began writing the lyrics and the chords for the track in 2015, before he recorded the music in 2019 and he got around to finishing it last year. Give the psychedelic trip a spin below.

Bardo aimed to dip into the same bold originality that makes Chicano Batman work so effectively for the vibrant, rhythmic-driven release, and he told GrimyGoods.com in an interview about the album, “With this record, I wanted to showcase the beats and spoken word cinematic vision quests along with some tunes I had stashed away in the vault”, adding up to his notes, “A little Casio keyboard, a Maestro Echoplex, and my monophonic Synths were tracked all over the record in order to keep it together. Many artists delve into the ether with existential quandaries about life, love and nature, I am no exception”, in his press statement. ‘Patterns Of Being’ wouldn’t have sounded out of place on 2020’s ‘Invisible People’ with his comrades from Chicano Batman, with Bardo reciting eccentric lyrics about self-gratitude and acceptance with a touch of gently philosophical musing. Catchy refrains like “Everybody’s everything and everything is everybody” and “We’re like lava pouring on the floor/Anything just comes out to its core” feel sharp and tease some conceptual thinking about humanity running parallel to geographical nature. The chorus focuses more squarely on the rhythmic delivery, as Bardo sings “Every time you’ve lost your mind/You’ve always managed to remember those/Patterns of being that makes you you” in a lush and free-form tone. The instrumentation feels deliberately playful too and even child-like at points. The Casio keys are joyous and tinny, while the Synth melodies feel harsh and wonky at times. This technique gives the track its sonic, psychedelic identity that isn’t a far cry from the engaging material that he produces with Chicano Batman. The wah-wah guitars and the extra electronic keys add some more upbeat beats and soft distortion which are influenced by his love of soul-oriented rap music. On the whole, ‘Patterns Of Being’ is dead good, and it reminds me of how leading musicians of wider bands sometimes flourish from having a solo platform to experiment more freely, with Box Car Racer and Iggy Pop standing out as key examples of this. It sounds like Chicano Batman in some aspects, but it has more of a DIY and an intimate feel to it subsequently. A dizzying array of sounds that seem out of this world, while grounded.

Pictured: Bardo with Carlos Arévalo, Eduardo Arenas & Gabriel Villa (2020) (Photo via ATO Records)

Pictured: Chicano Batman in a Tiny Desk Concert gig for NPR Music (2017) (Photo via YouTube.com)

That’s all that I’ve got for today – but we will be taking a break from the recent music recommendations for a new entry in our ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ library tomorrow. This week’s pick is a celebration of an iconic 1982 Hip-Hop track that became known as one of the genre’s first outings to be written about the poverty of inner city living, thus introducing the ideas of social commentary to conscious Hip-Hop music, written as a stark response to the 1980 New York City transit strike, as mentioned in the lyrics.

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Today’s Track: Tycho & Benjamin Gibbard – “Only Love”

October 2, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Tycho (Scott Hansen) & Benjamin Gibbard in a PR shoot for ‘Only Love’ (2021) (Photo via PR)

Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and it is time to liven up your day with a clash between two titans on the blog, whilst reminding you that it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Today’s new selection marks the joint venture point between Ben Gibbard – the frontman of the Platinum-selling Alternative Rock group Death Cab For Cutie – and the nature-centric IDM producer Tycho (aka Scott Hansen) who you might also know as the graphical designer ISO50. As well as being known for his visual art, Hansen is known for using environmental sounds as a resource for his material, such as the sounds of weather footage that he blends with Ambient Electronica sounds and his Folk-led, downtempo guitar work. We last heard Gibbard on the hard-hitting mid-pandemic charity single ‘Life In Quarantine’ on the blog last summer, while we covered Tycho’s single ‘Outer Sunset’ – taken from his ‘Simulcast’ album of reworked mixes from 2019’s ‘Weather’ LP – back in early January on the blog. ‘Only Love’ is a new single that brings the two notable names in music together. It is interesting to note that it is also the first time that Gibbard has participated in a major electronic collaboration since his Platinum-certified work with The Postal Service more than a decade ago. ‘Only Love’ originally began its life as an instrumental track with a crucially missing vocal element, before Hansen decided to reach out to Gibbard as a fan of his work with an offer to produce a remix for Death Cab For Cutie’s 2016 track ‘The Ghosts Of Beverley Drive’, a trail of correspondence which has led to the two musicians crafting something in the studio together. Gibbard has also recalled in interviews that the lyrics and concept of ‘Only Love’ were influenced by a section of Naomi Klein’s book ‘This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. The Climate’ which Gibbard read in 2004. Let’s hear their results below.

