Countdown To Christmas 2021: Cocteau Twins – “Frosty The Snowman”

November 24, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Snow” (EP) (Released in December, 1993) (via Fontana Records)

Good Morning to you! I am Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time to revisit a unique spin on a vintage Carol as we ‘Countdown To Christmas’ with 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! ‘Frosty The Snowman’ really is a tale as old as time, but a lesser-known cover version of the track came from the 90’s Shoegaze legends Cocteau Twins back in 1993. Drawing influence from early alternative rock bands like Joy Division and Siouxsie and The Banshees, Cocteau Twins scored a UK top 30 hit with ‘Pearly Dewdrops Drops’ in 1984. They also produced critically acclaimed albums such as ‘Heaven Or Las Vegas’ and ‘Treasure’ on indie labels like 4AD and Fontana Records. However, the ‘Snow’ EP they released in December 1993 has become a rarity. A double single release featuring covers of ‘Winter Wonderland’ and ‘Frosty The Snowman’, the short-form release was only available in extremely limited quantities and Pitchfork have named their take on ‘Frosty The Snowman’ as the 36th best holiday song of all time. Another interesting fact about the record is that one story says Robin Guthrie, the trio’s bassist, was very reluctant to record any kind of true Christmas songs, and so Liz Frser and Simon Raymonde opted to record non-specific winter songs instead. Let’s hear their distinctive spin on ‘Frosty The Snowman’ below.

Although the ‘Snow’ extended play had received a pretty positive reception from the contemporary music press of the time, one expert suggested that fewer than 5,000 copies were ever put together. Nowadays, the record is out of print but the two songs later appeared on the ‘Lullabies To Volaine’ boxset compilation that 4AD released in October 2005. As for the cover of ‘Frosty The Snowman’ as an individual piece, Cocteau Twins strike an equal balance between familiar and ethereal. The lyrics are the same ones that we all know already, but the instrumentation adopts a darker daydream approach to the songwriting and this provides for a great contrast against the playful, child-like style of the overly joyous original track. Beginning with a radiant Piano riff, the band match the customary lyrics of the traditional anthem with a flood of vocal effects and distorted guitar riffs that create a chiming array of breezy bass guitar melodies and a dizzying bassline. In terms of the vocals, Liz Fraser almost replicates the vibe of the wind swooping all around the title character of Frosty as her multi-layered effects include some nice breaks where Fraser spaciously croons atop the programmed drum sequences alone, and it’s a highlight of the song. We have always known Cocteau Twins to be a group who were never focused on singing conventional lyrics, and so they fill their take on ‘Frosty The Snowman’ with their own gravitas here as you may expect. You could never properly hear any of their lyrics anyways in usual terms, but it is a common trope of the band that plays a decent role here. They are fairly easy to make out, but she really twists those words around with a variety of different shapes and, at times, these moulds are equally as unintelligible as the fascinating beats that swirl around her pitch. To conclude, the Scottish Alt-Rock icons did a pretty spectacular job with this rendition of ‘Frosty The Snowman’ as it brings some solid insight into the unique vocal style and diverse instrumentation of the associated band, while also sounding recognizable and warm by covering such a widely known carol, and so it fits the theme of the festive season without explicitly mentioning Christmas, so they succeed in making the beat sound as cheerful as ever.

Pictured: Elizabeth Fraser (Lead Vocals/Writer), Robin Guthrie (Lead Guitar/Producer/Drum Machine) and Simon Raymonde (Bass Guitar) in a press shoot for “Garlands” (1982) (Photo by Chris Garnham)

If you can’t get enough of this, why not check out my thoughts on ‘Lorelei’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/08/01/todays-track-the-cocteau-twins-lorelei/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Treasure” (LP) (Released on 1st November, 1984) (via 4AD)

That’s all for now! Thank you for your continued support for the blog, and I’ll be back tomorrow to delve deeply into the highly anticipated return track from a London-based Electronic Afro-Jazz collective who last released ‘Doko Mien’ in 2019 on Merge Records. They performed at KEXP’s ‘International Clash Day’ concert of the same year.

