Scuzz Sundays: The Hives – “Hate To Say I Told You So”

March 8, 2020 — Leave a comment

There is a new post every day – just as I told you so! It’s time for a Scuzz Sunday post!

Pictured: Per Almqvist (Lead Vocals, Piano), Niklas Almqvist (Lead Guitar/Keyboard), Mikael Karlsson (Rhythm Guitar/Organ), Christian Grahn (Drums/Backing Vocals) and Johan Gustafsson (Bass Guitar) (2020) (via PR)

It’s hard to believe that another week has flown by and it’s time, yet again, for Scuzz Sundays – my weekly feature where I take you on a leisurely stroll down my adolescent punk phase and we revisit some of the popular tracks from the era of the Scuzz TV freeview rock music video channel together. I’m Jacob Braybrooke – writing about Swedish band The Hives’ garage-punk chart hit “Hate To Say I Told You So” for this week’s entry. The track reached #23 on the UK Singles Chart and it became well-loved from the likes of NME, who placed it at #84 on their list of the “150 Best Tracks Of The Past 15 Years” in 2011. Originally released as the lead single of the band’s second LP record, “Veni Vidi Vicious”, to little fanfare in 2010, the track saw a re-issue in 2012 in the US, to more critically lucrative and commercially successful results, leading to the track becoming the most well-known addition to The Hives’ discography. Let’s rediscover “Hate To Say I Told You So” with it’s official video below!

It’s been years, probably over a decade, since I’ve watched that! It takes me back to the era of American indie rock where The Strokes were pioneering their genre, a sound which The Hives seemed to take a lot of influence from during the recording process of “Hate To Say I Told You So” – a super-smooth track with a fast-paced opening, as a familiar guitar riff leads the way for a pounding drum rhythm and electronic synth work to beam it’s way around Per Almqvist’s energetic lead vocals: “Do what I want cause’ I can and if I don’t because I wanna be ignored by stiff and the bored”, a line possessive of teenage angst, bolstered by the recurrent vocal hook: “Because I’m gonna”, a straightforward rock-and-roll punk edge later brings a stylistic synth arrangement to the melodic closing verse: “Ask me once, I’ll answer twice cause what I know I’ll tell them, because I wanna”, and “Sound device and lots of ice, I’ll spell my name out loud because I wanna”, over a simple bass guitar riff and a minimalist keyboard chord. The sound is young and brash, with the band’s photography creating a visual artwork akin to punk bands of the 60’s, an obvious wink-and-nod to the rebellious music culture of the time. Cut down to just over three minutes in length, the track sounds like a passionate burst of 70’s rock-and-roll combined with a visual suavity inspired by The Sex Pistols and Ian Dury & The Blockheads, although it’s hit by a commercially-driven underpinning, as the track doesn’t experiment in it’s genre to a very alternative point and it has a short and packaged length, making it a conveniently good fit for a daytime radio station. Nevertheless, I think it’s an entertaining throwback to the styles which pioneered it’s own genre and it feels like a tribute to the likes of The Specials and The Ramones in a firmly tongue-in-cheek sense. If it came out tomorrow, it wouldn’t sound particularly out-of-place, as it rides a contemporary wave of youthful rock aesthetics. Overall, it’s a good spot of punk-pop that has an attitude and a style to it which makes it sound very modern, while it also provides light call backs to the 60’s punk movement and the 70’s rock-and-roll era. There’s a certain level of artistry which manages to hold up.

Pictured: The Hives perfoming “Hate To Say I Told You So” for Rolling Stone (2012) (Photo Credit: Dave Wood/YouTube)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as per usual, with an in-depth look at the brand new track from a very famous Brit-rock icon who once interrupted a staged performance of “Earth Song” by Michael Jackson, which famously took place at the Brit Awards in 1996! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Moby – “Power Is Taken”

March 7, 2020 — 1 Comment

In the words of the great Scott Pilgrim in the 2010 Edgar Wright-directed cult classic film, “Once you were a Vegan and now you will be gone”! – It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Moby (Richard Melville Hall) with his “Vegan For Life” neck tattoo (2020) (Photo Credit: Jonathan Nesvadba)

Did I mention that he’s a Vegan? I’m Jacob Braybrooke, writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! “Power Is Taken” is the 90’s EDM-rave new track from American electronic composer Moby, who is also a famous animal rights activist and a bestselling author, having published four books, including two memoirs and a photo gallery. He was born in 1965 and raised in Harlem, before moving over to New York City in 1990 to pursue his interest in Electronic music and he then became a very prolific DJ after finding his roots in the underground Punk scene in the decade prior. “Go” and “Porcelain” were his breakthrough hits, before the release of his fifth album, “Play”, in 1999 – an album which is still regarded as one of the all-time best. His seventeenth album, “All Visible Objects”, is set to be released on May 15th via Little Idiot and Mute Records, with the new LP record facing a two month setback, as it was originally set for release in March. The album’s sales will go to eleven not-for-profit organizations. Let’s hear the new single, “Power Is Taken”, below.

