Synthpop

Today’s Track: CHAI – “Action”

May 22, 2021 — Leave a comment

Stirred in a milky heritage, “Chai” is actually the Hindu word for “Tea”. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “WINK” (LP) (Released on May 21st, 2021) (via Sub-Pop Records)

Good Morning! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, and it’s time for you to read all about your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! I played this one on my Thursday night radio show two weeks ago, and I still can’t get enough of it. ‘Action’ is one of the singles that was taken from CHAI’s new album, ‘Wink’, which is brand new out this weekend. The girls are a 4-piece Alternative Pop or Disco-Punk (It’s hard to pin them down to any one label, really) band from Nagoya, Japan – Who we previously explored on the blog with ‘Maybe Chocolate Chips’ featuring Ric Wilson, who they met at the Pitchfork Music Festival in 2019. For Western audiences, you’d probably more likely know CHAI from collaborating with Gorillaz and JPEGMafia on a track from Gorillaz’s ‘Song Machine: Season One – Strange Timez’ viral video series and compilation, and they toured with Superorganism as their support act in 2018. Take ‘Action’ by viewing the video below.

“A person who winks at a person is one who lives with a pure heart, who lives with flexibility, who does what they want” is what the CHAI girls of Kana, Mana, Yuuki and Yuna penned in a press statement to explain the at-first-glance random title of ‘Wink’ for their new LP release. They added, “A person who winks is a person who is free. With this album, we’re winking at you. We’re living freely and we hope that when you listen, you can wink an live freely, too”. The band were, although half the world away, inspired by the Black Lives Matter protests that took place across the US last June, and so they decided to put their assessments of it into words for ‘Action’. The refrain feels like a nod to Chemical Brothers’ ‘Hey Boy, Hey Girl’, before CHAI intersect these echoes with lines like “Action is more than words” and “It’s okay, it’s okay, everything is okay/Because I believe in you and me” that get the message across simply, but effectively. The instrumentation is buoyant and charming, as shiny Disco-House motifs and a rolling Electronic breakbeat helps to turn ‘Action’ from a title into a self-affirming mantra. The chorus mixes Asian vocals with a punchy, shimmering Synth riff that replaces the strutting drum machine of the verses, building to an instrumental that encourages you to get your groove on. Shadings of R&B, Hip-Hop and Acid House help CHAI to set the mellower mood, but it’s still undeniably Pop music with a highly electronic, danceable series of beats. The lyrics call for a better future and turn these ideas into a sense of cross-cultural encouragement made with their own irresistibly playful edge where the nods to Acid-House and the huge reverb effects widen the scope of the Synth melodies. It’s message continue to show relevancy as people take to the streets to show solidarity with the situation in Palestine, and, for a variety of reasons, this is one of the best singles that I’ve heard all year. Just absolutely brilliant.

  • Pictured: KANA (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar), Yuuki (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals), MANA (Keyboard and Yuna (Acoustic Drum Kit) in a promotional image shoot for “WINK” (2021) (via Music.Mxdwn.com)

If you’ve not had enough of CHAI yet, why not take some ‘Action’ on it by checking out what I had to share about ‘Maybe Chocolate Chips’, an earlier single from the new album, where the band sing about changing their perspectives and viewing moles on their faces like the enhancements of your favourite cookie treat. Catch up here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/03/16/todays-track-chai-feat-ric-wilson-maybe-chocolate-chips/

  • Pictured: CHAI performing at Ameoba, San Francisco (2017) (Photo Credit: Jeff Clayton/YouTube.com)

That’s all for now! However, ‘Scuzz Sundays’ returns tomorrow for an entry that will have any players of the old WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2007 Xbox 360 video game chomping at the bit. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Way Back Wednesday: Alexei Sayle – “Ullo John! Gotta New Motor?”

May 19, 2021 — Leave a comment

The British stand-up comedian taking no wind out of their Sayles. Let’s go Way Back!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Ullo John! Gotta New Motor?” (Single) (1984) (Springtime/Island Records)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, as per usual, and it’s time for you to read all about your daily track on the blog, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Today, we are revisiting the unlikely UK Top 20 chart success that was ‘Ullo John! Gotta New Motor?’ from Alexei Sayle. Sayle is a stand-up comic and novelist from Anfield, Liverpool – and a popular one at that. In 2007, he was voted by Channel 4 viewers as the 18th greatest gagster of all-time on their ‘100 Greatest Stand-Ups’ programme in 2007. He’s famous for his work in Shakespeare’s ‘The Tempest’ on the West End, his ‘Imaginary Sandwich Bar’ radio comedy on BBC Radio 4, and his often surrealist comedy routines in TV comedy programmes like ‘The Young Ones’ and his appearances in the ‘Carry On’ series of films. ‘Ullo John, Gotta New Motor?’ was originally released in 1982, before receiving mainstream attention when it was re-released in 1984. Sayle produced the track with Clive Langer and Alan Winstanley, who have produced for Madness and Elvis Costello. The 12-inch Vinyl single package also saw many different versions arrive at shop shelves thanks to it’s profanities. He released two other albums prior to this single, and so it wasn’t a completely random venture into music. Sayle released two follow-up singles that were included on ‘Panic’, his third and final album, which is a parody of Michael Jackson’s ‘Off The Wall’ of 1979. See if John’s Gotta New Motor yet below!

