Today’s Track: Baba Ali – “Black Wagon”

July 20, 2021 — Leave a comment

This house is not a house – It’s just a couple of sticks. Well below Zero. New post time!

Pictured: Baba Ali in a PR shoot for the ‘Rethinking Sexual Pleasue’ EP (2020) (Photo via Twitter.com)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, and allow me to be your cool down away from the shining sun for your daily track on the blog, as per usual for this past week, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write about a different piece of music every day! A London-via-New York songwriter and producer, Baba Ali is never far away from reliable airplay on Alternative radio stations like BBC Radio 6Music and Cherry Red Radio, and he’s announced that he will be releasing his debut solo album, ‘Memory Device’, on August 27th via Memphis Industries. Ali was previously a member of the Alt-Soul duo Voices Of Black, before he moved to the UK to pursue a solo career and to study a Masters degree in Fine Art at Goldsmiths, a university in London. He’s since supported acts such as Kele Okereke (The lead vocalist of Bloc Party) and Gold Panda on tour, and he will be adding Leeds Post-Punk breakouts Yard Act to that list later this year. A musing on community and mortality, check out ‘Black Wagon’ below.

Working with Joe Goddard (from Hot Chip) and Al Doyle (from LCD Soundsystem) as producers for ‘Memory Device’, Baba Ali is now striving to get the glittery dancefloors moving again, after the year-plus long spell of the pandemic’s delays, with modern Disco records like ‘Black Wagon’. Ali says of the single, “Where I live in London, my window faces the High Street and I’m not far from a church. In the autumn, there were a lot of funerals, and the horse and carriage procession would often come down the street. It’s quite an arresting image; It feels like it’s from a different era. That’s the “Black Wagon” and the rest of the lyrics are me reminiscing about the feeling of going to raves and coming home at sunrise”, per his press notes. The path of Baba Ali’s ‘Black Wagon’ has taken him from a native home in New Jersey to a winding road in East London’s mixed community. Along the way, he fuses the styles of 90’s New-Age and electric Post-Punk for an effortlessly cool Alt-Disco beat. He opens with “Hopped on the 109/Wiping the cold out of my eyes” as an air of New Order’s ‘Blue Monday’ hits the ground running as a shimmering bassline and flickering Synth patterns drives the melodic tempo forwards. Some lyrics, like “It’s a winding road/And every corner’s blind” observe paranoid society at a distance, while others, like “We caught the Metro North/We took in all the sights/A long way from home”, discuss the after close experience of a multi-cultural club night. The beats begin as fairly subdued, before the instrumentation pulls elements of Future-Soul and New-Wave into the fold with twisting Synth hooks and warped Keyboard riffs. The chorus goes for a euphoric feel, as Baba Ali sings “Round we go/Where we end, nobody knows” and “Black Wagon roll/Where we land we’ll dig our whole” as the songwriting becomes quite cryptic, but the added reverb to the Synths and the soaring bass guitar brings new energy to the equation. Ali comments on the experiences of changing a life cycle through living in different cities and experiencing different communities in a stimulating and thought-provoking way, but there’s some tension to the slightly distorting Synths and the loud guitar sample in the home stretch. A merticulously produced and elegantly balanced offering, ‘Black Wagon’ rolls along its road at a brisk pace, with plenty of engagement.

Pictured: Cover Art for ‘Memory Device’ (LP) (Available from August 27, 2021) (via Memphis Industries)

That’s the end of the road for ‘Black Wagon’, but please feel free to join me tomorrow for ‘Way Back Wednesdays’ as we go retro once again for an in-depth look back at a mostly forgotten London-based dance music group who peaked within the UK Singles Chart on two occasions during the very early 1990’s. A handful of their tunes also reached the US Billboard Hot Dance Club Play chart, including a #1 entry on that specialist chart. The duo worked with musicians like ‘The Red King’ and Mike Spencer.

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New Album Release Friday: U-Roy (feat. Santigold) – “Man Next Door”

July 16, 2021 — Leave a comment

A Solid Golden victory lap for one of Reggae’s true pioneering figures. New post time!

Pictured: U-Roy ‘The Originator’ performing live (2012) (Photo by Le Pictorium/Alarmy Stock Photos)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here, and it’s time for me to enliven up your ear’s taste buds with another daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Fridays are always special, because we enjoy an in-depth taste of one of the weekend’s biggest new releases. This week’s roster includes LP’s from Liverpool’s Pizzagirl (More on that another day), the Scottish-Sudanese film composer Eliza Shaddad (Refer back to last Saturday for more on that), young Bedroom Pop sensation Clairo, fast-rising Brighton indie rockers Yonaka, and Australia’s Electronica staple Chet Faker. If you missed the memo yesterday, Yves Tumor has just quietly dropped a new EP on Warp Records too.