The music video for “Power Of Taken” begins with a gleaming array of light ambience, before the comic-art drawings lead to a dramatic shift in tension, as a frightening strobe synth line and a beat-driven punch of siren noises, mixed with a Prodigy-esque, unashamedly mid-90’s drum machine melody. D.H. Peligro powerfully recites: “We who hate oppression/Must fight against the oppressors/Power is not shared/Power is taken”, a line which hints at a call of political action. That’s more or less it for the vocals, as an aggressive line of heavy synthesizers and energetic jolts of acid-techno beats maintain the forefront of the track. It slows down for a breather at the 3-minute mark, before the heavy layer of raved-up dance beats call for a final run, to the imagery of real-world brutality in the video. It has a very daring and aggressive nature, with a clear defiance in focus. The problem is how the vocals feel brief and vague, along with a repetitious EDM beat which doesn’t feel very contemporary. A rebellious and youthful spirit is created, adding a decent sense of tongue-in-cheek fun, but it lacks the meticulous production of Moby’s down-tempo phase. I’m also struggling to really identify who it’s for, as these kinds of rave tunes aren’t being played in mainstream venues anymore and the 90’s kids who fell in love with Moby in his peak era might not really go clubbing anymore and it’s not really the kind of track that you would sit and play at home either. The general gist is that it feels outdated, a sentiment of sadness since the underground trance genre still has a niche. I think that it’s fun and entertaining for a little while, but it’s sadly not very original or interesting!

Pictured: Moby (Richard Melville Hall) in a press shoot (2019) (Photo Credit: Mo Kaufer/www.dancingastronaut.com)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow with another weekly installment of my Scuzz Sundays blog series! Be prepared to take a stroll down my personal memory lane of late 90’s to early 00’s emo punk anthems! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: The Radio Dept. – “The Absence Of Birds”

March 6, 2020 — 2 Comments

This young radio student is a lover of The Radio Dept! It’s time for your new blog post!

Pictured: Johan Duncanson (Vocals, Producer) and Martin Larsson (Keyboard/Effects) (2020) (via Brooklyn Vegan)

“Lund’s Finest” – is the title which me and my friend Harrison Ling have given The Radio Dept. – a cult indie dream-pop/shoe-gazing group from the Scanian city of Lund in Sweden. I’m Jacob Braybrooke – writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! 2010’s “Clinging To A Scheme” is the album which Harrison used to introduce me to the pristine melodies of The Radio Dept. – an album which addressed the collapse of the “indie” music industry as the sound became a brand – but, it did so in a very stylish, artistic and emotionally upbeat way. The band have, in turn, also become one of my own favourite bands as well. “Running Out Of Love” followed six years later, an album with a more politically charged and a slightly more dance-influenced sound. It’s fantastic, then – to hear the group releasing new music again. “The Absence Of Birds” is the new single to be released on their own independently-run label, Just So! – which they set up after parting ways with their previous label, Labrador Records, due to a legal clash. In the press release, the band have teased releasing “ten or so new tracks throughout the year” – which sounds like an evidently convenient way of revealing that a brand new full-length album is looming around the corner! I discovered their return due to hearing the track being played during Lauren Laverne’s BBC Radio 6Music breakfast radio show on Tuesday morning. Let’s have a listen to “The Absence Of Birds” below!