By the time that ‘Ullo John! Gotta New Motor?’ was re-issued in 1984, Sayle had starred in the popular BBC sitcom ‘The Young Ones’ and the ITV sitcom ‘Whoops Apocalypse’, which explains the better commercial luck the second time around. There has also been loads of different re-workings of the track, and a re-working from Ian Dury was ordered by Toshiba for an advertisement in 1985 because promoters started to spot the success of the single. Set to a Synthpop or soft Funk backdrop with some New-Wave synths and a few guitar licks, Sayle proceeds to perform a Spoken Word or light Rap set of sentences playing the character of a loudmouthed Liverpuddlian. The lyrics are generally a mix of banal absurdity and seemingly unconnected jokes, with off-kilter references to Barry Manilow, Bongo Drums, Avon representatives and Billy Joel taking up the picture. “Is there life on Mars?/Is there life in Peckham” is my favourite line, but “I keep tropical fish/In my underpants” and “Ere you wanna brown ale/Mine’s a light and bitter” are good moments too. There isn’t much that you can sensibly compare this record too, but there’s a playful sensibility of Ian Dury here, an abstract jumble of puns that remind me of Dry Cleaning, and it’s all dressed up in a Monty Python or Horrible Histories sense of British wit and humor in obscurity. There’s no chorus, no story, and seemingly no point, but Sayle is mocking a stretched Cockney banter that people used to talk in a certain manner around the city nearer back to the time. It’s a bit obsolete now, but Sayle pulls it off with an enthusiastic performance and a musical backdrop that uses distorted vocal effects and delay pedals to warp things a little and add to the bizzare humor. There’s not much musically here and it’s not an artistic masterpiece of complex multi-layered art, but it was never trying to be. I couldn’t really understand most of the lyrics without looking them up, but this adds a little depth to the vocals. Overall, it’s still a fun throwback to the times when comedians recorded Novelty singles around BBC Comic Relief time to assert themselves as a comedic force and that’s rather quaint these days. That said, I probably wouldn’t be asking for Michael McIntyre to record a Metal-themed parody about his Wheel, although a Novelty single from Rev Richard Coles would make sense due to his past experience as a member of Communards. It’s still a track that had me laughing though, and I’m probably going to be sorry when I find myself repeating it around the kitchen all day tomorrow. I’m sure you will be too.

  • Pictured: Alexei Sayle pictured in an article for The Irish Mirror (2016) (Photo Credit: The Daily Mirror)

That’s all for now! Tomorrow, I’ve got some new music to share with you from an emerging female solo act from Los Angeles who describes herself as a “Jazz School drop-out” who is now making her very own Rock music independently. The 22 year old singer-songwriter may have just a handful of releases out there in the world, but she’s also known for working with her childhood friend, Marinelli, on lyrics that have pointed observation and self-deprecating pop culture references about the surreality of growing up. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: CLAUD – “Guard Down”

February 25, 2021 — Leave a comment

A new ‘Changing Of The Guard” for this young lofi pop superstar. Time for a new post!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Super Monster” (Released on February 12, 2021) (via Saddest Factory Records)

Good Afternoon to you – my name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time again for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog since, as always, it’s routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Previously writing and performing their own music under the pen name of ‘Toast’ with the release of their debut EP in 2018, Claud Mintz is a trendy, new bedroom pop indie musician who comes from the suburbs of Chicago, Illonois. The 21-year-old singer-songwriter, who identifies as Non-Binary, has become better known for their vibrant blue-and-green neon dyed haircut (Colours permitting) along with the recent success of their singles ‘Gold’, ‘Soft Spot’ and ‘Cuff Your Jeans’, which were lifted from their debut LP, “Super Monster”, which was released earlier this month on the Phoebe Bridgers-owned record label, Saddest Factory Records. I love the attention that Mintz puts into their cover artworks, with a hand-painted animation style that looks wistful and eye-catching in their coloring palettes, and I’ve been playing a few of their tracks on the radio between the past few weeks. Their latest single is ‘Guard Down”, and it was co-written by Cameron Hale and Mary Weitz. Check out the animated music video below.

