Synthpop

Today’s Track: HONNE – “Warm On a Cold Night”

December 17, 2019 — 1 Comment

As I’m typing, I’m sitting comfortably at my desk in my sister’s old bedroom, mine over the Christmas period, as I’ve made the trek back from University to the family home! Here’s a winter warmer of a new post to liven up your cold Tuesday afternoon!

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

“Warm On A Cold Night” by HONNE, a London electro-soul duo comprised of Andy Clutterback and James Hutcher, is a track that has always meant a lot to me, as they were one of the bands who I discovered in this weird 2015 phase of my life where I was sitting between school and college, finding my own path as a new young adult in the world, with the discovery of this duo helping me through the awkward period. The track later became the title of the duo’s debut album, which was released in 2016. However, the track was originally released as one of their first recordings on their debut EP in 2015, released by Tatamae Recordings. HONNE have come a long way since then and have ditched the early mystery to their careers when they would reveal very little of their personal lives to their loyal fanbase, however, they still go down as underrated in my book. Good afternoon to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke and I’m writing about HONNE’s (True feelings in Japanese) track, “Warm On A Cold Night”.

An appropriate title for a foggy and rainy Tuesday afternoon/early evening such as right now, “Warm On A Cold Night” by HONNE, is a delightful R&B, old-school soul-laden electronic belter of an intimate tune, once described by The Telegraph as “Futuristic Soul” and “Babymaking Music” in 2015. The track kicks off with a mock late-night radio announcement, as the presenter pleads to “keep you warm on a cold, cold night” before the lead vocals from Andy immediately snatch the lead off him. The lead rhythm is a melodic take on sophisticated synthpop, a precursor to the sexual lyrics filled with hopeful romance, instead of a necessarily explicit sound. It’s backdropped by a smooth layer of sleek keyboard riffs and the duo’s R&B/soul influences, which feel heatwarming and familiar to fans of the duo during their early beginnings. The sound is very down-tempo and low-pitched, although there is an evocation of moody and gloomy London on a night ridden with frost and snow. It feels claustrophobic, yet emphatic, which is an intriguing mix of emotions and conventions. I feel the pick-up style of the vocals won’t be to suit everybody’s tastes, with the themes of super-slick flirtation possibly coming off as meandering for some, but I will always remember the track as a glimpse of the artists’ career at the time and a strong invention of the duo’s identity while they were finding their feet within their discography and artistic concepts, with the best material obviously yet to come, as they didn’t quite have it nailed down, to the fullest extent, yet. A track for a cold night.

  • Pictured: HONNE performing “Coastal Love” on the BBC Introducing stage at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend (2015)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as we get back to the festivities with a comedic track by a funny man from London who was once described by BBC Introducing’s Gary Crowley as “Guaranteed to put a smile on even the grumpiest of faces…an absolute favourite”! 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: La Roux – “Gullible Fool”

December 6, 2019 — 1 Comment

Brand new from La Roux – It’s time to feel that feel-good feeling with your Friday post!

  • Pictured: Elly Jackson (La Roux) in a promotional photoshoot for “Supervision” (February 7th, 2020)

It appears that a Christmas miracle has come early – as just six weeks after the release of her belting comeback track “International Woman Of Leisure”, Elly Jackson has just released another new single from her highly-anticipated third LP record, “Supervision”, which is slated for it’s release on February 7, 2020 via her own label, Supercolour Records. “Gullible Fool” is a 7-minute pop-tastic ballad which is speculated to be about a ten-year long relationship for Jackson with a partner, which ended during the production stages of the new record. It also completes a technicolour vision-filled music video, where she comes off as a cross of George Michael and Elton John, as Jackson prepares to be the Off The Wall of this generation!