The Radio Dept. have always been low-key masters of synth work, in a very restraining and minimalist style, a mantra which they fulfil again through the small touches of production furnishings on “The Absence Of Birds”. It’s a slight departure from the 80’s, slightly Pet Shop Boys-ish sound of the likes of “Swedish Guns” and “Teach Me To Forget” on their previous LP, instead sounding closer to their ambient roots on the earlier albums like “Pet Grief” and “Lesser Matters”. Musically, it’s a little different to their one-off single “Going Down Swinging” from 2018 as well – with a less guitar-driven sound. The track begins with a simple keyboard riff, before Johan Duncansson, in his soft-spoken voice which sounds like home to me, croons: “There’s a drum beat and a verse/Flooding my street/And the girls, they seem ecstatic/This time, it’s not on them”, over a wistful synth chord which reflects a twinkling morning in a beautiful forest town. Later, he continues: “These are things I shouldn’t do/Just wish I was close to you/Instead I’m at a block party with neighbours/These amplified words and the absence of birds”, as a calming lead guitar riff that adds an intense gauze of bittersweet tone to the delicate melody of the track, led by modest drum clashes, a small handful of Brass instrumentation due to the lo-fi use of cymbal smashes and the light vocal harmonies. There’s a definite fragility to the cohesive qualities of the track which makes it definably unassuming – creating a vivid space (“I bet these boys will keep on dancing all night/For once they’re not the ones being blamed for the commosion) with a lack of explosion or harshness – mostly down to the intriguing lack of many electronic footnotes, although chirping sounds add a diffusion of hazard to proceedings. Some might find it a little uneventful or dull – but I think it’s what pulls the soft elements of the track together. The end result is a very “pretty” and well-rounded track which, I feel, deserves the chance to be heard on the radio. Lund’s Finest – an exquisite piece of music – although it doesn’t shout about it!

Pictured: Johan Duncanson and Martin Larsson with touring member Daniel Tjäder (Guitar/Synths) (date unknown)

You can also read up on my in-depth thoughts on “Memory Loss” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/11/21/todays-track-the-radio-dept-memory-loss/

Pictured: Johan Duncanson and Martin Larsson in a press shoot for their Bandcamp.com page (2016) (via Just So!)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow – as always – where I will be sharing my in-depth thoughts on the brand new single from a classic US recording artist who is going back to the old-school EDM roots of the 90’s raving club scene as the inspiration for his new work. Just to give you a hint, he is a celebrity Vegan who supports humanitarian rights and he owns his own Vegan restaurant in Los Angeles! He’s also published four books, including two memoirs. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Moses Sumney – “Me In 20 Years”

March 2, 2020 — Leave a comment

Goodness knows how I’ll end up in two decades for now! It’s time for your daily post!

Pictured: Moses Sumney in a press photoshoot for “Me In 20 Years” (February 2020) (Photo Credit: Eric Gyamfi)

20 years is almost double my own age! I’m Jacob Braybrooke – an (almost) penniless student – writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my day-to-day pleasure to do so! This is a track which I’ve recently heard from our latest radio music package from the SRA for my university’s student radio station, which comes courtesy of Moses Sumney, who is an experimental Soul singer-songwriter based in Los Angeles, California – over in the States. Sumney made his first steps in the music industry by touring with Sufjan Stevens – along with the likes of Junip and Dirty Projectors as well, performing on live tours as their supporting act. He released his debut LP record, “Lamentations”, in 2017 – and now he’s back with “Grae: Part 1”, which he dropped over the last weekend. “Grae: Part 2” is, as you may have figured out by now, the second chapter of his new double release strategy, which becomes available for purchase on May 15th, 2020 – a day which also houses the release of both parts in a physical format. A little bit like Foals did for “Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost” parts 1 and 2 last year. Let’s hear his new single, “Me In 20 Years”, with the lyric video below.

Moses Sumney, exhibiting his very distinctive and his softly feminine voice, croons about his difficulty of accepting that an intimate relationship has now ended and he self-reflects on the errors of how he’s been treating himself emotionally, as well as repressing his abilities to find a new experience to diffuse the pain of the heartbreak, on “Me In 20 Years”, a gentle electronic ballad filled with a noticeable late Bowie mannerism and a sultry, ambient texture that blurs the lines of art-punk and lo-fi, alternative Jazz characteristics. Under a feral, glitched falsetto, which is layered above a dizzying line of wavering synthesizers, he starts: “Hey, after all these years/I’m still here/Fingers outstretched/With an imprint on your bed”, as a minimalist productions style comprised of astral pop beds and a segued riff of keyboard chords adds a deliberately spacious effect, as if the composition is transcending across the concept of time and space. He explores a cosmic theme and lyrically deals with the negative sentiments of self-punishment, giving advice to his older self: “Hey, me in 20 years/Does your milk still turn to rot too soon?”, before he conveys a danger in the desperation of holding on to a lost connection with a time that he hasn’t forgotten: “I wonder how I’ll sleep at night/With a cavity by my side/And nothing left to hold but pride/Will I hold out a little more?”, a refain that he ends with “Have I become the cavity I feared?/Ask me in 20 years”. Sumney fuses ambient pop elements with a twisting falsetto vocal melody, transitioning into a hopeful ending where Sumney questions the curiosity of his future self. I think that his voice might be an acquired taste for some and the track has a very art-based quality to it, so I don’t think it’s necessarily accessible to casual music listeners. However, I feel that Sumney has a unique identity, which he successfully translates with the dark synth-pop elements and his lyrical expression in this deeply textured track. Will it go down as a career-defining classic? I can’t wait to ask him in 20 years…