A peaceful protest tune with a calm tone, Hansen said in a press release, “Ben’s voice was a very inspiring element to work with from a production standpoint; I felt it really meshed well with the kinds of sounds and instrumentation I gravitate toward”, while Gibbard has also shown a labor of love for the link up in his own press notes, telling Rolling Stone about the literature influence, “When Scott sent me the music for ‘Only Love, it seemed perfect for this statement. Since reading Alexis’ words, I’ve carried them as a universal truth; that the only way we preserve the people, places, or things we care for is with love, not hatred” in his own words. When I first heard ‘Only Love’, I honestly felt that it sounded a lot like Miami Horror. The vocal harmonies are very radiant and 80’s-leaning, while the Synth arrangements are soothing and bright. There are some bubbling guitar riffs that add some more colour and Pop-oriented melodies to the proceedings, while the Drums explode with a somewhat psychedelic and progressive Folk flair. The lyrics are kept concise and tight, with Gibbard just promising “No voices of anger/No threshing fists” and “No last chances missed/No Savior to arrive” above the sparkling Synthwave beats and the Lo-Fi production that pings around in your head. There’s a delicate sense of longing to the vocals, while the repeating line of “Only love can save this place” continues to repeat amongst the mixture of mid-tempo arrangements. A vibe of cathartic and deeply humanist lyricism is present as usual from Gibbard’s performance, while the 80’s-inflicted Synth Pop style of Tycho’s production adds a simple, but timeless feeling to the proceedings. There isn’t a ton of variety to the songwriting here, but the different arrangements and the nostalgic feel of the overall production seems like enough to maintain your interest. It is unclear whether this is a one-off release or whether Hansen and Gibbard will come together for a project like an EP (As we have seen with short-form releases from combinations like Khraungbin & Leon Bridges and MNDSGN & Lionmilk over the last few years), but I would certainly enjoy hearing more ideas being explored by this team-up. Quite uplifting and human in character, ‘Only Love’ sounds like a worthy addition to the discography of two great musicians who have probably earned a spot in your own record collection, in some form and at some point, already. A solid listen.

Pictured: Tycho (aka Scott Hansen) at Greek Theatre, Los Angeles (in 2019) (Photo Credit: Jon Bauer)

As mentioned earlier, we have previously taken a look at some solo work from Benjamin Gibbard and the San Francisco-based composer Tycho. If you haven’t shaken off those face mask and hand sanitizer blues yet, you can still take things down a notch with my assessment of Gibbard’s ‘Life In Quarantine’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/04/25/todays-track-benjamin-gibbard-life-in-quarantine/. Or, for more of Tycho, plug your earphones in and listen to ‘Outer Sunset’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/01/09/todays-track-tycho-outer-sunset/

Pictured: Benjamin Gibbard recording ‘Life In Quarantine’ at home (2020) (Photo Credit: KEXP.org)

That’s all for now! Thank you lots for joining me on the blog today, and I’ll be back tomorrow for something completely different in tone as we celebrate ‘Scuzz Sundays’ for yet another week. This week, we’re going back to the early-00’s discography of a very popular US heavy metal band from Des Moines, Iowa who had a number one album within the UK Albums Chart as recently as 2019. Their frontman, Corey Taylor, once appeared on an episode of BBC 2’s ‘QI’ as a panelist that was broadcast in 2016.

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