This week’s pick doubles up as a tribute post to the late-great Dub icon U-Roy, who we sadly lost due to a long-lasting illness in February. U-Roy is a very famous Jamaican musician who was known as ‘The Originator’ of Toasting – a talkative, melodic vocal style that can be sung or chanted, usually in a monotone rhythm, over the top of a smoky beat by a Reggae DJ, which has also been massively influential to hip-hop culture ever since the 1970’s. His final full-length album, ‘Solid Gold U-Roy’, is being released today via Trojan Jamaica – and so this is a very significant moment in time for African music because this is, tragically, the very last time that we’re ever going to hear from U-Roy. The expansive guest list for the new record – which was originally scheduled to debut in 2020 before the Covid-19 pandemic caused delays – includes Mick Jones (of The Clash), Shaggy, Tarrus Riley, David Hinds (of Steel Pulse), Ziggy Marley, Big Youth, Jessie Royal, Rygin King and Richie Spice, who all help to make the new record an authentic celebration of U-Roy’s career. The lead single, ‘Man Next Door’, finds an honoured Santigold collaborating with U-Roy on an eminent Reggae standard that has been one of her favourite classics for decades. Give it a spin below.

‘Man Next Door’ was originally written by John Holt and first released by his Jamaican vocal group The Paragons back in 1968, while U-Roy has sampled the original tune before on his own 1962 track, ‘Peace and Love’, and it has seen lots of covers in the decades since, with big musical acts like Massive Attack and UB40 getting in on the action. U-Roy’s version is accompanied by the vibrant music video directed by Trojan Jamaica co-founders Zak Starkey and Sharna Liguz, who both worked with Nick Franco/1185 Films on this. Liguz says, “We had always loved U-Roy because of the power of his voice, and his lyrics, with their humour and their seriousness”, adding, “We made the ‘Solid Gold’ album because we wanted everyone to know that U-Roy helped invent rap”, to their press notes on today’s posthumous release. ‘Man Next Door’ finds U-Roy jumping out of the gate at first instance with his Toasting style for a duet with the US songwriter Santigold that brings ‘Man Next Door’ up to date with more contemporary instrumentation without losing the cultural spirit of the well-loved originals. The classic lyrics, about Paranoia in a neighborhood ruled by drug dealers, are given a retro-futurist lift by boasting some jovial Organ stabs and an upbeat pace, where the Dub-led jolts of rhythm warp themselves around a catchy duet vocal structure from U-Roy and Santigold at swift ease. The uptempo pitch is kept from getting too heavy or abrasive, meanwhile, by the sinuous and chilling melodies from the subtle Steel Pans, which helps U-Roy to reach the top of his game for a final time with his toasting. Santigold, meanwhile, adds a more psychedelic twist to the track with her female vocals that drift lightly into the deep pockets of groove that are being maintained by the instrumentals that trickle along smoothly. Overall, this is a masterclass from one of the true greats. Rest in peace, our ‘Originator’ U-Roy.

Pictured: Cover Art for “Solid Gold U-Roy” (LP) (Available from July 16, 2021) (via Trojan Jamaica)

That’s enough Toasting for right now! But, please feel free to join me again tomorrow morning for recent music from one of the UK’s most hotly tipped new artists for great success in 2021. A singer-songwriter from Grantham, she is a favourite on student radio across the nation, and she performed at Glastonbury Festival in 2019 on the BBC Introducing stage. Later this year, she will be releasing a new EP on the major label Polydor Records to follow-up on her live performance on national BBC Two TV programme ‘Later… With Jools Holland’ from a few months ago.

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WWE WrestleMania 37 Weekend Special: Peter Gabriel – “Big Time”

April 10, 2021 — 1 Comment

If the Big Ben clock tower fell on your head, it would hurt. Big Time. New post time!

Pictured: Cover Artwork for “So” (Album/LP) (Released on 19th May, 1986) (via Charisma Records)

Good Morning to you – I’m Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Another year in lockdown has past – and so WrestleMania is “Back In Business” as their marketing tagline tells us. A two-night extravaganza of the ONE TRUE sport gives me perfect reasoning for a two-night spread of wrestling-themed posts on the blog for your entertainment and leisure, and so we start off with WOMAD’s Peter Gabriel with ‘Big Time’ – taken off his fifth album ‘So’ – released in 1986. The track was used as the theme song and marketing slogan of WrestleMania 22 in 2006, which saw John Cena defeat Triple H to win the WWE Championship in the main event. Elsewhere on the card, Rey Mysterio went over Randy Orton and Kurt Angle in a Triple Threat match to begin his first WWE World Heavyweight title run following the tragic death of Eddie Guerrero. The classic Hardcore match which saw Edge famously beat Mick Foley took place, The Boogeyman was booked to go over Booker T & Sharmell in Handicap action, and The Undertaker beat Mark Henry in a Casket Match to keep his then-Streak going. ‘Big Time’ was Gabriel’s second top-ten single on the US Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #8, and it reached #13 on the UK Singles Chart. Let’s revisit the official music video below.