Pictured: Moses Sumney performing at “End Of The Road” in 2017 (Photo Credit: Ben Lawrence/The Telegraph)

Thank you for reading this post! As always – I hope that you enjoyed it! I’ll be back tomorrow with my in-depth thoughts on a track from an American singer-songwriter, specialising in the soft-rock genre, who once entered a competition to write 20 songs in 24 hours – and some of the resulting work was included on his most recent album! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: The ORB – “Daze”

February 29, 2020 — Leave a comment

A track for you to vibe out to under the little fluffy clouds? It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Alex Paterson (Programming) and Michael Rendall (Effects) (Photo Credit: http://www.theorb.com)

It’s quite the sunny Stoke day for me – which gives us the perfect excuse to stream the latest track from one of Britian’s most established Chillout acts – The Orb, an ambient electronic house duo originally set up by Alex Paterson and The KLF’s Jimmy Caulty in 1988 – which is now comprised of Paterson and Michael Rendall. The Orb are best known for their 1991 classic “Little Fluffy Clouds”, which led to the duo becoming known for their following inside drug-induced clubs where their fans would “wind down” by listening to their neo-psychedelic remixes of Dub and Chill sequences. Their new LP record, “Abolition Of The Royal Familia” is currently slated for release on March 27th via the Cooking Vinyl label – with the title seeming like one of the obscure science fiction references which The Orb have become very synonymous for, in their long career since the late 1980’s. The new LP, their sixteenth studio album release overall, features guest appearances from the likes of Roger Eno, Nick Burton (former rotating member of The Orb), Andy Cain, Gaudi, Violetta Vicci and more – who will all be bringing their talents in a collaborative effort with the British humor and the witty sample-based elements of The Orb’s old-school psych-funk sensibilities. The most vital of which, however, is… Leika The Dog! Let’s watch her go on a cosmic canine trip to the moon and back in the music video for “Daze (Missing & Messed Up Mix)” below.

Fairly low production vales aside – the video for “Daze (Missing and Messed Up Mix)” elicits a few decent chuckles out of me, and I feel like the single is reasonably good as well. I particularly enjoyed the opening, as a sample-led blast of vocals, drowned in echoed reverberation, proudly exclaims: “A soul sound sensation”, before a swirling strobe of Balearic synths take control of the melodic hook, leading to a slightly down-tempo affair of genre-blurring composition, as a soulful refrain leads the vocal part: “You’ve been missing for days/missing..”, a simple line which is given a little more depth through an unashamedly 70’s disco element, as a vintage sample adds enough ooh’s and wooh’s to also craft a dance-able pop rhythm. The track also contains a light hop-hop element under a 90’s ambience glaze, which is created from a subtle strings arrangement and a modulated Conga drum sound. It mostly sounds like an eclectic and meticulously engineered affair of The Orb doing their classic dub-psychedelia twang best. It’s business as normal for The Orb, with an uptempo groove put together by a jam-packed sample part, which reminds me of the nostalgic adventure sound of The Avalanches “Since I Left You”. However, I don’t think it’s engineered in as much detail and in a peculiar sense, I don’t feel it really goes anywhere else, the soulful melodies are consistent but lacking in a vigorous quality to push it forwards slightly more than it’s been presented, as I feel the vocal refrain gets a little too repetitious for it’s own good. This is more the style of track that I would sit down and have on during a long train journey, rather than before a big night-out, as it does have an upbeat, traditional Chillout pop texture, but it doesn’t veer so much into free-spirited dance territory. Although I do think the track is missing another element of sound to give the overall sound a touch more excitement and just a little bit more oomph, I think the track does what it sets out to do very adequately. The slight infliction of wit is a twinkling highlight and it’s very engaging how the sound mixes elements of hip-hop, dub, ambient house, psychedelic soul and good, old-fashioned pop without losing much of it’s cohesive structure. A likeable little anthem.