The music video, which is a more user-friendly 4 minute and 20 second edit of the full album version of the track, reminds me a little bit of A-Ha’s “Take On Me” video, due to the technicolor art style in the key formula change of the track, which takes a keyboard-based composition instead of the typical synth-based approach that I’ve come to really appreciate from Jackson. She channels her inner Morten Harket as she powerfully chimes: “Just pack your things and go/Honey don’t pretend you didn’t know”, after she takes a sentimental value with the chorus: “Lies/But I Will Believe In Anything/Oh I Will Believe In You/Gullible Fool”, as Jackson makes a sarcastic remark for her time wasted holding on to a breakup that wasn’t healthy. The track is a comeback story for our narrator, as she finds the courage to answer a new calling to move on with her life as an individual, ready and healthy enough to tell her partner to leave her and start looking for a more meaningful life. She isn’t quite ready for a new relationship yet, but she feels ready – and excited – to start over. The lyrical content is intriguing and I feel that it has been written with a certain style of charisma and balance in check, blending with the percussive harmonies and minimalist production of the track. I don’t feel it elicits the short-fuse groove that “International Woman Of Leisure” does, as it ditches the electronic-based instrumentation of that track and it goes for a more emotive, acoustic texture instead. I’m trying to think of a better word than “grower” – but I can’t think of one. It’s certainly a track which showcases Jackson as one of the UK’s premier pop talents, as it is smartly written and the uptempo vocals have an infectious style to them. It reaffirms that Jackson is a very dynamic artist who has a very admirable flavour of loyalty and integrity to her sound!

  • Pictured: Still image from the “Gullible Fool” music video (December 2019)

In case you’ve missed it, don’t forget that you can still read my thoughts on the previous single, “International Woman Of Leisure”, by clicking here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/01/todays-track-la-roux-international-woman-of-leisure/

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Supervision” (February 7th, 2020)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at a new track from a highly prolific American EDM artist who started off his career by experimenting with a four-track recorder while he was still attending high school! 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: Confidence Man – “Santa’s Comin’ Down The Chimney”

December 4, 2019 — 1 Comment

It’s nearly time for another bloomin’ christmas! For now, it’s time for your new post!

We’ve finally crossed the December mark of the year, which also means it’s nearly time for another festive season where we scoff our faces with mince pies and sit there watching the TV box like a lemon slice sits in your glass of cola at the local Wetherspoons! You’re going to start seeing christmas songs sprinkled throughout the month on the blog, however, rather than revisit the festive tunes we all know and hear every year, imagine the royalties Wizzard and Bob Geldoff get off those each year, I’m going to introduce you to some lesser-known seasonal treats that you can add to your playlist, like you add spice to mulled wine, instead. Today’s musing comes from an indie dance outfit called Confidence Man, who hailed from Brisbane in Australia. The group are a 4-piece known for their quirky and playful style of clubbing anthems, whose sound has a vibe similar to the geeky nerds and the dorks in high school. The band are best known for their 2018 debut LP, “Confident Music For Confident People”, which was released on the Heavenly Recordings label. The album earned them an award for “Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album” at the AIR Independent Music Awards in 2018, leading up to them embarking on a headline tour.

“Santa’s Comin’ Down The Chimney” was released in November 2018. It’s not a far-cry from the very 80’s and tongue-in-cheek of the group’s regular output. It’s a little bit safe, in fact, but it’s a formula that largely works and it’s not worth trying to fix it for a one-off single, in the context of the band’s fanbase and prior work. Janet sings, in a down-tempo vocal, “Santa’s comin’ down the chimney/Santa’s got a present for fe/Santa asked me what I want/I said I want a beat”, before a hectic line of snares and idiosyncratic electro- percussion breaks down. She later recites lines such as: “I’ve been nice and I’ve been naughty/All the things that Santa taught me/Mom and daddy never caught me/P O L I C E report me” and “All this work has got me beat/Hope you left me/Something tasty, something sweet/Something special, just for me” in a monotone and down-to-earth tempo, with a hip-hop fusion twang to it. The alternative pop style is colourful and energetic, blending in with the heavy drum machine beats, to create a youthful rave tune for the adolescent party lovers, as the overall sound of the track has a very surreal humor and mood. It’s not quite a perfect track by any means, as I feel the novelty starts to wear a bit thin by the end of the 3-minute duration and the stylistic conventions of the band are fully played out, which may seem a bit over-indulgent for some listeners. However, as far as b-sides from a dance band’s discography goes, it really is a christmas miracle for the built-in fanbase.