This year’s WrestleMania is the 37th annual incarnation of the PPV event, and it takes place at the same site where it was supposed to be held last year before the COVID-19 pandemic tore those plans in half – and that venue is the Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Florida. As a result, this is the first time that any WWE programming for the last year will be taking place with a paying live audience in attendance, although to a limited capacity of around 25,000 fans. Tonight will see Sasha Banks defend her WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship against this year’s Women’s Royal Rumble winner Bianca Belair in the headline spot. Bobby Lashley (c) vs. Drew McIntyre for the WWE Championship is also scheduled to happen tonight, along with celebrity Latin hip-hop star Bad Bunny finally putting some in-ring training to good use by battling The Miz & John Morrison with Damien Priest as his partner. Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro, and a Women’s Tag Team Turmoil match to earn a shot at the WWE Women’s Tag Team titles on night two makes up the undercard. Back to the matter at hand – ‘Big Time’ was an Art-Pop crossover success that told a narrative about a man from a small town with big dreams of achieving fame, and he grows to become larger-than-life. Paired with percussive bass guitar sounds and Funk-inspired rhythm guitar licks, Gabriel croons lines like “I’ve been stretching my mouth/To let those big words come right out” and “I’ll be a big noise with all the big boys” that form a satirical study on the basic human urge of success. It grows deeper on the chorus contextually, where lines like “I’m on my way, I’m making it” and “So much larger than life, I’m going to watch it growing” are paired with a triumphant female backing vocal and some off-kilter Organ segments. As the track progresses, the theme grows more mildly psychotic, as Gabriel’s voice becomes more highly processed and the groovy bassline gets more frantic, with drum beats that get slightly more rough-edged. This can be read as a social commentary of the economic consumerist boom enjoyed by those who had not been affected detrimentally by the policies of Margaret Thatcher, with a self-referential style of songwriting that gives lines like “When I show them to my house, to my bed/I had it made like a mountain range/With a snow-white pillow for my big fat had” an irreverent sense of humor. Overall, I rather quite like this. Groovy and full of instrumentally boastful attitude, it manages to sound mainstream enough without losing it’s artistic concepts. A ‘Big Time’ 80’s treat for those Synth-loving ears.

Pictured: Peter Gabriel performing in 1996 (Photo by Ebet Roberts/Redferns/RollingStone.com)

That’s all for today – but don’t forget to set a reminder on your phone to tell you that I’ve got more pro wrestling-themed content on the way to your eyes and ears tomorrow, for the second entry in this year’s two-night spread of new posts inspired by the ‘Showcase Of The Immortals’ that is WWE’s WrestleMania. 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: Damon Albarn (feat. Afel Bocoum, Toumani Diabaté & Malian Musicians) – “Sunset Coming On” (2002)

April 3, 2021 — Leave a comment

As the dawn continues to roll along – I grow tired and weary. Yet – it’s new post time!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Mali Music” (LP) (Released on April 15th, 2002) (via EMI/Honest John’s)

Good Afternoon to you – this is your resident crate-digger and playlist sifter Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! It’s Easter Saturday today – even if that isn’t really a thing. So, to keep things fresh over the Bank Holiday weekend, here’s something a bit different to my typical Alternative/Indie output and something that you may not have heard before. ‘World Music’ – a controversial label – isn’t really something that British folk like me are exposed to all that often. Yet, this is an area that our national treasure Damon Albarn – the Post-Blur and Pre-Gorillaz frontman at the time – once attempted to crack back in 2002. ‘Mali Music’ was released in 2002, through UK indie label Honest Jon’s, a worldbeat album that saw Albarn collaborate with local Malian musicians like Afel Bocoum, Ko Kan Ko Sata and Bjork collaborator Toumani Diabate, who were most often credited as such. This experiment of fusing Albarn’s Western musical background with satisfying African instrumentation was a measured success. It has a cult following, but it received mixed reviews from critics upon release. The ‘World Music’ genre was mostly being dominated by the WOMAD organization to decent effect at the time, and there were concerns about whether Albarn was trying to form a monopolization on the music from the less developed nation of Mali. However, for him, it was a creative venture which allowed him to use his mainstream following to expose UK audiences to a style of music that usually goes unnoticed in the way of industry-driven commercialism in British Pop and Rock. To promote the record, he appeared on ‘Later… with Jools Holland’ to perform the (considered) lead single from the album – entitled ‘Sunset Coming On’. Check it out on YouTube below.