Pictured: Alex Paterson and Michael Rendall enjoying a garden day… in the bushes! (Orb-approved press shot)

You can also read my thoughts on The Orb’s 90’s classic “Little Fluffy Clouds” here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/02/18/todays-track-the-orb-little-fluffy-clouds/

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Abolition Of The Royal Familia” (Available on 27th March, 2020) (via Cooking Vinyl)

Thank you or reading this post! I’m writing a new installment of my weekly Scuzz Sundays series on the blog tomorrow – a weekly thowback to the late 90’s and early-mid 00’s punk or emo rock anthems of old that you might remember seeing on the defunct Scuzz TV Freeview music video channel. It will be a mainstream chart hit from a band who, as a running joke in their music videos, use their previous singles during the introductions of their videos! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Caribou – “Never Come Back”

February 28, 2020 — Leave a comment

Suddenly… Dan Snaith has a brand new Caribou LP out! It’s time for your Friday post!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Never Come Back” (2019)

It’s Friday, which means it’s the end of the week, but it also signals the release of a dozen new albums and singles, with Caribou’s “Suddenly” taking the spotlight on the blog this week! In case you’re unaware, Caribou is an electronic project set up by Canadian composer Dan Snaith, who also writes and records material as Daphni and Manitoba. It’s been a long time since we’ve heard from him, with 2014’s “Our Love” becoming a beloved LP record in the years since. “Suddenly”, released today on City Slang Records and Merge Records, is a photo album of a record where Snaith analyses the events in his life which surround him, such as his daughter being born in a Car on the way to the hospital. The album also deals with loss and memory, in the form of carefully textured soundscapes. I’ve recently been introduced to Snaith’s work with the release of “Home”, the lead single of the album, as Snaith has drummed up enough interest with me for me to own a physical copy for my record collection, which I’ve only just started. Let’s have a listen to the track “Never Come Back” below.

A sophisticated and enthralling track which veers into slightly commercial territory, but it confidently manages not to lose the vocally emotive trademark of Caribou’s sound, “Never Look Back” is a synthetic dance-pop delight that doesn’t miss a step in it’s stabbing EDM strobes and it’s uptempo pacing. With a sultry tone, Snaith repeats: “And you never come back to”, in sequenced timing with a consistent House trance, which is layered over the top of a 90’s-esque keyboard loop. The melodic stricture keeps stuttering, but Snaith adds the sound of a happy-go-lucky Cowbell and an unrelenting drum machine chord, which kicks into full-throttle mode near the end of the track. Before proceedings get too repetitious, Snaith refrains: “I can never forget it/Promise me you don’t regret it/You and I were together/even though we both knew better”, as the pop-filled rhythm begins to settle into a slower pace, before Snaith quickly pushes the makeshift-disco sound to the center of attention again. The track does sound a little poppier by his typical standards, but I feel that Snaith manages to cross over to a casual audience, who might be seeing him at festivals this summer, fairly wisely because he manages to effectively control the chaos by letting it sound familiar to his existing fans, while adding a crowd-pleasing, throwback dance sound to his existing repertoire. The single also translates the cohesive themes of the album, as the sultry vocal hook is kept consistent to contrast the breakneck changes of tempo and rhythm. It’s an ace track from an album which is set to deliver on it’s hype.

Pictured: Dan Snaith recording in his home studio

I’ve previously covered a few of Caribou’s other singles taken from the new record on the blog! Click here to read my thoughts on my discovery of “Home” (https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/10/28/todays-track-caribou-home/) and click here to read my thoughts on “You and I” (https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/09/todays-track-caribou-you-i/)

Pictured: Dan Snaith pictured in front of a mural to accompany the announcement of “Suddenly” (2020) (via PR)

Thank you for reading this post! It’s almost time for another weekly Scuzz Sundays post, but, before then – make sure that you check back with the blog tomorrow, where I’ll be writing an in-depth review, for you, on the new single from a legendary British electronic dance duo who are known for producing Dub and Chillout anthems which have been described by Alex Paterson as “ambient house for the E generation”! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: Confidence Man – “Does It Make You Feel Good?”

February 26, 2020 — 1 Comment

Did it make me feel good? You’ll have to read my thoughts in today’s post to find out!