Connect with One Track At A Time:

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

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

Today’s Track: White Lies – ‘As I Try Not To Fall Apart’

November 16, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘As I Try Not To Fall Apart’ (LP) (Available from Feb 18, 2022) (via PIAS Recordings)

Good Morning to you! You’re tuned into the words of Jacob Braybrooke and it’s time for another quick 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! The calendar for a new year of album releases seems to be filling up all of a sudden, with the likes of Charli XCX and Metronomy set to issue anticipated new long-players in the early months, but the Ealing-based Post Punk Revival group White Lies, who were originally formed as Fear Of Flying in 2007, are yet another cog in the machine of 2022 releases. A band who gained popularity at a similar time to their peers of Editors, The Pigeon Detectives and The Bravery, White Lies have survived the ‘Indie Distortion’ of the 00’s as a critically acclaimed live act. Their debut album, ‘To Lose My Life’, was a number one hit on the UK Albums Chart in its first week on sale, and they were also recruited for BBC’s ‘Sound Of 2009’ poll, and nominated for the BRIT’s Critics Choice Award. They are shortly going to issue their sixth LP, ‘As I Try Not To Fall Apart’, which they recorded within two studio sessions at the Assault & Battery and Sleeper studios in their homestead of London, where they resumed their partnership with frequent collaborator Ed Buller as their engineer. It was also co-produced and mixed by Cladius Mittendorfer, who has previously spent time behind the decks with Panic! At The Disco and Weezer. The title track and lead single, ‘As I Try Not To Fall Apart’, is our first taste of the record, which the Indie Rock trio describe as their most ambitious project yet. It has been accompanied by a music video directed by James Arden, which finds vocalist Harry McVeigh embossed in an hourglass of sinking sand. They will be touring the UK and Europe in Spring of 2022, and the accomplished new single explores the anxieties of modern masculinity in a mental health position. Let’s give it a spin below.

“We wrote this song quickly, late at night, and often the songs which come quickest are written from the gut and the heart, not with the head”, the band collectively say about their latest single, noting, “We wanted the melody to feel like a hymn, to give the confessional lyrics weight despite being wrapped up as a Pop song. It’s about accepting vulnerability as a man, and knowing it’s ok to be broken. There’s never been a more pressing time to spread the message that it’s ok to not be ok”, in their press statement to announce their forthcoming full-length album. Built on an intoned, Synth-enhanced drum groove that should be familiar to fans of Joy Divison or Interpol, bands that White Lies have cited as their inspirations, McVeigh reflects on the strength that modern men are pressured to conform to, with lyrics like “It’s not the way a man like me behaves/It’s not the way the world would make me play my part” in the chorus, and the opening refrain of “Am I a faulty kind of man so tender in the heart?” says a lot about how the band view the stereotypes of men being quiet and well-composed, somewhat cold and emotionless, in British society. Meanwhile, the instrumentation decorates the scene with glistening, 80’s New Wave Synth hooks and a vocal delivery that feels silky, but the brooding evocations of the lyrics are still a little bleak and colder than your average Pop/Rock record. It feels a little gothic and dark, which is representative of the band’s earlier work, while also giving the hooks a more distinctly airy sound. They follow a conventional Pop/Rock structure, with the bright tonality of the Synths counteracting the more harsh, aggressive guitar-led beats. It walks a delicate tightrope between 80’s Pop and Post-Punk, and, thankfully, it is a tightrope that White Lies walk confidently. In fact, given how I haven’t seen the trio to be particularly relevant in recent years, I was suprised how much I enjoyed this new track and that’s because I personally really, really enjoyed it very much. This is very catchy Post-Rock music that feels influenced merticulously by the band’s own late-00’s image and the likes of Tears For Fears from the 80’s. It manages to fulfill the ‘Indie Dancefloor’ niche of their genre, while the post-modern existentialist lyrics within the songwriting give you something more to feel and think about that resonates beyond the commercial accessibility of the new track, and so it feels brooding and bleak enough to please Post-Punk fans while reeling in some audiences who may typically steer away from the Alternative Rock scene. Overall, this was an excellent single that feels catchy and easy to access yet intriguing, as with each listen, I can find something new to come to light that I may have skipped beforehand. While it is perhaps not likely to tip the planet over on its axis, this was a solid and engaging single from a band who simply know what they’re comfortable with doing and what to give their fans, and stick to it well, while gradually evolving their style with subtlety.

Pictured: Harry McVeigh (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar), Charles Cave (Bass Guitar/Occasional Backing Vocals) and Jack Lawrence-Brown (Drums/Percussion) (2017) (Photography by Red Light Management)

That’s all for now! Thank you for joining me on the blog today, and I’ll be back tomorrow for the newest entry in our ‘Countdown To Christmas’ feature, as we look at some Festive music that’s new and original, coming from an American Singer-Songwriter and Pianist who has won nine Grammy awards and she was ranked 60th on Billboard magazine’s artists of the 2000’s decade chart. She also made her acting debut in the 2007 movie ‘My Blueberry Nights’ – which was directed by Wong Kar-Wai.