That clip was giving me a few shades of Peter, Bjorn & John’s “Young Folks” from 2006, a track that I cherish – by the way. In a recent press release, Claud Mintz spoke further on the emotions behind the track, noting: “When I wrote this song, I had just found out somebody I had feelings for started seeing someone else, and my immediate response was to convince myself I didn’t care, even though I did”, elaborating on it’s production, “The verses and chorus sort-of make fun of how I keep myself closed off, but my rap towards the end of the song is a super honest stream of consciousness”, in their set of notes. Mintz wastes no time to get to the vocals in the track, almost immediately springing: “I haven’t seen you since the summer, We’re getting further from each other” off a psychedelic drum loop and a few guitar licks, before the melodies take a pop-driven shape where Mintz recites lines like “I’ve been staying Chicago, but I’m coming back tomorrow” and “You’re seeing someone, I’m not though/And that feels really awful” as the eclectic backing beat allows some whimsy and fun to burst through the heartbreak, but hopeful, nature of the lyrics. The hook of “Don’t let your guard down” keeps the mood simple, but upbeat. The rap section, where Claud poetically recites similarly lyrics over the top of a distorted vocal effect and a slight tempo decrease, catches me off-guard a little, but it keeps the pace flowing and diversifies the tone a little. The end is more effective, where Mintz is left to croon “Nothing like a New York summer” to their own device – that being a simple acoustic guitar strum. Very much aimed towards a Young Adult audience, I think that Taylor Swift is a fair comparison to make, but I also think you’ll like this if you’re fond of Clairo or Arlo Parks too. It’s not really the most experimental sound, but I think it works nicely. I think that’s because Mintz really writes the track with a ‘human touch’ – it feels warm, sumptuous and comforting, and that makes it tug your heart strings and relate to the subject matter. It’s not the most original sound, but it’s pleasant to listen to, and, for me, that makes it a top-tier 3:26 minutes of heartfelt Pop. It’s lovely.

  • Pictured: Claud Mintz in a recent press shot to promote “Super Monster” (2020) (Photo by ID Magazine)

That’s all folks! Another week is quickly flying past me – but there’s still time to select another pick for the “New Album Release Friday” feature tomorrow. This week’s spotlight is shined on the fairly obvious choice, as we take a deep dive behind the story of a young artist who’s been absolutely hyped to the hills with their new album, which releases tomorrow. Seeing support from KEXP’s Live At Home series and endorsement from Paramore’s Hayley Williams, this 25-year-old Alternative Folk self-producer is known for being a former member of Boygenius in addition to her solo work. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Way Back Wednesdays: Jason Donovan – “Too Many Broken Hearts”

February 24, 2021 — Leave a comment

Wouldn’t you have liked to been Neighbours with Scott Robinson? Let’s go Way Back!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Ten Good Reasons” (Released on May 2nd, 1989) (via PWL/Mushroom Records)

Good Morning, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and it’s time for this week’s Blast From The Past as part of our “Way Back Wednesdays” series, where we celebrate the sounds from before 2000 – not forgetting that it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! My mother is a massive fan of James Donovan, the Australian star who has graced our screens and the stage since the 80’s. Whether it’s playing the titular role in ‘Joseph and The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat’ throughout the 1990’s, or singing with his fellow Neigbours soap star alumni Kylie Minogue on ‘Top Of The Pops’, Donovan is never the kind of guy to give up the fight for anything – except ITV’s latest series of entertainment show ‘Dancing On Ice’ – where back injuries led to his very unfortunate exit from the competition. Not gonna lie, that threw a wrench in my plans a tiny bit when I heard the news yesterday because I planned to write this post over a week ago as a pick-me-up for Donovan’s luck in the contest. Nevertheless, he’s pulled out to Fight another day – I guess. Donovan’s had a very successful Pop career too, although arguably little may remember “Ten Good Reasons”, his debut album, it was still the best-selling album in the UK of 1989, and Jason’s had four UK #1 Singles along with a figure of 3 million records sold in the UK. On that note, I’m going to revisit ‘Too Many Broken Hearts’, Especially For You, below.

Released in May, 1989 by PWL and Mushroom Records, ‘Ten Good Reasons’ would go on to spawn three UK #1 singles for Jason Donovan, including this track, the Kylie Minogue duet track that I slipped in as a pun above and “Sealed With A Kiss”, with their commercial success making history for Donovan, who became the first Australian-born male solo artist to hold the pole position spots for both the UK Single and UK Album Charts simultaneously, at one point, back in the heyday. This is a simple, high energy and uplifting pop love song from the 80’s, and so it arguably plays out exactly how you would expect. Led by a recognizable guitar riff and a grooving drum opening with a few splashings of Brass instrumentation thrown in to give it a punchy feeling, Donovan starts to sing: “Last night you talked about leaving/I said I can’t let you go” to set the scene. The bridge puts the steering wheels in motion, with lines like “You give me one good reason to leave me/I’ll give you ten good reasons to stay” and “You’re the only one I believe in” being sung over the top of a mildly odd Xylophone dynamic and the trundling, light string section. The vocal delivery is a little strained, but the backing track is catchy and the rhythm is very upbeat. The chorus of “Too many broken hearts in the world, there’s too many dreams can be broken in two” and the final line of “I won’t give up the fight for you” makes things even more upbeat and melodic. I suppose it’s fair to say the crooning here is a little flat, in the original recording, but he has obviously sharpened up his skills in the decades since, and it would make for a fun live performance by today’s standards. I find the dated feel quite charming, however, and I think Donovan is a likeable vocal prescence here. The chorus is a bit karaoke – but it’s a catchy ear-worm and I find the lyrics to be mildly amusing, although I’m not sure why. Although auto-tune wasn’t really a thing back then, it’s still nice to hear his real voice being used. Overall, the label were clearly looking for a hit here, but I feel it’s perfectly fine and pleasant to listen to because it’s catchy and it doesn’t feel like it’s been over-played in the modern times. It’s not the most deep and meaningful songwriting I’ve ever heard, but it’s a pop career vehicle from the 1980’s, so I know what grain of salt to take it with and it’s not meant to be taken too seriously. Pretty good overall, I think the song deserves more credit than it may get nowadays and that Jason’s still got plenty of Fight in him left. *Picks up Kylie*