  • Pictured: Janet Planet (Vocals), Sugar Bones (Vocals), Reggie Goodchild (Synths) and Clarence McGuffie (Drums)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow with an in-depth look at a track from an Underground heavy techno artist from Essex – who shares his name with a footballer who used to play for Tottenham Hotspur before serving as an Academy Coach for Arsenal! 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: Beck – “See Through”

November 28, 2019 — 1 Comment

The colour-shifting Chameleon of pop/rock music is back! It’s time for a Cosmic post!

  • Pictured: Beck Hansen in a promotional photoshoot for “Hyperspace” (2019)

Beck is back! The art-pop legend, who is responsible for some of the most influential records of all-time in the forms of “Odelay” (1996) and “Mellow Gold” (1994), as well as Grammy winning albums “Morning Phase” (2015) and “Colours” (2017), has just reinvented himself, yet again, with the release of “Hyperspace” on November 22nd, a space-themed jolt through different pop genres with a theme of spaciousness. The album features mainstream star Pharrell Williams in the producer seat, as well as guest appearances from Chris Martin of Coldplay, Sky Ferreira and Terrell Hines. It’s an intriguing mix of new-wave synth-work and minimalist production. I rather like it and I would absolutely LOVE to go on a night-out with Beck! It would be SO much fun!

“See Through” is the sixth track on the new record and it hasn’t even been released as a single, but I feel the track would fit that mold very well. The track has the qualities of a Neapolitan Ice Cream, as it effortlessly combines the elements of a stripped-back R&B sound, with a subversive hint of chill wave and a tinge of nostalgic trip-hop, creating a unique Cosmopolitan style which makes the slowed-pace format work very well. It’s a lyrical ballad on the desperation of seeing a lover and a burning desire to keep a dissolving relationship going. The lyrics provide a stylish, but admittedly quite forgettable, backdrop to the cohesive electronic production, as the synths bash against the waves of each other, to an effect that is both psychedelic and joyful in execution. It’s a shame that the lyrics lack a certain quality of playfulness to make them stand out more, as the vocals take a backseat to the instrumentation, which is in fine form at the forefront, but it would be a little nicer if the vocal hooks were slightly catchier and more light-hearted. It builds up gradually to become a slow-jam, which creates a spacious break between the more thunderous and funk-oriented tracks on the record, such as “Saw Lightning” and “Die Waiting”, as well as feeling consistent in tone with the two spiritually-related interlude tracks on the album, “Hyperlife” and “Hyperspace. On “See Through”, Beck puts a relaxed style and calming atmosphere behind a visually-pleasing image on a breezy track, which is a bright spot on a record which, for me, is a massive improvement over 2017’s “Colors”.

  • Pictured: Beck Hansen in a promotional photoshoot for “Mellow Gold” (1994)

Since I’m a big fan of Beck, you can also read my thoughts on two other Beck tracks that I have previously covered on the blog. Why not click here to read my thoughts on “Uneventful Days”: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/10/29/todays-track-beck-uneventful-days/? Or, you can click here to read my write-up for 1998’s “Tropicalia”: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/08/20/todays-track-beck-tropicalia/!

  • Pictured: Art Collage showing the many faces of Beck over the decades (Credit: Sarita Schaffer)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at a 1996 track from an alternative rock group, which has a title that will remind you of a certain Hanna-Barbera cartoon that started airing in 1969, although it’s actually a reference to a chemical, Valium! 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: Girl Ray – “Girl”

November 27, 2019 — 1 Comment

The girls of North London are finally back in town! It’s time for your Wednesday post!

  • Pictured: Poppy Franklin (Guitar, Vocals), Iris McConnell (Drums) and Sophie Moss (Bass Guitar)

Girl Ray, made up of Poppy Franklin (vocals, guitar), Iris McConnell (drums) and Sophie Moss (bass guitar), are an alternative pop group formed in their home of North London in 2015. They later released “Earl Grey”, their debut LP record, back in August 2017. The follow-up, “Girl”, was released on 22nd November via the Moshi Moshi label. No, not Moshi Monsters! The trio love to specialise in small-scale psychedelic punk, with the girls releasing their first track, “Ghostly”, on Soundcloud while studying for their A-levels. The girls have cited the likes of Cate Le Bon and Rundgren as influences for their new record, a sophomore lo-fi critical darling that gives you a sugary sweet texture with electro-synth hooks and ambitious songwriting. “Girl”, a staple of the daytime BBC Radio 6Music playlist, is the title track of the new LP record.