Connect with One Track At A Time:

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

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

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.

Connect with One Track At A Time:

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

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

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.

Connect with One Track At A Time:

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

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

New Album Release Fridays: Geese – “Low Era”

October 29, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Projector’ (LP) (Released on October 29th, 2021) (via Partisan Records)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for us to take a closer look at one of the week’s most newsworthy album releases 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! The likes of LGBTQ+ Techno activist Maya Jane Coles, legendary Leeds Trip Hop producer Nightmares On Wax, Qrion, Sam Evian, Eleanor Buckland and mainstream music mega star Ed Sheeran are all releasing new full-length efforts today, but one of the most intriguing offerings comes from the Brooklyn Art-Punk band Geese. ‘Projector’ was intended to be their last album before they split up and went to seperate colleges in the US, but they were signed up to Partisan Records, the home of successful bands like Fontaines DC and Chubby & The Gang, and appointed the critically beloved producer Dan Carey (Idles, Squid), who Geese cite as influences, to mix their new album. Their beginnings as a band trace back to 2016, however, where their members met during freshmen year at high school and they bonded over their love for 70’s Synth-Rock groups like Yes! and Pink Floyd to build chemistry together. Their single, ‘Disco’, has gained huge praise from the alternative music press, and Geese have since been covered by journalists from NME, SPIN, Brooklyn Vegan, Stereogum, KEXP, KCRW and more. They have also headlined Berlin, a club located beneath the Lower East Side Bar 2A, found in their borough in New York. They’re also expanding through the UK and Europe, with two performances set for The Honeyglaze in London and a concert taking place at the Endorphin Transistor in Paris next month. Get a taster with recent hit ‘Low Era’ below.

Geese – whose oldest member has just turned 19 – have plenty to say about ‘Low Era’, which comes accompanied by a gloomy and trippy music video that was directed by Fons Schiedon, and they explained, “We like the idea of confusing the listener a little, and trying to make every song a counteraction to the last, pinballing between catchy and complicated, fast and slow”, adding, “Low Era is on one end of that spectrum, and ultimately broadened the scope of songs we thought we could make”, to their press notes. ‘Low Era’ ushers in a psychedelic 3-D element that ends up appearing throughout the new album, a single that Geese began playing live in 2020 and it helped them to grow their following. Calling back to Alt-Rock bands like The Strokes and Klaxons of the 00’s, ‘Low Era’ builds appeal from its raw and cagey vocals, the persuasive blend of steel guitar frames and shoegaze influence, and the New Wave instrumentation which gives proceedings a quirky uplift, and echoes the sentiments of LCD Soundystem and A Certain Ratio in radiating something more groove-led from the misfit psychedelia with the balance of playfulness and commandment. Their guitar melodies are a little funk-oriented, but lyrics like “On the hour of my death, the page rips/All is lost, and I am left to rot” are quite morbid and the delivery is fairly authoritative, but given a Falsetto-like croon to make things feel a little bizzare or pecuiliar, even. Some of the lyrics, like “Modern magazines and holy scriptures/My play rehearsals all go unheard” are witty and sardonic, while other lyrics like “The beginning of the end approaches/You and I, we float up to the top”, sound more post-apocalyptic and a little silly in tone, and so Geese approach the track as a neat balancing act of taut Post-Punk afflictions and more wacky, dance-led undertones. It is a risky move, but it thankfully pays off pretty well on ‘Low Era’ because these two different moods are juxtaposed pretty evenly and distort one another with an overlapping effect at times, so the production feels coherent and charming, leading up to the atmospheric instrumental section that finishes ‘Low Era’ off at the end. This is an intriguing track where, despite the call for dancing or listening quietly seeming a little unclear in direction, the band are pulling off more tricks than your average, moody gang of Post-Punk outcasts, with some instrumentation that feels interesting despite a little unfocused at times. A hypnotic combination of Synth-Punk and Prog Rock, coming from a band who are still really young and developing at a strong pace.

Pictured: Cameron Winter (Lead Vocals/Keyboard), Max Bassin (Drums/Percussion), Dominic DiGesu (Bass Guitar), Foster Hudson (Rhythm Guitar) & Gus Green (Lead Guitar) (2021) (Photo by Daniel Topete)

That brings us to the bottom of the page – for yet another day, of course! There’s no ‘Scuzz Sundays’ feature this week because we are getting into the Halloween spirit with a two-day spread of Spooky Season posts, where we will be comparing selected songs from the soundtracks of the 1978 version of ‘Halloween’ and the 2018 rebooted release, both of which were scored by the prolific Horror film director John Carpenter.