  • Pictured: Jason Donovon at the stage door of The London Palladium (2018) (Photo by Irene Cecilia)

That’s all for today – Thanks for your support in checking out what I had to share today! Please join me again tomorrow for more of the same, where I’ve got brand new music to review from a Lo-Fi/Indie Pop non-binary singer-songwriter based in the suburbs of Chicago who just released their debut album on Saddest Factory – the new record label owned by the woman of the moment, Phoebe Bridgers. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Cut Copy – “Like Breaking Glass”

February 13, 2021 — Leave a comment

Still got a lot to give – or becoming a carbon ‘copy’ of prior greatness? New post time.

  • Pictured: Dan Whitford (Lead Vocals/Keyboard/Rhythm Guitar), Tim Hoey (Samples/Lead Guitar), Ben Browning (Bass Guitar/Occasional Backing Vocals) and Mitchell Scott (Drums) (2020) (via Twitter.com)

Good Morning to you – I am Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s finally time again for me to get typing up on the blog for your daily diary entry of record sifting, because it is routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! As like many of you probably were, I was introduced to Australian Synth-Pop 4-piece Cut Copy by “Zonoscope”, their beloved third LP record that won the awards for “Best Dance Release” and “Artisan Award for Best Cover Art” at the ARIA Awards in 2011, when it was released, although I know their second LP effort, “In Ghost Colours”, also earned critical acclaim and commercial success back in 2008. Their latest album release, “Freeze, Melt” saw the light of day back in August, and this sadly went to my backlog of-sorts after gaining a mixed reception. I’m caught up on this release now, however, and I found it to be interesting. The tracks were written over the span of three years in Denmark by Dan Whitford, and the recent project was conceived to be a departure from Cut Copy’s previous ventures into Psych-Pop and into Ambient music instead, with Whitford claiming the more introspective style of sound to reflect his experience of life in Scandanavia. Check out their single, “Like Breaking Glass”, below.

“In the beginning ‘Like Breaking Glass’ started out as a completely different track”, said Cut Copy’s front-man Dan Whitford on this specific track, who later added, “I never managed to finish it, but when I came back to it the next week there was something about that beat that felt compelling” after Whitford saw himself “mucking around in the studio with just a drum beat and an acid bassline” in the week prior. He wrote the track on top of this melody, and the single was born. It certainly feels different to the pop-oriented percussion of the band’s recent output, with lighter drum melodies and delay effects to the guitar which give proceedings a noticeable difference, with a more textured sound that reflects some of the sounds explored on their earlier material. An established act now, Cut Copy are headed in a fresh direction that, thankfully, doesn’t feel very predictable or formulaic, even if it’s lacking a slight punch of visceral qualities. The soundscape makes me think of Depeche Mode, with Whitford calling lines like “With the light, there is darkness/That runs right through” and “Every violent breath hurts, so I know I’m still in love” above whimsical synth sequences and crashing sets of drum machine beats. The chorus represents the cue point for a choir-like sequence of assorted, light synths to crash through the scene, with Whitford’s vocals of “Every heart beats now, It beats like the sound of breaking glass” splicing these reverb effects into a slick arrangement. The vocals evoke a slight edge of Post-Punk revival music to me, with a low-pitched croon that reminds me of Editors and White Lies. These feel a little at odds with the rather upbeat moods, but they also suit the unsuspected layering of the electronic instrumentation as a whole. While a little short on memorability, my attention was captured by the slight veering into Cut Copy’s past, while the larger emphasis on the songwriting keeps their flair relatively exciting, and, at points, I honestly think this is a very stunning piece of work.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Freeze Melt” (LP) (Released on 21st August, 2020) (via Cutters/The Orchard)

That’s all for now – I’ll leave you to enjoy the rest of your weekend in peace and quiet… As if! I’m referring to a new entry of my weekly Scuzz Sundays post making it’s way to the web tomorrow, as per usual, and this week we’re going loosely with the Valentine’s Day theme with a track that feels like an ode to the happy singletons out there! It comes from a fine Finnish gothic rock band who had a successful run during the 1990’s, and they played their final live show on New Year’s Eve in 2017 as a part of their annual Helldone festival. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Pet Shop Boys – “It Doesn’t Often Snow At Christmas” (2009 Version)

December 14, 2020 — Leave a comment

Everything I’ve ever done. Every place I’ve ever been. Every place I’m going to. A Sin!