Naming themselves as a pun of low-key Avant-garde icon Man Ray, Girl Ray have since been headstrong in their pursuit of experimental pop vibes and a sonic juxtaposition between cool and receptively geeky. It’s a sentiment that can be found on “Girl”, a single which is full of glossy electronic production work and endearingly imperfect percussion. Lyrically, this is a wistful indie-pop metaphor of adolescent romance and subtle youtful angst. Franklin recites: “I’ve got a lot of love to give/You’ve got a lot of love to give/And we can have fun, play games/Or you can just hold my hand” and “Course of true love never did run smooth/I wanna move right up next to you/Wear my t-shirt by the pool/I love the way you work that room so cool”, establishing an indebted tone of playfulness and a sensual tone. It reminds me of Haim and The Beach Boys, but Girl Ray take a creative boldness to up the synth work, as Franklin croons: “Girl won’t you be my…” and conveying a rhythmic harmony with: “You’re my high school sweetheart prom-queen babe/And I’m the nerdy boy that the jocks all hate”, a playful R&B-like jive that feels instantly recognizable for a young audience. The lyrics are each delivered under the sounds of funk-laden guitars, 1980’s keyboard melodies and groove-ridden, new-wave percussion. Although the overall style is more polished than some of the band’s prior efforts, I feel this track doesn’t quite find it’s own identity and the cracks of the group still finding their feet as a new artist are still present. This is because, although the song isn’t afraid to pull electronic influences from a couple of different genres, I feel the lyrical content doesn’t quite reach into a higher gear, lacking a cohesive quality that blends the different styles into one package more neatly. I think it’s down to their work on the new record with Ash Workman, a producer who’s been credited to the likes of Christine & The Queens, Metronomy and Stealing Sheep. I get the sense that he’s not quite the right collaborator for Girl Ray, as the production work seems a little bit makeshift and they sound much like these other acts. However, “Girl” is still an overall enjoyable track that has a very charming pastiche style and an intoxicating combination of nostalgia and beauty. The group are very talented, but I think they are capable of a little better.

  • Pictured: Girl Ray in a promotional photoshoot for “Earl Grey” (November 2015)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at one of the tracks from Beck’s new LP, “Hyperspace”, which was released on Friday! It has not been released as a single though! 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: Prince & The Revolution – “Raspberry Beret”

November 26, 2019 — Leave a comment

“If you don’t own your masters, your masters will own you”! That’s my favourite quote from the master of re-invigoration himself! It’s time for your Tuesday blog post!

  • Pictured: Collage Artwork of Prince’s different re-incarnations throughout his career (Credit: Pinterest.com)

The aforementioned quote is a true statement of Prince’s rebellious attitude and his pure dedication to actively creating good music which rebels against the established materialism of the chart-pop industry. He changed the face of music forever and there was a sense of pure horror in the air as he passed away from us on April 21, 2016. “Raspberry Beret” is a track from his 1985 album, “Around The World In A Day”, which he produced with The Revolution. The album saw Prince experiment with a more zany style, such as elements of psychedelic rock and opulent soul ballads. It was famously released with very little publicity, as requested by Prince, with none of the singles being released until after a month since the album’s release. It was still a massive commercial success, eventually reaching the #1 spot on many charts around the world (but it took more than a day) and eventually going double platinum, with audiences responding to the overall sound being more creative than previous record.