Connect with One Track At A Time:

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

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

Way Back Wednesdays: Kim Wilde – “Dancing In The Dark”

September 29, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Catch As Catch Can’ (LP) (Released on October 24th, 1983) (via RAK Records)

Good Morning to you! I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and I’m reporting for my daily duties of typing up 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! ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ has ticked around once again, and so we’re looking back at one of the seminal sounds of the past that has been influential for the present. When you think of Middlesex’s 80’s pop star Kim Wilde, your mind will probably call back to tunes like ‘Kids In America’, ‘Chequered Love’ and ‘Never Trust A Stranger’, and the other multitude of hits that she’s sold over 10 million albums and 20 million singles worth of. However, her third studio album, 1983’s ‘Catch As Catch Can’, marks more of an intriguing outlier in her discography. A key point of transition in her career, Wilde’s ‘Catch As Catch Can’ was regarded as probably her most experimental record to date, mixing up the dark-hued Synth Pop style of previous LP ‘Select’ with the more commercially-oriented Rock feel that has largely characterized her career. Unfortunately, the record was met with a reception of indifference at the time, having suffered from mixed reviews from critics, and it failed to set the cash registers alight very much, only reaching #90 in the UK Albums Charts and the singles had floundered in their chart appeal. However, in more recent decades, the record has garnered more of a ‘best kept secret’ air about it. Kim Wilde supported the record on a second European tour that helped the decline in sales a little bit, and it was finally re-released as a ‘Remastered’ edition by Cherry Red Records as a collectors item in 2009. Another very interesting fact about the record is that it was released just as the CD format was being introduced, and the LP was issued as a CD in Japan, with this release becoming a very sought-after and rare item among Wilde’s fans. These people have been known to fork over more than $100 to nab one of the imported CD copies. ‘Dancing In The Dark’ was the second single to be released from the record and preceded the concept-driven ‘House Of Salome’ ballad. It remains to be her final single to be published by RAK Records, and it reached #67 on the UK Singles Chart, so the single just about scraped the top 75. Give it a spin below.

‘Dancing In The Dark’ was written by Nicky Chinn and Paul Gurvitz, making it only the second track that she did not pen with her typical father and brother combo, and Chic’s Nile Rodgers created a remix of the track for an extended 12″ release. Although it made the top 30 in some European territories, Wilde was disappointed with the reviews and sales for the single and found herself to be unhappy with it, recounting in an interview, “No-one expected that ‘Dancing In The Dark’ would do so badly. Every Monday, I woke up in fear and asked my record company if the record had made the charts yet. They reacted coldly”, entitled ‘Wildelife’ in 2008. To my ears, the limited mainstream appeal is somewhat surprising because it sounds like a contemporary Synth-Pop chart hit of the slightly later 80’s. This has a strong tune, with a driving beat and some intense lyrics about a flirtatious encounter with a stranger on the dancefloor of a club, with lyrics like “I could hear his heartbeat/Pounding in the night” and “His soothing kiss/Was all I desired” to convey the themes with a George Michael-like hint of breathy and romantic tension in her voice. Wilde also goes for a swooping and punchy chorus, with the simple lines of “Sweet romancing/Something’s gonna start” and “We were dancing/Dancing in the dark” being complemented by a harmonic male backing vocal, with some flickering Synth tones and a rhythmic lead vocal from Wilde creating a catchy flow. The instrumentation is met with a cheerful Horn riff, some loud drums and danceable keyboard riffs that don’t sound out of place for the time. On the whole, I wouldn’t say this is a masterpiece. The lyrics are admittedly not very poetic and a little bland at points, and the synth instrumentals are not much more memorable. However, I think the reception of the time was a bit harsh. The more experimental direction of the album – as a body of work in its entirety – gave Wilde a chance to show what she could do beyond her pre-conceived notions. I enjoyed the Wham-esque vocals from Wilde on the track, and the beats are generally catchy. Its not Shakespeare, but it strikes me as something a bit underrated.

Pictured: Kim Wilde with Marty Wilde (Her Father) (in August 2020) (Photo via ExpressandStar.com)

Thank you for checking out the blog today, and I’ll be back tomorrow for an in-depth look at a brand new London-based R&B and Neo-Soul songwriter who specializes in “effortlessly blending the sounds of Congolese Rumba, Electronic, R&B and Alt-Pop with her perceptible lyricism” in approach. Her debut EP was self-released last Friday.