  • Pictured: Neil Tennant (Lead Vocals/Producer) and Chris Lowe (Keyboards/Synths) (2016) (via PR)

Season’s Greetings to you! I am Jacob Braybrooke – and it’s now time for me to fulfill my daily duties of typing up today’s track on the music blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to get writing up all about a different piece of music every day! I have had a lot of fun seeking out some Alternative festive tunes to share with you via my daily means, and I have got a lot more of them in store for you this week as we build up to a very different Christmas. Pet Shop Boys, the English Synth-Pop duo of Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, probably doesn’t need any real introductions to you, but aside from their obvious hits of “West End Girls” and “Go West”, I’m not too sure if you knew they recorded their own Christmas electronic dance track. “It Doesn’t Often Snow At Christmas” is the title of the tune, and it’s actually been recorded in two versions. The track was first released back in 1997 to their exclusive Fan club at the time, and it was later re-released, and re-recorded, as a new version of the track in 2009, and so the remastered work is still fairly recent. This version appeared on an EP, “Christmas”, which they released in 2009, as the B-side to “All Around The World”, a brand new single. The EP, which bundled the two tracks together, was also available in a Physical format. The cover artwork is nice, since it calls back to the balloon trademark of the Brazillian compilation, “Party”, which the duo also released in 2009. The EP just managed to crack the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart in 2009 – having reached the spot of #40. Let’s watch them perform it at the 02 Arena in London below.

Tennant and Lowe, as Pet Shop Boys, are officially the UK’s best-selling duo in music history… Sorry, Chemical Brothers… and the “Christmas” EP, which they released in 2009, also featured a remix of Madness’ “My Girl”, and a cover version of Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida”, along with a re-worked version of “All Over The World”. The track in question today, “It Doesn’t Often Snow At Christmas”, is a sharper and slightly more pessimistic affair, as Tennant sings about the British national identity of Christmas and of taking a well-needed break from the commercial distractions that come along with the festive season. The synth-led instrumentation and properly “Flat” electronic sound of Kraftwerk come across as classic Pet Shop Boys, as Lowe combines vintage keyboard riffs with Choral backing vocals mixed with percussive Sleigh Bell melodies. The vocals border into Scrooge territory, as Tennant sings the likes of: “Christmas is not all it’s cracked up to be” and “Nothing on the TV that you’d want to see”, before a White Christmas lyrical reference, singing: “Bing Crosby, Are you listening to me?” before the chorus kicks in, where Tennant chants: “But, I’ll still have a glow at Christmas/Because I’ll be with you” in a quick, rhythmic fashion. He also sings: “Now, it’s all about shopping and how much things cost”, a small songwriting motif of melancholy that feels briefly profound. The tones are upbeat, and it plays up to the more melodic stance of the ultra-pop Synth dance beats and the social-realist vocals. Overall, it plays out most like you would expect a Christmas-themed Pet Shop Boys track to sound like, with Tennant using a Falsetto to give the perverse pop a more neo-futuristic vibe in light of the unashamedly 80’s style. There’s little new here, but that’s not a bad thing. What you get is two of the all-time greats sticking to their roots, but with all of the trimmings of a Festive theme. I don’t feel it’s quite as fun as 2020’s “Monkey Business” as a result, but it still sees the beloved national treasures making a fair point on the modern Christmas and it feels timely for our circumstance this year.

  • Pictured: Pet Shop Boys at the London Olympic Games Opening Ceremony (2012) (Photo via BBC.com)

It’s quite difficult not to recognize Pet Shop Boys for all they have done for British Pop music, and that means we’ve previously reviewed some of their other tracks right here on the blog. Don’t forget to peruse my feelings on 2016’s “The Pop Kids” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/04/todays-track-the-pet-shop-boys-the-pop-kids/, and 2020’s “Monkey Business”, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/01/27/todays-track-pet-shop-boys-monkey-business/

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Monkey Business” (Single) (Released on January 3, 2020) (via x2 Records)

Thank you for reading my latest Seasonal sprinkling on the blog! We’ll be taking a break from the Christmas music tomorrow as we return back to some usual output on the blog. Tomorrow’s track comes from an British indie folk singer-songwriter, who is currently based in Paris, who released her fifth studio album earlier on in the year. Her band, which she fronts, have once appeared on an episode of BBC One’s “Wanderlust”, with the group playing in a night club where Joy, a character who is played by Toni Colette in the television series, attended.  If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Lou Hayter – “My Baby Just Cares For Me”

November 17, 2020 — 1 Comment

Rainbow Drops. Betamax. Those would be the days – If I was born! It’s new post time!