The track instantly starts with a “1-2-3-4!” chant before the funky synthpop beats work their way around the melodic vocal hook of the track. The track immediately engages the listener before, as with the rest of the album, it combines several different elements of multiple genres with solid precision. The track incorporates pop, punk, disco, neo-psychedelia and new wave, as it creates a world-infused, “international” effect by focusing on acoustic instrumentation, such as the violin string-based arrangement, as well as a Cello and a Harmonica being used in extended versions of the track. It tells a lyrical story of a teenage wash-up having a first-love encounter and a sexual experience with a girl wearing the titular “Raspberry Beret” hat. It’s simple and more in the pop vein than other, less-radio friendly, tracks from the album. However, it’s effect is still fairly original and effective. He starts: “I was working part-time in a five-and-dime/my boss was Mr. McGee”, which has a Bryan Adams-esque pop hook, and he continues to tell the story until the end, stating: “She wore a raspberry beret/the kind you find in a second hand store”, simply ending the chorus with: “I think I love her”. It’s a very colourful and vibrant track, with a sense of very sweet romanticism. It’s a good track, but the context behind it definiely brings it a step forward. After 1984’s “Purple Rain”, fans were expecting a sound that was heavier in a rock context and maybe a little bit more sexualised, but instead, he wrote material that was delicate and light-hearted, as he cleverly played around with his fans’ stereotypes and in a sense, their loyalty to following him as an artist. The risk paid off dividends, further asserting Prince as one of the all-time greats. We miss him!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Around The World In A Day” (April 1985)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at an explosive techno-pop track from a new London indie group who once produced a cover version of a Carole king song by Elizabeth Price, although not explicitly admitting to doing so! 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: Josef Salvat – “Modern Anxiety”

November 23, 2019 — Leave a comment

Like a WWE 00’s John Cena match, he’s made a comeback! It’s time for your new post!

  • Pictured: Josef Salvat in a 2019 photoshoot for “Modern Anxiety”

Born in Sydney and later moving to study in London, Josef Salvat is a very gifted singer-songwriter who is openly bisexual, writing his songs from a gender neutral perspective, as he feels it adds texture to his sound. I fell in love with his voice on a cover version of Rihanna’s “Diamonds”, which is a million times better than the original version, in my opinion. It was a track on his debut “In Your Prime” EP, a short dark-pop jolt with a deep voice, similar to Lana Del Rey and Morrissey. He later released “Night Swim”, his debut LP record, in the UK in February 2016. This album wasn’t quite perfect, but it established his sound as he finds his own feet as an artist. It’s been a long time since we’ve heard any new material from him, but Salvat has just announced his comeback with two new songs: “Modern Anxiety” and “Alone”, as well as a follow-up LP record due for release in 2020. “Modern Anxiety” has a clever music video, which is designed for watching vertically on a smartphone. Check it out below!

It’s a very well-directed music video with a bold theme, as it tackles issues of social media toxicity and struggling with online criticism in today’s 24/7 society. Salvat sings about too much going on in his life and the area around him: “Last night I was handsome, drunk and young/Today I don’t who I’m tryna be” and “The air is slow and fat, you can cut the heat/Smell a city’s worth of bodies, filling up the street/So I just draw the curtains and make my retreat/Put the fan on, hide my headphones and then scroll myself to sleep”, before the main chorus hook comes in: “I think they call this modern anxiety/This modern life is getting the best of me”. It handles these themes respectfully and courageously, with the relatable characteristics of the track shining through, even on a first listen! The video also makes use of apps, it also features nods to Coldplay and Bjork in the Instagram-parody clips. A lot of love has clearly gone into the production of the video, and it’s with a lot of regret that I unfortunately don’t think I can say the same about the track itself. The track has a very poppy dance-inspired beat and the rhythms of the autotuned synths are certainly directed at a young audience. However, for me, it all sounds a bit generic. The reverb auto-synths sound too robotic and processed. I initially liked Salvat’s earlier work, such as “Shoot and Run” and “This Life” for their cold, layered vocals and the overall darkness to the composition of the sound, but I seem to have missed that trademark element on ‘Modern Anxiety”, as I feel that it’s been replaced by a chart-pop sensibility that doesn’t play up to Salvat’s strengths as a vocal performer or make him stand out in a crowded market as well as his original sound does. It lacks the bite of “Open Season” or ballad-influenced “Punchline” and it sounds commercialized, potentially by the label, instead. The lyrics are fine, with the vocal hooks growing on me a little bit, but it’s flat and disappointing, with the track lacking the daring oomph of his early sound.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “In Your Prime” (September 2014) (EP Release)

Thank you for reading this post! Make sure you check back with the blog tomorrow, as I’ll be giving you a right Blast From The Past with another weekly edition of my 00’s emo punk-themed Scuzz Sundays blog posts! 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: Gorillaz – “On Melancholy Hill”

November 22, 2019 — 1 Comment

A rock band with an “animated” lineup! Literally… It’s time for your Friday blog post!