Pictured: Janet Planet (Vocals) and Sugar Bones (Vocals) in a photoshoot for “Does It Make You Feel Good? (2019) (Photo Credit: Zac Bayly)

Good evening – It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, writing about your daily track on the blog, as it’s my everyday duty and pleasure to do so! I’ve been very busy helping on the latest Staffs TV production, “Society Pub Quiz” at University today, so it’s another late-night post from me, which might be a blessing in disguise since I’m going to be introducing you to a chilled dance-pop anthem from the Australian EDM group Confidence Man, who were formed in Brisbane in 2016. The group made a huge name for themselves with their debut album, “Confident Music For Confident People”, which they released to critical acclaim and commercial success in April 2018, with the LP record earning the group the award for the “Best Independent Dance/Electronica Album” at the AIR Independent Music Awards last year. It was a very goofy, comical dance record which is very fun and entertaining to listen to! They’ve since returned with a one-off single, “Does It Make You Feel Good?”, which they released back in November 2019. The group are now signed to the Heavenly Recordings record label. Let’s have a little listen to “Does It Make You Feel Good?” with the music video below.

Did that make you feel good? The track is a slight departure from the sound of their full-length album, with a lighter emphasis on underlying darkness and humorous songwriting, with the group opting for a more feel-good and internationally appealing focus, with a light-hearted, old-school disco tone. The funnily named Janet Planet asks: “If something doesn’t make you right/Does it make you feel good?” above a mellow infusion of gentle house scratches and sentimental synth-line patterns. Planet croons: “I know you’re gonna do me wrong/But I got numbers in my telephone”, a verse she later ends with “It’s our love baby/our love, baby”, a line which carries itself to a soft-centered pop groove, through the use of a settled, mid-tempo snare and a hidden layer of synthetic Bongo drum patterns. The track ends on a very hopeful note, as Planet finishes: “Does it make you feel good?/Does it make you feel good?” over a pulsating drum machine riff, followed by a simplistic fade-out. Whilst I don’t think the track is necessarily bad, I couldn’t help but feel rather lukewarm towards this one, which is a shame. I really enjoyed their album because it was filled with invention and humor, with an overly tongue-in-cheek thread which connected each of the tracks together, which made it sound unique and inspiring with it’s unashamedly “dorky” context. In the case of this, I feel it’s following the influence of more mainstream pop acts, rather than doing it’s own thing. As for the positives, I like how it’s an accessible record for casual listeners to enjoy and I think it’s good how the band, lyrically, explore a more serious theme. However, the reason I’m not overly fond of this track is because of this evolution. With a less chaotic style and the removal of witty vocals, it just lacks the energy and rebellious spirit which made them a unique act to follow. While the subtle psychedelia is nice, it doesn’t match the fierce and sharp dance beats which made them stand out. It ultimately sounds like the band are just trying to have a hit, an aesthetic which doesn’t sit right with me. While I feel the 80’s disco style is entertaining to a point, the band lost one of their bigger strengths along the way, leading to a track which is chilled and laidback, but it feels quite dull and not inspired too fully. It’s alright, man – but it’s not my Confidence Man!

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

You can also read my thoughts on Confidence Man’s Christmas track, “Santa’s Comin’ Down The Chimney”, here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2019/12/04/todays-track-confidence-man-santas-comin-down-the-chimney/

Pictured: Confidence Man performing a live gig at “The Great Escape” (2017) (Photo Credit: Brighton & Hove news)

Thank you for reading this post! As always, I hope you enjoyed it! – please make sure that you check back with the blog tomorrow to read my in-depth review of the new track from a legendary English Alternative Rock singer-songwriter who recently contributed on the production of the recent independent venue week documentary film: “Long And Winding Road”. along with Phillip Selway, Gaz Coombes, Squid, Kele Okereke, Novelist, Fatboy Slim, Richard Hawley and many more! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime

Today’s Track: The Melodians – “I Will Get Along Without You”

February 17, 2020 — Leave a comment

I won’t get along without your likes, follows and support! It’s time for your new post!

Pictured: Tony Brevett (Vocals), Brent Dowe (Vocals), Trevor McNaughton (Vocals) (Photo Credit: Darren Farnsworth)