Co-produced by Simon Burwell, ‘Mali Music’ was another hugely collaborative enterprise for Albarn, who is also the lead of The Good, The Bad & The Queen supergroup, a theatre composer and a published author. He’s also a king. BBC News reported that, in 2016, Albarn was christened as an honorary local king of Mali for his continued travels to Mali since 2002 and his involvement in the African country’s music culture. Burwell also once said in an interview with Sound On Sound that ‘Sunset Coming On’ was mostly written about Albarn’s true feelings about Mali, and so they thought it was appropriate to make the record, and it was not left on the cutting room floor. That makes for a logical choice, since I feel that ‘Sunset Coming On’ is decently accessible for an English or an American listener to connect with immediately for it’s conventional songwriting structure. Built from the use of a Kora for the backing track, where the one verse with calming lyrics like “Feel the warmth of the sun on my face/Tell my face where I’ve been going wrong” and “Waking up, it’s been too long/This road goes on and on” conveys a laidback and easy-going mood, while perhaps reflecting on the memories that Albarn created while visiting Mali. He later goes into a freestyle on the Jools Holland performance, as a melodic motif of the steel pans and the groovy licks of the guitar beats turns the slightly mournful, vaguely personal ballad into a more ethnological, rhythm-driven piece. While the African inclusions feel a little hemmed-in at points and it may not really sound particularly African, it still is a definite highlight. The music simply sounds like it’s coming from the sincerity of the heart, and the nearly Hypnotic sounds do an appealing job of drawing you into it’s Malian setting, as the simple-but-effective coat of polish manages to make the overall vibe feel quite subdued and based on a vibrant spectacle. In isolation, it can draw you in to the ultra-hot and idyllic landscape of the African night. It isn’t perfect, but it makes for a lovely listen. It’s also a reminder of the gems that lie in Albarn’s inconsistent, but always daring and distinctly collaborative, gems seen in his discography. A superb nugget from our host’s extensive back catalog.

Pictured: Damon Albarn being declared as the “local king”of Mali (in 2012) (Photo via BBC News)

Thank you for reading your latest post – The time is always appreciated! There’s no Scuzz Sundays post tomorrow, as I will instead be guiding you through some loosely seasonal Easter-themed posts as we properly approach that time of the year. The two-day spread will kick off with a retro track from a Country mega-star who is also an actress, an author, an entrepreneur, and a humanitarian who may lead you to believe that she made her baby steps into pop culture with a ‘9 To 5’ job – What a way to make a living. 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/

New Album Release Friday: Serpentwithfeet – “Fellowship”

March 26, 2021 — Leave a comment

A true friend is one who remembers your birthday – and not your age. New post time.

Pictured: Cover Art for “DEACON” (LP) (Released on March 26, 2021) (via Secretly Canadian)

Good Morning! I’m Jacob Braybrooke – and it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, as per usual, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! It looks like plenty of artists are looking to capitalise on the new Spring-time weather, because there are loads of new releases out there today. Emerging Galway 4-piece NewDad have released their debut EP – and new full-length offerings from the likes of BRIT Awards darling Ben Howard, rising Israeli genre-blurrer Noga Erez, intimate Canadian indie folk singer Tate McRae, Northern Irish Electronic composer Hannah Peel, US Experimental cult favourites Xiu Xiu, intriguing ‘Cinematic Soul’ collective El Michels Affair, and more. However, I’ve been quickly getting excited about ‘DEACON’, the new record from the Balitmore-raised Experimental Soul artist Josiah Wise – aka Serpentwithfeet. I am a big fan of ‘Fellowship’ – the lead single, which I’ve been playing on my own radio show, because it makes me feel fuzzy and wholesome inside. The new LP follows 2018’s debut LP ‘Soil’, but he’s also known for the ‘Blisters’ EP from 2016, and the ‘Apparition’ EP that he put out last year. This album has been getting some very kind reviews, and so I’m really looking forward to starting to stick my teeth into it when I have a moment to. It was also co-produced by Sampha and Lil Silva, who sing the backing vocals on ‘Fellowship’, and so you’ve got three particularly talented creatives working on this. A loving ode to the bonds in that friendship provides – Check out the lead single below.