Connect with One Track At A Time:

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

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

Today’s Track: The Wombats – “If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming With You”

September 25, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Fix Yourself, Not The World’ (LP) (Available on January 4th, 2022) (via AWAL)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has come for me to brighten up your cloudy Saturday (To a literal degree, for Brits like me) with 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! I have a soft spot for The Wombats, an indie rock band from Liverpool who have been doing the rounds on the UK’s teen rock scene since 2003, with the Matthew Murphy-led trio having been one of the first bands that I ever really started to follow properly when I was just 10 or 11 years old. I can remember my sister going to see them at The Cambridge Corn Exchange at one point too. ‘Moving To New York’ is still a tune too, to be fair. We’re now five albums in, and the veteran rock band have an innate sense of what the fans of their underdog-turned-crossover star project want. ‘Fix Yourself, Not The World’ has recently been confirmed for a release date of January 4th, 2022 in the new year via AWAL Recordings, and ‘If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming With You’ is the lead single to be taken from the upcoming new LP release. The band have been reflecting on the Covid-19 pandemic to explore interpersonal relationships on the new single, with Murphy noting “This idea of letting go and maybe just being a bit more present than I have been is a strong theme” on the new record in an interview with Clash last month. To coincide with the album, The Wombats will also be hitting the road for a new arena tour in 2022. They currently have tour dates listed for Leeds, Glasgow, Cardiff and Scarborough, among a handful of other locations, in April. They should attract a sizable crowd, too, given how The Wombats have sold over one million albums worldwide. Check out the quirky music video for their comeback track below.

The Wombats’ forthcoming new album was recorded separately via Zoom, with none of the group’s three members ever jamming in the same room together, sending individual copies of their files to a staggering list of producers which includes Mike Crossey (The War On Drugs, Yungblud), Paul Meaney (Nothing But Thieves, Twenty One Pilots), Mark Crew (Rag ‘N’ Bone Man, Bastille), Jacknife Lee (The Killers, U2) and Gabe Simon (Lana Del Rey) to mix into the finished list of twelve cuts, a tumultuous process of developmental hell. “It was pure madness, to be honest”, explained the leader Murphy. Speaking about the new track, he told Dork “For me, ‘If You Ever Leave, I’m Coming With You’ taps into all of that and asks the question… Is it the circumstances putting undue stress on people? Or have the circumstances shed light on people’s incompatibility with one another?” when talking about Covid 19’s ramifications on his sly, observational songwriting in a press statement. If you are already a fan of The Wombats, the new tune has a ‘no frills’ approach that should please a hefty chunk of their indie dancefloor crowds, although the single does nothing that feels very different to what we may have heard from them before. It goes for a swooping sense of Electro-Pop in the early goings, before the signature snarky mannerisms of Murphy’s previous work shines through the cracks. The hook of “I’ll get out of bed/I’ll stop listening to Radiohead” is a good one. Meanwhile, the verses go for a simpler strum of the bass guitar, with Murphy promising the likes of “No more breaking stuff/No more acting up” in the emotive sections as the tempo continues to build its pace. The chorus feels more pop-oriented, with an electronic backbeat and straightforward lyrics like “Am I losing you in the dark?” undercutting the fast-paced drums and the glistening Synth backdrop, while the guitars feel sharp and the softer side of the strumming guitar from the verses is replaced by a more smoldering, intense delivery. As usual from The Wombats, highly quotable refrains like “I’ll throw a banquet, in a mosh pit” and “Don’t wanna be talking to myself in a supermarket” add a great amount of personality to the rhythms and give the track a quirky sense of intellect, while the single abruptly cuts to silence at the end to leave us pondering if we’ll survive on the other side of these habits that we’ve made over the past two years of national lockdown periods. Overall, I liked this. There’s nothing here that truly makes me believe that The Wombats have become more experimental or tried anything massively new, so that could be a point of constructive feedback for them. However, I think the chorus is pretty catchy, the nostalgic feel of listening to The Wombats is there, and the group have retained their USP despite the pop-oriented direction of the marketability. This is basically The Wombats that we know and love. To sneak a little Wombats reference in here, I think that its cut out for the modern life.