Good evening to you, I’m Jacob Braybrooke, writing about your daily track on the blog, as promised! It’s a wet, frosty and in most places, icy, February where I’m situated in the UK, with my local area of Stoke-On-Trent being hit by snow storms especially. As they say, Jack Frost’s been nipping at my toes. So, rather than moan about the weather, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to whisk you away to a bright, sunshine-glazed destination to start off your week, and I’m going to do so with an old Jamaican Rocksteady classic from 1967. A little known fact is that “I Will Get Along Without You”, by classic Jamaican vocal trio The Melodians, is actually a reworked cover of a song published by Milton Kellem all of the way back in 1951, originally titled: “Gonna Get Along Without Ya Now”. There have been many versions since, with The Melodians being credited for influencing the likes of UB40 and She & Him to produce their own versions in more recent times. Formed by Tony Brevett, Brent Dowe and Trevor McNaughton, The Melodians went on to receive the coveted “Iconic Award” from the Jamaica Reggae Industry Association (JaRIA) in 2017, although the trio had a few line-up changes and different producers over the years, with Bramwell Brown, Renford Cogle and Vin joining the ranks later on. Cogle was involved from the off, writing and arranging material for the vocalists. I discovered “I Will Get Along Without You” through the “This Is Trojan: Rock Steady” compilation album, released in April 2018, where the individual tracks are comfortably sitting on the system of my student radio station’s playout software. Let’s hear the track below!

The track immediately begins with a Vintage Jazz sound, which gets created by a nestled solo from trumpets courtesy of backing group The Supersonics. The vocals sink in: “You had a heart that I used to share/And then you went away, girl/Now you come back, telling me to forgive you/But I won’t change my mind”, Brevett takes the lead as he sends his ex-girlfriend packing: “I’ve found someone who loves me more than you do/And she will never, break my heart”, with Dowe and McNaughton tweeting and whistling in perfect harmony. Brevett continues to play up the lyrical theme of joyful break-up from a romantic partner: “So don’t you ever try to change my mind/Cause’ I won’t take you back”, with Dowe and McNaughton adding: “You gotta tell her one more time”, over a light, hazy and sun-dripped acoustic guitar riff and the effortlessly smooth use of Vibraphones and Saxophones. Simplicity is key, with minimalist production work and a jaunty, swayable dance beat which reminds me of the undeniable influence that classic Jamaican music has carved into the pop sensibilities of today, even if it isn’t noticed at once. The brass instrumentation is the musical stand-out, as it adds the signature groove which carries the slow-paced harmonies along. The lyrics are fairly interesting, with a slight implication that the narrator may have cheated on his ex-partner, who cheated on him prior to this, which adds a darker tone to contrast the light-hearted quality of the traditional Dub sound. By using elements of Ska, Jazz and Soul – The Melodians have created a thoroughly enjoyable classic which holds up on it’s own two feet decades after it was originally released. It precisely hits the sweet spot of the traditional Reggae sound on the head!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “This Is Trojan: Rock Steady) (Compilation Album Box-Set) (April 2018)

Thank you for reading this post! Make sure that you check back with the blog tomorrow, as I’ll be back with an in-depth look at another old classic! However, this time – it’s a classic ambient dance anthem, released in 1991, by a London-formed dance group who collaborated with Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour on their tenth studio album, released in 2010! They’re also set to play this year’s All Points East Festival at Victoria Park in London this May! If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when each new post is up and like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Christine and The Queens – “People, I’ve Been Sad”

February 8, 2020 — Leave a comment

A French artist who’s de crème de la Crème! Happy weekend, it’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Héloïse Letissier (Christine and The Queens) in a photoshoot for “People, I’ve Been Sad” (2020) (via Press)

Jacob Braybrooke, here as always, helping you discover new music with my daily musing. Fitting with today’s track on the blog, I was a bit sad yesterday since my La Roux delivery didn’t arrive in time for the release of “Supervision”, but I’m feeling a bit happier now after I received my physical copy of the record in the post today. It’s strange how, in life, the smallest things can either lift our mood or bring us down, usually in the space of a single minute. It’s a theme that Christine and The Queens is exploring on her new single, “People, I’ve Been Sad”, as an interesting take on the study of mental health. The track is a one-off for now, although a follow-up to “Chris”, her second album which was named as the “Album Of The Year” in 2018 by The Guardian, might be on the way fairly soon, but no further details have been confirmed yet. Let’s watch Héloïse Letissier, who writes and records her music under the alias of Christine and The Queens, performing her new track on COLORS (via YouTube) below.