Much of the inspiration for Serpentwithfeet’s new album came from his R&B roots in black Churches, and speaking on the creative direction for the new LP collection, he wrote: “I wanted to create something that felt calm and restrained.”, he continued, “This was my way of tapping into the energy many deacons possess”, in a press release for the material. He is, of course, referring to the role of ‘Deacon’ within the ministry of Christian office for the album’s title. Starting off with a subtle Afrobeat backing beat made up of ethereal percussion and warm synth tones, Wise croons lines like “Our breezy Sunday afternoons, Christmas films in July with you” and “Our fascination with Prosecco, The silly face you make when I say Hello” to lyrically play on the dialect that we have with our companions, and the quirks that make our bonds feel strong and personal to ourselves. The songwriting gets a little more reflective later on, with nice lines like “This is the blessing of my 30’s, I’m spending less time worrying and more time recounting the love” that talk carefully about maturity and progressing through the cycles of our lives. The chorus is very lush too, with Wise singing “I’m thankful for the love I share with my friends” in unison with Sampha and Lil Silva – as lushly composed Sitar work and tinny, cute steel pan beats aid the scene. Overall, I can really get behind the message of the track – which is about realizing that you may still be in the ‘good times’ rather than having a need to reminisce about them. Paired with some warm Gospel influences and energetic psychedelia, it makes for a pretty absorbing experience, where the meanings are straightforward and the chords do not truly progress a great deal, but remain fresh from the start to the finish because it feels powerful and intimate. Overall, this is the literal definition of “lovely”.

Pictured: Josiah Wise (aka Serpentwithfeet) in a photoshoot for “Soil” (2018) (via PitchPerfectPR.com)

We’ve reached the end of another daily musical diary entry! Scuzz Sundays returns in two days time, like it always does, but, in the meantime, we’ve got another 24 hours worth of text to bust through tomorrow first. In that case, I would like to introduce you to another one of my recent favourites – with a track coming from an Australian-based, but originally Ghanian, fresh new Hip-Hop producer who has just released his debut album on his own independent OURNESS label to positive word of mouth earlier in the month. He is also the brother of the two-time ARIA-nominated Canberra rapper Citizen Kay. 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/

New Album Release Friday: Nubiyan Twist (feat. Soweto Kinch & Nick Richards) – “Buckle Up”

March 12, 2021 — Leave a comment

You may stop to ask, how many people does it take to make one song. New post time!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Freedom Fables” (Released on March 12th, 2021) (via Strut Records)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and, you guessed it, it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, since it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Here we are again. New release day. This week’s offerings include a new solo LP from Cypress Hill’s DJ Muggs The Black Goat, a live album from North London’s Sorry and the return of German indie pop duo Haerts – who have had their music featured in numerous film & TV productions like ‘Carrie’, ’13 Reasons Why’ and ‘Love, Simon’. Tom Grennan is paving the way for the mainstream crowd, and Grouplove are back with a surprise new album. However, the record that’s earned the spotlight from me for this week comes from Nubiyan Twist. Born out of Leeds and currently based in London, they are a 10-piece Afro-Jazz collective comprised of a 4-piece Horn section, two vocalists and an electronics rhythms section. Orchestrated by guitarist/producer Tom Excell, the band have released their second album, ‘Freedom Fables’, today via Strut Records. The guest list includes CHERISE, KOG, Ria Moran and more – each of which “explores their own memoirs, a freedom of expression underpinning our belief that music is the ultimate narrative for unity” on the record. The group have seen rotational airplay from BBC Radio 6Music in recent weeks, among frequent performances on Jamie Cullum’s show on BBC Radio 2, with an appearance on ‘Later… With Jools Holland’ set to follow this month. So – let’s hit the gas pedal (Ya get it?…) on ‘Buckle Up’ below.

