BURN THE LOUVRE – Album Review: “Silhouettes”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews9 Comments

Burn The Louvre are a Canadian indie rock duo based in Hamilton, Ontario, and consisting of Jordan Speare (vocals, guitar, ukulele, drums & percussion) and Sean Cooper (guitar/vocals). I first featured them on this blog this past April, when I included one of their songs “Driving in the Rain” in a Fresh New Tracks post. I provided some background about how the act began as a duo consisting of Jordan and his brother Dylan, and released two EPs in 2014 and 2017, But by 2018, Burn the Louvre became Jordan’s solo project, at which time he began work on a full-length album Silhouettes with the help of his friend Andrew Billone, of indie rock band Silvertone Hills, on lead guitar and bass. The album was recorded, mixed & mastered by engineer/producer Mickey Ellsworth, who also played synthesizers and additional percussion, and sang backing vocals.

Rather serendipitously, after he and Mickey finished recording Silhouettes in late 2018, Jordan received an email from guitarist Sean Cooper, in response to an old “musicians wanted” ad he’d forgotten to take down. The two immediately hit it off, and began jamming together on the already-recorded songs. Jordan recalls “The way he was able to come up with his own unique leads to songs that were already recorded, giving them different nuances while maintaining the vibe of each song…I mean, I don’t think we’ve ever had a bad practice. I felt this was a perfect opportunity to re-imagine Burn The Louvre as a duo and I am very happy he wanted to be a part of this.”

Photo of Jordan and Sean by iamnenkan

In early 2022, they decided to finally release Silhouettes, initially as 11 separate singles at the rate of one song per month over a period of 11 months, beginning in January with “Wish We Were”. They ended with “Honolulu”, which dropped simultaneously with the full album on November 29th. The songs, all of which were written by Jordan, explore the emotional minefield of young romantic love and relationships with extensive, relatable lyrics, delivered in his laid-back conversational singing style, and accompanied by catchy melodies and fine guitar work. Burn the Louvre’s music style is hard to classify, but can best be described as a pleasing and eclectic blend of punk, pop, rock’n’roll, singer-songwriter and folk.

The title track “Silhouettes” is one of more melodically interesting, starting off with an energetically-strummed folk guitar that’s soon joined by a tasty bass groove. The song seems to end at around 1:46 minutes, then starts up again and continues for 30 seconds until it seems to end yet again, only to start back up at a slightly slower pace. Jordan has an interesting sing-song vocal style, with an offbeat sensual drawl that’s quite endearing. Here he emphatically croons the lyrics about a doomed love affair: “Silhouettes in the yellow moon. Fell a little too hard and they split in two. Raw, a little out of tune. Beautiful and broken, but try not to swoon. Oh you…was disinterested until I heard her say ‘So nice to finally meet you’. Autumn eyes and sweet perfume. My heart might’ve skipped just a beat or two. That little black dress and those ruby shoes. Okay…was all that I could say. I sense there’s heartache on the way.“

On “Wish We Were“, Jordan wistfully sings of a simpler, more innocent time when he was younger and things didn’t seem so heavy and problematic: “Well sometimes, I wish that we were younger. Turn nineteen in the early summer, with nothing but blue skies and moonshine spilling outside on a Wednesday night. Alone in the dark, such a beautiful sight. If only sometimes. But if we’d met before. Would you still be knocking on my door if you lived down the street? Would you just want to be friends with me? I’m wishing I could have the time back that I borrowed. Yesterdays are overrated, show me the tomorrows.” I love the song’s upbeat bouncy groove and jangly guitars.

On the lovely ballad “Driving In The Rain”, Jordan sings of driving through a rainstorm to see his girlfriend, with whom he has a troubled relationship: “I’m 15 minutes out, the sky is darker than her hair. And all Beck’s “Modern Guilt” has got me way too self-aware. The weather’s getting worse, man it’s really coming down. It’s just the second verse, but I think I’m gunna drown. Conventional conversation is ringing in my ears. I want to kiss her in the rain, so I can’t see the tears.” And “Lost With You” has a retro early 60s “malt shop” vibe, with a fun rockabilly quality in the guitars.

One of my favorites is “Nice Guy“, a lively post-punk rocker that has Jordan lamenting about how his good manners seem to go unappreciated by a girl he likes: “Really think that you don’t like me. Well, I’m sorry if I’m just too polite. Really wish that I could be an asshole. Blame my Mum, she’s the one who raised me right. But I’m sick of being the nice guy. I’ll give you my coat when it’s cold outside. Yeah, I’m so sick of always being the nice guy. It’s a phase I still haven’t got over, I’ll try, yeah I’ll try.”