  • Pictured: Lou Hayter at the Skate at Somerset House Launch Party in London (2019) (via GotCeleb.com)
    Pictured: Lou Hayter at the Skate at Somerset House Launch Party in London (2019) (via GotCeleb.com)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for you to check out today’s track on the daily blog, since it has always been my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Lou Hayter’s “My Baby Just Cares For Me” is a nostalgic Synthpop single which I hoped to get the chance of writing about a little sooner. Although it gained a little airplay from BBC Radio 6Music and John Kennedy’s X-Posure on Radio X, it sadly didn’t seem to get the mainstream attention that I feel it probably should have received. The track comes from London-based DJ and producer Lou Hayter, who started making music as the keyboardist of a Mercury-nominated electronic group, New Young Pony Club. Since then, she’s been a part of the duo of Tomorrow’s World with the French DJ and producer JB Dunckel. She’s also been in the duo of The New Sins with Nick Phillips. She’s released little of her own solo music, but she’s performed DJ sets for clients like Chanel, Paul Smith and Damien Hirst in his “Treasures Of The Wreck Of The Unbelievable” art exhibition in Venice – and at the Cannes Film Festival. This single, “My Baby Just Cares For Me” is the first sample of her upcoming debut solo album, which encompasses her love for 80’s Pop, Disco, Yacht Rock, Electro Pop and Acid House, and it is currently scheduled for release sometime in 2021. Let’s take a listen to “My Baby Just Cares For Me” below.

The accompanying music video takes the form of a Sophisti-Pop 80’s collage, directed by Alice Kunisue, who Lou Hayter feels perfetly captures the main essence of the single, saying: “I saw Alice’s work with Ed Banger and I loved it straight away. It’s made up of moving collages, which is kind of a visual representation of how the record was made: I cut up a sample I found and I played around with it” in a press release. Judging by how Kunisue affirmed: “Lou is as sweet and beautiful as her music, it was such a pleasure working with her”, it really sounds like the collaboration is a match made in heaven. The track gives me a vibrant sense of the London fashion world: With beats that sound unashamedly 80’s and undeniably Pop, along with lyrics that toy around with ideas of trophy wives and dolly relationships for the camera as Hayter sings: “Call me every single day and I hear you say, I’m not with you, I don’t take it serious ’cause you love me the most, I know it’s true” during the opening lines, as it becomes clear that disingenuous love is a key theme. The lyrics also feel very glamorous and very sexual, as Hayter rhymes: “You speak in English, but your kiss is French” in the bridge, and “When I look at you I see, The future you and me” with an innocent and mellow delivery. A sharp 80’s Future Pop sound pushes to the forefront, with Hayter crooning: “No sweat, ‘Cause we’re tied like that” in the chorus. The main sample gets pushed-and-pulled to the upbeat rhythm of the heavy 80’s Synth-led instrumentation. “Tried other boys, but baby you’re the best” is another slick line that really emphasizes the quirky and seductive vocal characteristics. The production is kept fairly simple, but the Celestial Funk synths and the 80’s R&B, melodic influence keeps things moving with a nostalgic vibe. I also like how the soft vocals and the subtle Electro-Soul patterns seem to be showing a sweet and lighthearted nature, but it actually holds a darker melancholy of unrequited love within – lyrically. The radio edit feels a bit short and sweet at 3 minutes, and I think it could have done with being a little longer – but if my only real complaint is that I wish it was longer – You’ve got what should be a radio hit on your hands. I’m pretty sure that any other writer has probably said this about the track – but I think it’s very retro, and very cool. Reminds me of the sound that La Roux would explore in the very late-00’s, in quite a good way. Overall, this is a cooing, rhythmic and sexy throwback which is well worthy your time.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for "My Baby Just Cares For Me" (12" Single) (Released on 25th August, 2020) (via Loaded Records)
    Pictured: Cover Artwork for “My Baby Just Cares For Me” (12″ Single) (Released on 25th August, 2020) (via Loaded Records)

Thank you very much for reading my latest blog post! As always, I will be back at it again tomorrow – as we finally mention the “C” word for the first time of the year…. And that is the only little tease that I’m going to let you in on… for now. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Hot Chip (feat. Jarvis Cocker) – “Straight To The Morning”

November 14, 2020 — Leave a comment

Forget Endgame – this is the biggest crossover event in media history! New post time!

  • Pictured: Alexis Taylor (Lead Vocals), Joe Goddard (Synths/Keyboard), Owen Clarke (Lead Guitar), Al Doyle (Bass Guitar/Percussion), and Felix Martin (Drum Machine/Programming) (in 2019) (via PR)
    Pictured: Alexis Taylor (Lead Vocals), Joe Goddard (Synths/Keyboard), Owen Clarke (Lead Guitar), Al Doyle (Bass Guitar/Percussion), and Felix Martin (Drum Machine/Programming) (in 2019) (via PR)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for you to have a listen to today’s track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! We’re going to round off the week with a slice of Disco-Pop euphoria, which comes courtesy of the new collaboration between the established English Synth-Pop 5-piece band Hot Chip and Pulp’s famous frontman, Jarvis Cocker. The single, “Straight To The Morning”, should appeal to a broad range of tastes. To link themselves up for the collaboration that we didn’t know we needed, Hot Chip had approached Cocker after performing some DJ sets together in Paris because “Somehow he seems an unlikely figure in this all, and we like it that way”, per Hot Chip’s Alexis Taylor in a press release. Cocker added: “This was the very last musical session I was involved in before Lockdown.” and commenting that although the track is about going for a night out when you’re not allowed to do so for now, Cocker said: “We danced around in the studio quite a lot in the meantime though. It was fun to be a member of the Straight Through Crew for a day”. You can buy a physical 10″ vinyl copy of the new single from January 29, 2021 via Domino Recordings. It also comes with a Mighty Mouse remix and a deck of playing cards illustrated by Rami Afifi – to keep you busy on a long Winter night. Check it out below.