‘Buckle Up’ sees the London-based collective enlisting the help of saxophonist Soweto Kinch for a melodic solo, and a further call for help from vocalist Nick Richards, who sings about the mundanity of an unfulfilling life cycle. With Latin Jazz, Afrobeat and Trip-Hop callbacks, the single was an effective teaser for a record where “You can hear touches of broken beat, blunted hip hop, highlife, Latin, jazz and UK Soul running through the tracks” according to Tom Excell in a press statement for the album’s announcement. Although seeing a few Covid-related delays along the way, it’s here in the end. Predominantly, I feel that ‘Buckle Up’ references the sounds that the ensemble grew up becoming attached to, with a vintage tinge of Roy Hargrove-esque Brass melodies and undulating Organ polyrhythms blending with the more modern production allocated by the synth-inflected backing of the grooves and the bright horn lines which permeate the mostly Soulful qualities of the sound. The vocal section of “Sometimes I lean back in my chair, look up at the sky, Past these clouds and stars/To find new perspectives to loosen up my life” pads out the first half, while the second portion of the track goes for a more Hip Hop-inflicted beat. A speedy vocal delivery from Richards lowers the melodicism a tad, and the chorus allows the splashings of Trumpet melodies to shine with a more summery, energising mood, with vocal lines like “A journey to find a sense of peace and not desire” and “If I could catch a glimpse, Maybe this time find a door to the peace of my mind” feel much more self-reflective and self-developed. The Latin Jazz style feels at ease with the more melodic Hip-Hop influences though, with a little Dubplate and Reggae bursting through the Spoken Word outro. Overall, while the results are not a groundbreaking record, they are deeply satisfying and quite likeable. It feels relaxed, although not too restrained, and it feels nicely accessible – I’m glad that I could come along for the ride.

Pictured: Tom Excell (Lead Vocals/Producer), Nick Richards (Saxophone), Pilo Adami (Percussion), Oli Cadman (Keyboard), Denis Scully (Baritone Saxophone), Joe Henwood (Drum Machine), Finn Booth (Bass Guitar), Luke Wynter (Synths) and Jonny Enser (Horns/Woodwinds) (in 2021) (Photo via PR)

Thank you for reading my latest blog post! I’ll be rather busy making the trip back to my university term-time accommodation tomorrow, and so my entry tomorrow will probably be a little shorter and sweeter than usual. I can’t let the team down though, so I will be back with an in-depth look at the final track in my pre-Christmas backlog, at last. Tomorrow’s band emerged from a promising wave of early-2010’s British Hardcore Punk groups, with the line-up being a 5-piece super-group of musicians from bands like Arms Race, Vile Spirit and Gutter Knife. 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: Noga Erez – “End Of The Road”

March 2, 2021 — Leave a comment

A potential landmark in the journey of an emerging singer-songwriter. New post time!

Pictured: Cover Art for “KIDS” (LP) (Released on March 26th, 2021) (via City Slang Records)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time once again for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of new music every day! A fresh talent born in Isreal, Noga Erez is an eclectic singer, songwriter and producer based in Tel-Aviv who has established a solid creative relationship with her partner, Ori Rousso. We previously covered her Lockdown single, “NO News On TV” a long while ago on the blog, and I liked what I heard back then. The chances are that, even if you may not know who Erez is, you may have heard her music anyway. That’s because her single, “Dance While You Shoot”, was used in a TV advertising campaign for Apple Music following it’s release in 2017. That year, she also released her debut album, “Off The Radar”, to a good critical reception. Four years later, and it’s time for the follow-up. Her sophomore LP, “Kids”, is set to release at the end of the month, on March 26th, via City Slang Records. The announcement was paired with the release of a new single, “End Of The Road”, which reflects on human mortality in the face of a rugged, stylish hip-hop beat and some comically meaningful commentary on modern life. The new LP features collaborations with Blimes and Reo Cragun, and previous singles such as “NO News on TV”. Let’s see her perform her latest track for Succulent Sessions below.

Noga Erez describes her upcoming long-player release as “These are songs about what we inherit from past generations, how we pass things on. How this game of evolution of our culture and humanity is very much in our hands. We were all somewhat at a blank page at some point”, before concluding that, “KIDS talks about humanity’s potential for both beauty and destruction”, in her press release – and now completed with a full backing band, it’s shaping up to be one of her most polished offerings yet. The music influences on “End Of The Road” feel as diverse as they come, with shades of Gorillaz, Fiona Apple and M.I.A. being thrown in a Jazz-oriented production package, and a little bit of Billie Eilish tossed in with the darker pop melodies too. Another striking touch in this single is the Hip-Hop stylings, with Erez rapping lines like “I got celings but I burn in the sun, Never miss one shot, I’m sick as a gun, I got mortal friends, I’m dead as they come” and “Right hand, chop it/Like a pickpocket, You had the mic, Now you can’t drop it” at a quick pace where they can be challenging to keep up with – over the top of a muted backing track with a Jazz-inflicted sheen. The chorus builds on these quiet hip-hop deliveries with a wider scope, as the words and the images work in tandem to craft a more aggressive and fiery character. She sings, “I don’t know what really, really happens at the end of the road” with a sharp edge, as the driving Power-Pop structure and the half-spoken vocals of the hook really drills it’s way into your ears, singing “But, my trip is mad, I ain’t finished, I got loads” to imply that despite having no answers to the reasons for living, we enjoy the growth of our experiences regardless. The third verse plays out as an unbridled torrent of wordplay, with an almost Pseudo-Scat delivery working up a sweat over the top of more playful Alt-Pop instrumentation. Bizarre to a certain extent and eclectic down a tee, it’s a solid single that manages to really show off Erez’s skills of incorporating an edgy personality into her lyricism, and it’s another signifier that superstardom may possibly be on the way for her with it’s wider appeal to audiences.