Pictured: Matthew Murphy (Lead Vocals/Lead Guitar/Keyboard/Synths/Chief Songwriter), Tord Øverland Knudsen (Bass Guitar/Vocals) and Dan Haggis (Drums) (2018) (Photo by MusicFeeds.com)

That’s it for now! Thank you for supporting my independent journalism on the blog as always, and I’ll be back tomorrow for a new entry in our ‘Scuzz Sundays’ library. This week’s pick comes from one of the most memorable female Pop-Punk role models of the era who, by the age of 16, had signed a two album record contract with Artista Records worth more than a reported $2 million. Alongside her musical career, the Canadian singer did voice work for 2006’s ‘Over The Hedge’ and she acted in the live-action drama film ‘Fast Food Nation’ in 2006, which was directed by Richard Linklater.

Connect with One Track At A Time:

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

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

Today’s Track: Penelope Isles – “Iced Gems”

September 4, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Lily Wolter (Lead Vocals/Songwriter), Jack Wolter (Drums/Backing Vocals), Jack Sowton (Lead Guitar/Piano) & Becky Redford (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals) (2020) (Photo via Bella Union Records)

Good Morning to you! You’re reading the words of Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to bring just a small slab of spice to your Saturday with some fresh high-profile independent music, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Penelope Isles are a familiar face on the blog, who pulled in a few appearances on my humble site two years ago with a pair of singles from their promising debut album, ‘Until The Tide Creeps In’, which was released on Simon Raymonde’s Bella Union label in 2019. This project is centered around the two siblings of Lily and Jack Wolter, who are joined on tour by bassist Becky Redford and pianist/rhythm guitarist Jack Sowton. Together, the band are now based in Brighton, although the Wolter siblings grew up on the Isle Of Man. This band have garnered acclaim from Stereogum and Brooklyn Vegan, as well as supported groups like The Flaming Lips, The Magic Numbers and Wallows on live tours. If you are local to me, you can catch them playing live at The Portland Arms in Cambridge on November 25th for the generous ticket price of £9.90 per head. Two years have been removed since their first LP was issued, and the follow-up record, ‘Which Way To Happy’, will mark the end of the two-year turnaround period when it hits record store shelves on November 5th. The band have embarked on three US tours, and so it will be exciting to see how they expand on their success. Check out the new single ‘Iced Gems’ below.

Penelope Isles started working on their second album at a small cottage in Cornwall during lockdown in 2020, and the 4-piece eventually approached the frequent MGMT collaborator Dave Fridmann to bring his electronic experience to the party as their mixer. Lily Wolter says, on working with him, “He made everything so colourful. It’s an intense-sounding record – a hot record. It was so refreshing to have that blast of energy from Dave – it’s like he framed our pictures” in the LP’s announcement details for the press. ‘Iced Gems’ finds the band reflecting on some emotional realizations and very late evenings while brainstorming for the new record by the seaside, and it definitely brings a more sonic sound template to the typically relaxed sound of their previous record, but the instrumentation is still fairly stripped back and goes for a swooping, introspective tone. The music video finds the Wolter siblings travelling around in a camper van and really embracing the reclusive surroundings of a nature setting, and it feels like a suitable complement for the delicate synth pads and the fragile keyboard riffs that are heard in the main track. Lily sings about the seeking of purpose and the rush of companionship that she feels around her closest friends, and these sweet lyrics are delivered neatly above tight drum machine sequences that feel intricately textured and have a quietly sparkling undertone. The drum machine feels relatively forceful, and it nicely controls the tempo when the colourful sound effects add a rush of energy to the ending section of the single. Meanwhile, there’s also a neatly decorated Acoustic guitar instrumental and a tidily tinkling Bell riff that lurk in the background and ensure more detail for the mid-tempo soundscape. I also find the track title to be a fairly interesting one because ‘Iced Gems’ were a sickly tooth-rotting treat that British kids used to consume in the 00’s, and so this connotes a sense of holding onto nostalgia and contrasting the simpler times with more overbearing feelings as a young adult in the modern times. Overall, this is an excellent single that deserves the mainstream radio play that it sadly isn’t likely to get due to them simply not being a bigger name, because it feels easy to connect with, but there’s a lovely emphasis on the textured sounds and the blissful personality that Lily Wolter shows through her reserved vocals. There is a natural progression to their earlier sound in how the synth work brings a new element to the ‘Slacker’ style of their earlier record, and the different arrangements of the instruments are simply very pleasant to listen to. There’s a lot going on, but it maintains the peaceful vibe. I wholly recommend this.