It’s not quite like Hot Chip and Jarvis Cocker have been out of the public eye for a while, because it has only been one year since Hot Chip released their critically acclaimed LP “A Bath Full Of Ecstasy”, whereas Jarvis Cocker went on a venture into Art-Rock with his critically lauded “Beyond The Pale” LP from his JARV IS project, in July. Starting off with a swooping Violin section, Alexis Taylor sings: “Well, there’s a ringing in my ears/But, there’s a devil in my tongue” over the top of a fluctuating drum machine riff that feels typical to the Electronic 90’s dance sound that we’re used to hearing from them. It gets followed up by a sharp burst of slight distortion vocal effects and very upbeat, melodic Synth patterns in the chorus, as Taylor sings: “Straight to the morning, The fever will never end”, aided by the ongoing Violin chords. The track slows down to a nice, fragmented section of off-kilter Synth lines and deeper, cerebral vocals from Cocker, who croons: ” I feel the heat, let’s cut the lights/It’s a small slice of heaven” to a surprisingly quirky delivery. He lurks in the background throughout the man bulk of the track, giving off a dueling backing vocal to Taylor’s hooks and thus adding a slightly wonky, offbeat effect with his colder, more calculated delivery that feels slightly melodic enough to conjoin to the quick pacing of the track. Lyrically, it’s just about going out and having fun, so there isn’t really a lot of depth here – but I think that themes of nightlife and socializing in dance music are bringing in a light sense of normal life to us at this time. Overall, I like Hot Chip and I like Jarvis Cocker, and so this is a fun tune to dance along in the Kitchen to.

  • Pictured: Jarvis Cocker at the Primavera Sound Festival, Barcelona (2019) (Photo Credit: Adela Loconte)

Thank you for reading my new post! As always, I’ll be back tomorrow for a new weekly addition to our year-long Scuzz Sundays series, where we take a look back at a rather cheesy and trashy Pop-Punk or Emo-Rock classic that was originally released between the late-1990’s and the mid-2000’s, to see if they can hold up to a valuable slice of quality in our current times. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: HONNE – “Free Love”

November 11, 2020 — Leave a comment

Did you know that HONNE means “True Feelings” in Japanese? Time for a new post…

  • Pictured: HONNE (Andy and James) in an interview with Alicia Atout (in 2016) (via A Music Blog, Yea)
    Pictured: HONNE (Andy and James) in an interview with Alicia Atout (in 2016) (via A Music Blog, Yea)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up all about your daily track on the blog – since it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! It’s difficult to believe that Andy Clutterback and James Hutcher were a pair of English teachers when we found them just a few years ago, but it’s been fantastic to see the two, who compile up the London-based Alternative Soul duo of HONNE, grow over the last five years. HONNE now have two full LP’s to their name, along with a few EP’s and a recent mixtape, which they have self-produced during Lockdown. The new single, “Free Love”, is a re-release from the latter. “No Song Without You” saw the duo dabble into fairly more Synthwave and Dream-Pop oriented rhythms, glossing a new touch of paint over the top of their typically laidback, mellow and sexual sounds. The duo are signed to Tatamae Recordings, their own imprint of Atlantic Records. “Free Love” comes with a brand new music video filled with animated characters. Let’s have a listen to it below.

It seems that HONNE’s one-half Andy Clutterback has got married since the last time that we probably checked in with them, stating her as an influence of their recent mixtape, telling The Manila Times via a Zoom Interview in August: “We’ve been going out for 12 years and we’re now married. We’ve been together way since HONNE even started”, adding, “I guess in many ways, she is a big inspiration and influence on the music and on the lyrics”, to illustrate the romantic themes of the dream-glazed mixtape release. “Free Love” certainly sounds like one of the most care-free and joyous tracks from the record, with Clutterback starting off: “Imagine a house, Way up on a hill, Dog in the yard, and Trees in the field” over the top of Hutcher’s sequenced, gentle drum machine rhythm and brushings of acoustic bass guitar riifs. “As wonderful as this all seems/This is beyond our means/It’s just a dream” is a stark turning point, as the synth rhythms fade away and the more uplifting, melodic lead guitar riff kicks in. Clutterback recites: “I can’t get you all that stuff, But I can give you all my love” over the top of neo-psychedelic, warm acoustic guitar strums and jovial, percussive, syncopated drum rhythms. It’s littered with the intimate lyrical euphemisms of older HONNE, with lines in the verses like: “We might have kids, Or maybe three” and “Imagine a place, Where we can be free/There’s no-one for miles/Just you and me” that retain a sense of daydreaming and imagination. The guitar riffs noticeably up the tempo of the sound a few times, and there’s also the usage of Handclaps to keep things fresh, while blending into the happy tone of the sound. Overall, it’s just more of HONNE, with a familiar sound which pleases the fanbase and pleases those who are more casually tuned in. Great to hear from them!