Pictured: Noga Erez performing an “Off The Radar” session (2017) (Photo by Greg Barnes/RedBull.com)

As I just mentioned beforehand, we previously took an in-depth look at Noga Erez’s Lockdown-themed 2020 anthem, “NO News On TV”, on the blog. With lyrics that anybody could very easily relate to, check it out and see what you make of it here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/09/19/todays-track-noga-erez-no-news-on-tv/

Pictured: Cover Art for “NO News On TV” (Single) (Released on June 23rd, 2020) (via City Slang Records)

That’s the End Of The Road for my music reviews today – I’ve got work to be getting on with, after all. I can’t believe it’s already been a whole week since we cast our mind back to the late-1980’s Jason Donovan last week, but it’s time for another “Way Back Wednesdays” post tomorrow. This week’s pick is different to what’s come before, as we’re going to pay tribute to a Rock-and-Roll Hall Of Fame-inducted US doo-wop vocal group from the mid-to-late 1950’s, as we remind ourselves of their 1959 cover version of “I Only Have Eyes For You” on the blog tomorrow. 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: Orbital – “The Naked and The Dead”

February 17, 2021 — Leave a comment

On gut reaction, I’d rather be in the former situation than the latter. Let’s go Way Back!

Pictured: Cover Art for “Radiccio” (EP) (UK Release) (Released in 1992) (via FFRR Records)

Good Morning 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, because it is routinely my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! I’m pretty suprised that I’ve not covered any of Orbital’s work on the blog before, since the Kentish DJ brother duo of Phil & Paul Hartnoll are very much within my alley of 90’s electronic dance music releases. Yet, here we are – and it’s taken our weekly archive dig to get me there. A lost cut from the “Halycon” EP, which was released in the UK as the “Radiccio” EP here for us in the UK, and in Japan too, “The Naked And The Dead” is one of those deep dives Orbital tunes that time forgot, as is naturally the case with these projects. This EP barely managed to crack the Top 40 of the UK Singles Chart, but “Halycon” is still one of the better known tunes from the Hartnoll brothers, especially in the mainstream, and Orbital remains to be one of the most critically acclaimed groups from the 90’s peak of IDM and Acid Techno music. Known for their improvisational style in live DJ set performances, and the photographs of atomised Orbitals on their cover sleeves, Orbital took their name from the M25 orbital motorway of Greater London, which was central to the early rave scene in the South East during the early days of Acid House music. Let’s check out their deep dive below.

Orbital were mainly active between the very late-80’s and 2004, but they have reunited twice in the 2010’s since, with new albums each time to boot. According to the Hartnoll brothers, this old tune represents: “Consumer goods are tending to lose all use-value. Their nature is to be consumable at all costs”, elaborating on this,”Which is to say: Non-values or empty, fictitious, abstract values, you are no longer as old as you feel, or as new as you look, but as old as what you buy” in the original archives of the EP’s press notes. Touching on consumerist values and adapting lifestyles to fit social stereotypes as contextual themes, “The Naked and The Dead” gives me a somewhat dystopian vibe, because it’s simply one of the heavier releases that I’ve ever heard to come from the creative minds of the two Hartnoll brothers. Struck by an unrelenting Jungle influence, the drum beats sound tribal and the bassline hits a fast tempo. The vocals are a sample taken from Scott Walker’s version of the track “Next”, which, in turn, is a cover version of an old pop tune originally sung by Jacques Brel. The inspiration behind the “Halcyon” EP also revolved around Hartnoll’s mother’s addiction to the drug Triazolam for many years, which is obviously known as Halcion otherwise. This darker variation of tones, especially compared to past Orbital hits like “Chime” and “The Mobius”, feels reflective of that matter. The repeating hook is sporadically layered under a polished Drum sequence, while the Synths give off a viably more strobe lighting-like effect that was a good fit for late-night festival sets. While retaining it’s dance-oriented roots, the layering of the synths and the drums is quite merticulous, with the ethnological drum beats and the trickling Synth sequences replacing old Drill ‘N’ Bass production with the West African-influenced percussion. After the sweat dries, the track likes to keep itself afloat by repeating the opening sequences and incorporating the Scott Walker sample to add a slightly soulful quality. It would ware a bit thin by the end of the long 12 minute remix also found on the EP, but it works for the short version. It wouldn’t be classed as one of their greatest hits, but it’s worth a tad more recognition than it gets.