On “People, I’ve Been Sad”, I’ve started to notice that Letissier’s been gearing herself towards a more idiosyncratic alternative pop spirit, carving out a left-out-of-centre niche for herself outside of her more packaged-up, three minute bar radio hits and I feel that she reaches a more different texture than ever before on the new track. Letissier starts off with a staggering autotune line, before she croons: “It’s true that people I’ve been sad/It’s true that people I’ve been gone”, an ambiguous line which for me, refers to her return to the roots of her early sound. The track gradually loses it’s softness and Letissier’s high-pitched vocals lean to a subtle melancholy with a vulnerable sonic tempo as she sings: “If you disappear/then I’m disappearing too” and “If you fall apart/Then I’m falling behind you”, a chorus that she wraps around the isolated line: “You know the feeling”. The layers of moisturized synth beds and rich acoustic instrumentation meet a progressive wave of thrilling drum hits and deep, reverb-glazed cracks of bass. A French-sung bridge is the highlight for me, where Letissier sings about her childhood memories of passing a forest of dead thistles and walking around on glass barefoot, as she adds a heartwarming touch to her anthemic ballad of self-examination and how the self-sufficiency of her past affects the in’s and out’s of her emotions on an everyday basis, addressing an audience with the title of “People, I’ve Been Sad”. Overall, it’s a track that took me by suprise because the subject matter is thought-provoking and I feel the programming of the drum machine and the synthesizers lends it’s stride well to the ghostly, ice-woven presence that Letissier creates through her vocals on the track. I really commend her for stepping outside of her comfort zone with this track and it reminds me just how talented she is and how her artistic creativity, in her songwriting and pacing, have managed to cross her over into the mainstream, but not far enough as to “dumb her down”, essentially.

Pictured: Héloïse Letissier (Christine and The Queens) in a press photoshoot (2018) (Photo by Michelle Helena Janssen)

Thank you for reading this post! I’ll be back tomorrow, as usual, in time for another Scuzz Sunday on the blog! You won’t want to miss out, as I’ll be looking at a massively popular hit track from a cornerstone of the 00’s punk era who announced their plans to embark on a world reunion tour, which takes place throughout the year, at the end of last October. 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: The Specials – “A Message To You, Rudy”

February 6, 2020 — Leave a comment

Give it a listen and you might find something Special about it! It’s time for a new post!

Pictured: Lynval Golding (Lead Guitar), Horace Panter (Bass Guitar), Terry Hall (Vocals), Jerry Dammers (Keyboard), Silverton Hutchinson (Drums), Roddy Radiation (Lead Guitar) and Neville Staple (Vocals, Percussion) in the cover artwork for “The Specials” (1979) (Original Line-Up)

It’s Thursday and I’m sitting at my desk, accompanied by a bright array of sunshine outside of my window in Stoke-On-Trent, as the nights are getting longer and the cold frost is momentarily disappearing. It seems like a great day to listen to a little bit of 2-tone or ska, so I thought it would be a perfect opportunity for me, Jacob Braybrooke, to write about the 1979 track, “A Message To You, Rudy” by underrated British band The Specials, although it was originally performed as a slow Jamaican Rocksteady ballad by Dandy Livingstone back in 1967. Interestingly, the trombone parts of the original track were recorded by Cuban Jazz icon Rico Rodriquez, who also recorded the trombone parts for The Specials’ cover version of the track, which reached the #10 spot of the UK Singles Chart in 1967. Let’s bob our heads along to the track below.

A band who have become iconic for challenging the political and social barriers surrounding their native country of the UK, The Specials manage to recreate a classic Rocksteady track by conveying upbeat Ska tones and a 2-step Dub rhythm, infused by punk’s attitude and energy, to create a fairly safe but love-able new take on a vintage Jamaican classic. The lyrics remain unchanged, as then-vocalist Terry Hall croons: “Stop your messing around/Better think of your future”, which is layered above Rodriquez’s euphoric trombone and a light drum pattern which bounces along to the beat of the vocal harmonies. There is also the use of a Harmonica at the beginning, as the instrumentation gets established to have a highly organic heart. Hall continues on: “Rudy, a message to you Rudy”, as a Trumpet solo unfurls with the pure Ska sound and the old-school Rocksteady center. The original version was an ode to the youth of Kingston in the late 60’s, and it seems like The Specials’ cover version has been morphed to address a wider British audience, but it doesn’t seem to miss it’s roots with it’s bass-led impact. Overall, it’s still a very uplifting ska number which, although not wholly original, feels distanced enough from the original track to say something new. There’s no wonder it’s still used in films and TV shows fairly regularly.

Pictured: A LEGO recreation of the “A Message To You Rudy” music video (Photo Credit: Musical Brick) (2018)

Thank you for reading this post! As always, I’ll be back tomorrow and I will be celebrating the release of La Roux’s “Supervision” album with an in-depth overview of the latest single to be released from the album, “Automatic Driver”! If you’ve read the blog before, you’ll know that I’m very, very excited for the release of this one, as it’s been six years since the release of her previous LP record, 2014’s “Trouble In Paradise”! 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/

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