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Until The Tide Creeps In’ (LP) (Released on July 12th, 2019) (via Bella Union)

If you’re not familiar with Penelope Isles and you enjoyed the sound of this, you can start making your way through some of the band’s earlier discography with some of my older posts regarding them on the blog. Check out the fan-favourite ‘Leipzig’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/01/10/todays-track-penelope-isles-leipzig/ and the 7-minute epic ‘Gnarbone’ here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/01/10/todays-track-penelope-isles-gnarbone/

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Which Way To Happy?’ (LP) (Available from November 5, 2021) (via Bella Union)

That’s all for now and thank you, as always, for reaching the end of the page for me and continuing to support these types of music artists alongside me. I’ll be back again tomorrow for some fun with our ‘Scuzz Sundays’ feature, as we revisit a popular single from a mid-00’s Stillwater-based Pop-Punk band who have continued to tour in the present day after leaving a sizeable mark with Dreamworks Records with several successful albums in their heyday. They have sold over ten million records worldwide, and, in 2012, were ranked at #73 on Billboard’s list of the Hot 100 Artists Of The 2000’s.

Connect with One Track At A Time:

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

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

Today’s Track: Mochipet – “Godzilla League Of Legends”

August 19, 2021 — Leave a comment

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Godzilla Resurgence’ (EP) (Released on May 11, 2021) (via Daly City Records)

Good Morning to you! You are reading the text of Jacob Braybrooke, and the time has come around again for me to get typing up for 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! You’ve probably read the title of today’s track, and it looks pretty absurd, but this is a little EP release that I genuinely felt was pretty cool. My mother reads the blog every single day, and so this one’s also a not-so discreet nod and a wink at her, since we’ve been having a few little jokes about the ‘Godzilla’ franchise lately. She was very thrilled to see the latest one was added to Prime video. This one comes to you from the Taiwanese-American electronic house/EDM producer David Wang, who uses his own musical alias of Mochipet, which was based upon his long-term obsession with dinosaurs. As Mochipet, he has released music for several different labels – including Peace Off, Violent Turd and Death $ucker, and he is also the founder of the Daly City Records indie label. Wang’s latest EP, ‘Godzilla Resurgence’, was released in May as a tribute to his late father, who passed away as the project was nearing its completion. It is, of course, named after the mythical Kaiju who has starred in many films since the 1950’s. Proceeds are going towards his dad’s burial costs. Give it a Kaiju breath below.

“I saw my first ‘Godzilla’ movie when I was around 10 years old in Taiwan”, Wang told MixMag Asia late last year, later adding, “I actually didn’t like it at first. I didn’t understand why Godzilla was destroying Japan and I didn’t like that it was in black and white. It was not till later in my life, I began to appreciate Godzilla for its representation of human need for control and the Atomic Bomb that devastated Hiroshima and Nagasaki and destroyed many lives during World War II”, Wang spoke of how Godzilla’s symbol of death and destruction due to mankind’s quest for power has become an influence for his heavy blend of psychedelic EDM and no-nonsense ‘Brostep’ style of electronic production. On ‘Godzilla League Of Legends’, Wang really doesn’t pull back any of his skills for another day, and he instead mimics the fire-breathing giants of the EP’s namesake through the variety of weighty Bass sounds. The slower fade out at the beginning sets the tone for a cinematic affair, before the instrumentation comes in and displays a much more fiery side by putting the harsh distortion and the thick basslines into full throttle. The gears are changed slightly, in intervals, by a whimsical female backing vocal that goes for a little ethereality, and I felt this part of the equation was a nice touch since it was textured more gently than the core drum and bass melodies. The tune, in its entirety, is a solid evocation of Japanese manga animation series or action-heavy video game soundtracks, with a sonic palette that feels packed with rather aggressive melodies and it creates a very Animated feel to the heightened atmosphere overall. There’s plenty of tension found in the segmented decrease of the overall tempo, while the synths feel pretty playful at times. The drums feel smooth, and the long fade-out brings a cooling energy to the tune when it nears its conclusion. It may drag on just a little bit, but I rather enjoyed the unique style that it goes for and the subject matter feels pretty original, as this is not a single about typical topics like a break-up or a night out, and so it demands some attention to get the most out of. If you enjoy the heavier stuff, this one’s for you.

Pictured: Mochipet (aka David Wang) at a monster’s tea party (2019) (Photo via aaronswartzday.org)

That brings us to the end of the page for another day, and many thanks again for sticking with me until this point. If you’re looking for some exciting new releases to get a hold of tomorrow, please look no further than the blog as we delve into ‘New Album Release Fridays’ tomorrow. This week’s pick comes from a Dublin-formed indie folk band who will be performing at The Junction in Cambridge in October. They have been shortlisted for the Mercury Prize twice, and won the Choice Music prize in 2010.