  • Pictured: James Hutcher (left) (Keyboard, Synths) and Andy Clutterback (right) (Lead Vocals, Producer)
    Pictured: James Hutcher (left) (Keyboard, Synths) and Andy Clutterback (right) (Lead Vocals, Producer)

HONNE are one of our favorites on the blog, so I’ve also written a couple of posts about some of their older tracks here too. If you liked the sound of this, why not check out 2015’s “Warm On A Cold Night” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/17/todays-track-honne-warm-on-a-cold-night/ and the mixtape’s title track “No Song Without You” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/06/15/todays-track-honne-no-song-without-you/

  • Pictured: HONNE at the album launch party of “Love Me/Love Me Not” (in 2018) (via Getty Images)
    Pictured: HONNE at the album launch party of “Love Me/Love Me Not” (in 2018) (via Getty Images)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, with an in-depth look at a recent charity single that was also a tribute to the late DJ Andy Weatherhall, who was a world-class talent when it came to having a great ear for music. It comes from a London-based Electronic Experimental Ambient music producer who used to release his work as “Stopmakingme”, including remixes for Little Boots and Metronomy. If you If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Romy – “Lifetime”

November 5, 2020 — Leave a comment

A big departure in sound for this XX-rated female indie songwriter. It’s new post time!

  • Pictured: Romy Madley Croft performing with The XX on-stage (2018) (Photo Credit: Phillip Cosores)
    Pictured: Romy Madley Croft performing with The XX on-stage (2018) (Photo Credit: Phillip Cosores)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up about today’s track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Romy Madley Croft is perhaps best known for being one third of The XX’s line-up, but she’s decided to embark on a solo project in recent months. Although a new album from one of the UK’s biggest indie rock bands is being hinted at, as Croft reassured fans by saying: “There’s more XX music to come for sure” in a new interview, she’s also just had the pleasure of releasing her debut single as a solo artist, “Lifetime”, a single that has gained support from BBC Radio 1 and was released on the Young Turks record label. The track’s lyrics touch on the connection of embracing meeting up with loved ones in a way that we haven’t exactly done before. It’s unclear whether Romy is working on her own debut solo album to follow up on the single, but it’s nice to see the trio of members from The XX keeping active with their own passion projects. Let’s stream “Lifetime” below.

“Lifetime” really suprised me because it is a huge departure from the duo vocal setup of the XX, and the more ethereal electronic textures that the trio explored on their latest album, 2017’s “I See You”. Gone are the slick guitar bushings that feel emotionally driven and downbeat, and instead we have a pandemic-inspired, melodic Synthpop beat and a sparse disco influence. It gets off to a very “poppy” start, as Romy sings: “This must be a love from a higher place/Closing my eyes and I still know the taste” over the top of a big synth line which fluctuates with glitches and pulsating drum machine beats to the pace of a sonic vocal loop which calls out “You’ll be right be” as the sweeping bassline gathers the steam to build towards a crescendo of warm, uplifting textures. The style may be wildly different to her work as a part of The XX, but I would argue that the songwriting has a familiarity to The XX’s established sound, as Romy touches on romanticism when she sings: “The touch of your skin when the sun hits your face” and offers a hand in unity when she sings: “If this world comes to an end, I wanna be there with you”, again being recited above the dance-pop instrumental. I’m always all up for an artist evolving their style and putting a fresh spin on our expectations, but I think that Romy’s change of sound comes to a mixed result on this one. I’ve seen some glowing reviews for the track, and it might just be me being sniffy. However, I am struggling to see much in the single that feels original. I think that the dance-pop layout will appeal to a large group of people, but that’s kind of the issue for me, it feels very mainstream and done a hundred times before. The lyrics solve their purpose, if a little bit shallow. The synth work is also palatable, but too sugar-coated for my liking. The vocal loop works well, but it gets a bit over-used by the end of the track. Overall, the track is ‘fine’ but I am left to be quite underwhelmed by my overall feeling that in doing something different, she’s doing something that feels less interesting than the sound we know. I hope that she keeps taking risks, and this departure in sound is why I wanted to share this single with you.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for "Lifetime" (12" Single) (Released on September 29th, 2020) (via Young Turks)
    Pictured: Cover Art for “Lifetime” (12″ Single) (Released on September 29th, 2020) (via Young Turks)

Thank you for reading my new post! Covid-19 has had ramifications on the new music release schedule, and there is not really anything coming out tomorrow that I am aware of. Instead, we’re going to take a look at a superb recent-ish Alternative R&B/Experimental Hip-Hop single from a Ghanian-Australian songwriter from Canberra who performed as an opening act for 5 Seconds Of Summer’s charity gig in Sydney last year and is the brother of Citizen Kay…I just wish I’d found the time to cover it a bit sooner! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/