  • Pictured: Promotional Artwork for “Plastic Beach” (2010)

Gorillaz certainly have a very animated sense of character to them. The most famous virtual rock band in the world, with Blur’s Damon Albarn at the helm in the real world, have made quite a name for themselves in the music industry ever since the 00’s, successfully translating an experimental style of rock to the mass audiences, always gaining high popularity with each LP release due to the significant lore and fantasy-building created by James Hewlett, the designer and VFX artist of the cartoon compadres. I still remember the hype around their return from a 7-year hiatus with “Humanz” in spring 2017, with the album selling out in days and gaining record-breaking pre-order sales, of which I bought the physical CD copy to share with my friends. They’re not really my all-time favourites in the wide scheme of things, but it’s still a musical project that I admire and I get very excited for with each subsequent release. “On Melancholy Hill” is a track that I remember hearing for the first time on “The Singles Collection 2001-2011” compilation CD, but it’s the third single released from 2010’s “Plastic Beach”, which is the third official full-length LP credited to Gorillaz. This is a lesser-known track from the band, which reached #78 on the UK Singles Chart upon it’s original release. It was later ranked as #152 on Pitchfork’s top 200 songs of the decade so far and #5 on BBC’s list of the “Best British Songs Of 2010”.

“On Melancholy Hill”, according to creator Damon Albarn, exists as the one “genuine pop moment” on the 2010 record. It starts off immediately, with no fading, with a glowing electro-synth line that fuzzes above a set of twinkling keyboard patterns, before Albarn sings his woes beneath a Falsetto: “Up on Melancholy Hill, there’s a plastic tree/Are you here with me/Just looking out on the day of another dream/Where you can get what you want, but you can’t get me/So let’s set out to sea (love)/’Cause you are my medicine when you’re close to me” as it becomes somewhat of Gorillaz’ one true love ballad. There is a dream-like quality to the romantic themes of the lyrics, which is established through downtempo electronic instrumentation that sounds miles apart from the hip-hop influences found on 2005’s “Demon Days” or the experimental art-rock sound on the 2001 self-titled debut LP. However, it’s also dominated by a somber, more mindful, texture which conveys the comfort of a physical touch, but also the distance of a crush that’s destined not to work out. It ties into the concepts and themes of the album, as it feels reminiscent of travelling to an idyllic location outside of a harsh pre-Brexit (yes, I just said it!) political climate, which works in this audible concept as a beach with dream-like qualities. The sound is boosted by a four-step pitch and a chordal string-based arrangement that twinkles and glistens at every turn. Overall, I think it’s obviously not necessarily Gorillaz’ most uptempo tune, but I really enjoy listening to how the tone flips between light and dark in different sections of the track. The track is maddening, but it’s also saddening.

  • Pictured: 2-D (Vocals, Keyboard), Murdoc (Bass, Drums), Noodle (Guitar) and Russell Hobbs (Percussion)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at the brand new track from a Bisexual Australian singer-songwriter often likened to Lana Del Rey and Morrissey, who relocated to London from Sydney and released his debut LP record, with each song being written from an ambiguous, gender-neutral viewpoint, in early 2016! 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: Bat For Lashes – “Desert Man”

November 14, 2019 — Leave a comment

I’m coming right back at you with a fresh Thursday blog musing like a Bat Out Of Hell!