Connect with One Track At A Time:

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

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

Today’s Track: The Lovely Eggs (feat. Iggy Pop) – “I, Moron”

July 24, 2021 — Leave a comment

Let’s spend Saturday with something on the certified side of Moronic. New post time!

Pictured: Holly Ross (Vocals/Guitar) & David Blackwell (Drums) (2018) (Photo by Alex West/URY Music)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, as always, and I’m coming at you with another daily track on the blog, because it’s my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every single day! Ever since I heard about the release of their new single ‘I, Moron’, I have been chomping at the bit for the chance to see The Lovely Eggs play live. If you haven’t heard of them before, The Lovely Eggs are a very popular two-piece lo-fi Psychedelic Punk act made up of husband-and-wife duo David Blackwell and Holly Ross, the latter of which used to be the lead vocalist and guitarist of all-female Indie act Angelica. Ever since they emerged on the UK DIY scene with 2009’s ‘If You Were Fruit’ debut, the two have garnered a dedicated cult following for their endearing, anarchic blend of unique political ideas, rough-edged electronic instrumentation and their distinctive sprinkle of humor. Sadly, due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the band never got to play any of their tracks from last year’s critically-acclaimed album ‘I Am Moron’, but, rest assured, the arrival of the brand new single accompanies a set of rescheduled tour dates, with the two true Eggheads playing venues in locations such as Cambridge, Leeds, York, Stroud, Reading and Birmingham next Spring. ‘I, Moron’ features guest vocals from the godfather of British Post-Punk himself, Iggy Pop. This collaboration came about when Iggy Pop continually played new tracks from their latest album on his BBC Radio 6 Music programme, and the real cult favourites sent him a ‘Thank You’ note. Check out the moronic results of it below.

“Being in The Lovely Eggs we’re kind of used to surreal experiences, but collaborating with Iggy Pop really takes the biscuit” exclaims one half of the duo, Holly Ross, in the team’s press notes, adding, “It’s actually unbelievable. For him to just say nothing but “moron” over and over again fitted in with the sentiment of the song perfectly. He just GOT it. We are all morons. In a world of moronic things. In a world of moronic ideas. You are moron. I am Moron. We are Moron”, to her pick-me-up speech. It’s not something that I’d expect to hear in a dated Hollywood action flick, but it’s definitely something that I’d expect to hear from The Lovely Eggs because nobody does it better. ‘I, Moron’ picks up at the junction that we got off from last year’s ‘I Am Moron’ LP, with Ross and Blackwell guiding the rhythm with filtered vocal sequences, driving buzz-saw guitar riffs, expansive Synth melodies and layers of overlapping backing vocals. An old-school Punk attitude is created through the vague lyrics, which say very little, but go a fairly decent way in adding a substantial substance to the frenzied fusion of instruments. As for the featured spot from Iggy Pop, you could argue that he earns his paycheck pretty easily here, but his hilariously monotone repeat of the one word adds nicely to the Zany heart of the songwriting and the tone. Meanwhile, there are bubbling sequences of keyboard riffs, robotic Synth breaks akin to Air’s sound and explosively paced lead guitar hooks which keep the sonic palette varied enough. The music video is also a great companion piece to the Psych-Punk madness, with a quirky Clay Animation style that compliments both the home-crafted spirit of the music and the slightly deranged calibration of off-kilter humor and clear charisma that Ross and Blackwell have developed their key strengths from over the years. A charming blend of golden age Punk and electronic-infused Psychedelia, ‘I, Moron’ sees them slip between stripped-back Indie and playful electronica with a safe pair of hands on the wheel. For the lack of a less eye-rolling term, it’s an ‘Eggselent’ showing.

Pictured: Cover Artwork for ‘I, Moron’ (Single) (Released on July 9th, 2021) (via Egg Records)

If you want more of this, why not see what I thought of ‘Long Stem Carnations’ here?: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/07/13/todays-track-the-lovely-eggs-long-stem-carnations/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “I Am Moron” (Album/LP) (Released on July 10th, 2020) (via Egg Records)

That’s all I have to share with you today, but I hope that you are as ‘Eggsited’ as I am to see The Lovely Eggs playing in a town near you in 2022. Until then, I’ve got loads of new posts coming to your inbox, starting with another entry in the ‘Scuzz Sundays’ library tomorrow. It comes from a Welsh rock band formed in Newport during the 90’s who haven’t made an appearance on the site until now, and the band have won two Kerrang! Awards in 2001 and 2003. They were inducted to their ‘Hall Of Fame’ in 2019.

Connect with One Track At A Time:

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

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