Pictured: Phil Hartnoll (DJ/Producer) and Paul Hartnoll (Synths/Drums) (2017) (via Channel 4 News)

And… we’re back in the present! Join me tomorrow, where I’ll be contrasting these ancient throwbacks with some brand new music that I’ve recently discovered through the Bandcamp app. Join me again then – for an in-depth look at a single from the sophomore album to come from a Danish indie Post-Punk Revival band, who have just released the new LP on Fat Possum Records. Boasting a decade of experience, the 21-year-old frontman has previously been a part of his local indie rock band Cola Freaks, and has ran two indie music labels under his wing – Shordwood and 100 Records. 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: Pa Salieu (feat. Mahalia) – “Energy”

February 8, 2021 — Leave a comment

Coventry Market – Although I’m not complaining, it could be draining. New post time!

Pictured: Pa Salieu and Mahalia in a recent PR shoot (in 2020) (Photo Credit: Warner Bros Records UK)

Good Morning to you! I am Jacob Braybrooke, and, as per usual, it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! A 23-year-old British-Gambian rapper from Coventry, Pa Salieu was born in to a life where he was surrounded by other musicians and performers, with his Auntie being a Folk singer-songwriter from Gambia. After spending his early life growing up in Slough, Salieu landed the most played track on BBC Radio 1Xtra of 2020 in his debut single, “Frontline”, which he released in January of last year. Since then, he has released his first full-length record (Which he calls a Mixtape, rather than a traditional Album release) titled “Send Them To Coventry”, which earned him tremendous acclaim. It received a Metacritic review aggregate score of 90, as critics cited his experimentation with genres like Dancehall and Afrobeat, within a diverse Grime and Afro-Swing hip-hop template, which critics felt reflected the sonic fluidity of “Black Music” genres in the past and present. After collaborating on tracks with FKA Twigs and SL, Salieu enlisted the help of artists including Ni Santora, Stizee, Kwes Darko and Felix Joseph. The most notable of which is probably “Energy”, in which the Jamaican-British singer and actress Mahalia assists Salieu, on the closing number of the 15-track project. Let’s give this one a shot below.

The music video for “Energy” was directed by Femi Ladi, and in an interview with NME before the release of his mixtape last November, Pa Salieu spoke of his aspirations for the times ahead, explaining: “I’m not coming from a good life. But my music will have very big meaning… I see a better life for me and my family now. I can see that life can change now, I don’t feel so trapped. I can see the view over the horizon”, in reaction to the new-found acclaim signifying a fresh start for his personal and creative life. This sense of peace comes across in “Energy”, where Salieu raps lines like “Crown on my head, I was born shining” and “They put us in the dirt so we keep dying, I’ve died a hundred times and I keep fighting” over the top of a looping instrumental where the 80’s soft-rock synths are mellow, and these lyrical notes of elevation and self-worth are padded out with a rumbling Bass backing and a straightforward Bedroom Pop production. Light elements of Afrobeat flesh out the soundscape with limbering drum beats and sparsely placed guitar licks that evoke a little Funk-Rock. The tones of the instrumentation fit nicely with Salieu’s reminders to “Protect your energy”, in an ode to broadly well-meaning positivity and self-belief. The hook of “They just want your fall ’cause of jealousy” cements these messages of motivation, and the guest spot with Mahalia adds a soulful touch to proceedings. Although brief, it adds a female dynamic to the track that gives it more optimism. It’s usually more difficult for me to connect truly with artists who have been hyped up to the hills by the media like Pa Salieu seems to be, but overall, I think this is a solid performance. Although I think there’s a slight over-reliance on the auto-tune effects here for me, the sound palette has a great range and the lyrics are easy to relate with. It also feels like a good direction for Pa Salieu going forward, as the non-violent and melodic nature of the instrumental beats work nicely to convey the tone. I also like that when you take a look at his guest list, it’s wonderfully inclusive. An exciting artist.

Pictured: Cover Art for “Take Them To Coventry” (Released on November 13, 2020) (via Warner Records)

Well – That’s all I have for you to read today! My daily diary continues tomorrow as you would expect – where you can join me for an in-depth listen to a single from another very exciting emerging talent who I’ve heard about before, but I’ve only recently discovered for myself. She blew me away with her recent performance for KEXP’s Live At Home sessions, and this Colombian electronic music producer loves to describe her own sound as “Bright Music For Dark Times”, the direction of her debut solo LP, which she released last October from the well-known Domino Recordings label. 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/