  • Pictured: Natasha Khan in a photoshoot for a Stereogum interview (2019)

A two-time BRIT award nominee, Natasha Khan, under the pseudonym of Bat For Lashes, has been releasing a large variety of subversive pop and folktronica records, most of which have sonically bordered on cosmic fairy tale sounds and folklore renditions of her own personal events, to universal critical acclaim and prestigious awards consideration, such as receiving Mercury Prize nominations for “Fur and Gold”, her 2006 debut LP record, and later in 2009 for “Two Suns” and 2016 for “The Bride”. A very gifted art-pop songwriter, Khan uses her intriguing descendent from an English mother and a Pakistani father to uniquely integrate the two cultures into her own sound, which has since gone on to capture the hearts and the attention of many. She has recently released her fifth LP record, “Lost Girls”, which explores a cinematic 1980’s sound, being inspired by film soundtracks of the time and the pioneering classical composers of the time. “Desert Man” is the new single, which follows “Kids In The Dark”, a track that I can’t wait to hear in the end credits of the next season of Netflix’s TV hit “Stranger Things”. Listen to it and you’ll instantly know we’re going to!

“Desert Man” is a track with a slightly more upbeat and dance-influenced sound than Khan’s previous counterpart, with the vocals being drenched in reverb and the drum melodies are very melodic as they create a synth-pop layer to surround the echoes of Khan’s vocals and the heavy 80’s-esque style of the new-wave rock hooks. The track takes a more aggressive turn when Khan cues up a burst of swooping trance energy with “It’s hard to get it high with you/And I’ll go alone, I’ve waited so long to/Take it slow, desert man”, as a line of synthpop riffs and high-pitched vocal harmonies add more ice to the tempo of the proceedings. This is a track that relies on a nostalgic formula and it bring a lot of unfamiliarity to break new ground, but it isn’t a bad thing at all because Khan uses this formula in an exciting and intriguing way – as the synth-bass repetition and the powerful vocal hooks are a delight of pure 80’s joy. As the dust clears, you feel the sense that she couldn’t possibly be any more 80’s if she tried!

  • Pictured: Natasha Khan in an interview on “Lost Girls” with NME (2019)

Thank you very much for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, with an in-depth look at a forgotten single from a cult alternative 80’s group who were, at first, turned down by every major record label, so they set up Candle Records and then went on to sell over 10,000 copies of their very first single, which was their first song to be written, recorded and produced.  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: Sunset Gun – “Be Thankful For What You’ve Got”

November 7, 2019 — Leave a comment

That is a great motto for us all to live by! Good evening, it’s time for your new musing!

  • Pictured: Vinyl Artwork for “Be Thankful For What You’ve Got” (1984)

Sunset Gun were an indie pop/jazz group comprised of two sisters: Louise and Deirdre Rutowski, as well as Ross Campbell, who worked as a producer and a percussionist with the two sisters. It was later expanded to include a backing group, which was comprised of Jim Williams (lead guitar), Graham Brierton (bass guitar) and Gordon Wilson (drums). They released a couple of singles and an album for CBS Records in 1984, before becoming one of the first acts to sign with 4AD, an indie record label which is still strong to this day, with acts such as The National, Beirut and Future Islands signed up. “Be Thankful For What You’ve Got” is a track from 1984.

“Be Thankful For What You’ve Got” is a consistent staple of the lost 80’s time capsule list on my student radio station. In itself, it’s a poppier cover version of the track of the same name, originally written and composed by William DeVaughn from 1974, which is exactly a decade before the “Sunset Gun” cover version was released. This version of the track has a more electronic style, which is different to the grounded jazz and funk roots of the original. Louise and Deirdre open the track with: “Though you may not drive a great big Cadillac/Gangsta whitewalls/TV antennas in the back” over a bed of 80’s synth-guitar lines and an undeniable loyalty of funk, with the chorus hook of: “Diamond in the back, sunroof top/Diggin’ the scene/with a gangsta lean” adding a more choral arrangement, with the core message being delivered over a layer of soul-like keyboard chords: “But remember brothers and sisters/You can still stand tall/Just be thankful for what you got”, which has a fun and infectious groove to it. The lyrical themes of the track are a social comment on the materialism of greed and how having everything you may want isn’t what you actually need. I think the instrumentation is basic and simple to a point, but the vocals are gorgeous and it’s the unique take on the original’s soul influences that gives this a step in it’s own right!

  • Pictured: Louise Rutowski (Vocals), Ross Campbell (Percussion) and Deirdre Rutowski (Vocals)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow with a track from a very niche experimental rock group who currently have a YouTube channel with only 72 subscribers! Yes, that’s right! 7-2! 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/