His clever songwriting is strongly evident on “Easy“, a song about how love and relationships could be easy and stress-free, but we often have a way of over-complicating things: “Well, it could all just be so easy. Uncomplicated, apparent, simple too. It could all just be so easy. I’m so easy, yeah but so are you. Open my mouth, make a fool of myself. Could almost hear her falling back in love with someone else. You’re my last cigarette, it’s too bad for my health. Your love is cancerous and I’m just trying to kill myself.” The jangly and shimmery guitar work is terrific, accompanied by nice bass groove and subtle keyboards and percussion.

“Dumb” is a rousing rock’n’roll gem, with twangy guitars and a catchy, toe-tapping beat. The tongue-in-cheek lyrics speak of wishing his ex-girlfriend ill: “I’d rather see you under the sea than see those big green eyes staring back at me. I’ll give your best to your new boyfriend, and let him know that he won’t ever see your face again“, but then admitting his threats were meant in jest: “I’d never hurt you, honestly. I’d never hurt you purposely, You’re lucky I’m not as dumb as I thought I was.” And on the sweet jangle pop song “Hey Stacey“, he sings of how he loves and misses her: “Hey Stacey, is there something wrong? You know I’d do my very best to make it right. I really thought that you might like this song. It’s kinda dumb, but it’s the best I’ve got tonight./ Trying so hard not to blow it. But has anybody ever told you you’re beautiful, but you don’t even know it?“

“Alison” is another sweet tune, this time with a bit of a doo wop vibe and featuring added vocals by Stephanie Deshane. The poignant lyrics speak of two wounded souls, seeking a bit of love and solace in each other’s arms, even if only for a night: “And Alison, you know I’ve been struggling trying to put my life together. She laughs and says, ‘mine’s not much better’. But Alison, I want to thank you for listening. Now, she’s not likely to stay, but I know I won’t soon forget her.”

The final track “Honolulu” is a deeply personal one for Jordan. He explains: “‘Honolulu” is a song I wrote for my first girlfriend Gillian for her birthday. We’d always joked about running away to Honolulu one day, so I wrote this song about the idea of doing just that. To be honest, I really wasn’t the best boyfriend, but I did some things right and this song is definitely one of them. After opening the album with ‘Silhouettes’, which is a song about the aftermath of our relationship from my perspective, I felt it was fitting to close the album with ‘Honolulu’, a song about when times were great.” Appropriately, the song opens with a Hawaiian ukulele riff, accompanied by subtle bass notes. Halfway into the track, the tempo ramps up to a jaunty, head-bopping groove, with a strummed guitar joining the ukulele and bass while Jordan croons “Well I can’t say, I’ve felt this way before. My heart is on fire, yeah. It’s not a holiday, this is a getaway. Gill, hop on the plane and we’ll leave right now for Honolulu… feels so far away.”

Silhouettes is an enjoyable album from start to finish, filled with charming songs dealing with the ins and outs of love in a lighthearted, realistic way. Jordan and Andrew’s guitar work is terrific throughout, and the songs are all expertly-crafted and engineered, giving the album an outstanding quality of sound. Nice work guys!

Connect with Burn the Louvre:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Stream their music on Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube

Purchase on Bandcamp

RUSTY SHIPP – Album Review: “Dark Side of the Ocean”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews16 Comments

One of the more uniquely interesting acts I’ve featured on this blog is Nashville rock band Rusty Shipp. The brain child of front man Russ T. Shipp (his actual birth name is Russell Thomas Shipp), Rusty Shipp is a self-described “Nautical Rock’n’Roll” band, with a sound influenced by, in their own words, “the melodic chord progressions of The Beatles, the surf guitar of Dick Dale, the grunge rock of Nirvana, and the heavy metal of Led Zeppelin“. As their name would suggest, their music is characterized by a dark, immersive sound, unforgettable melodies, electrifying guitar work, and Shipp’s vibrant tenor vocals. Like many a band, they’ve experienced numerous changes in lineup since forming in 2014, and now consist of the aforementioned Russ Shipp on guitar and vocals, AJ Newton on drums, Dave Gajda on lead guitar, and Doug Webster on bass.

Photo by Chad Fenner

Rusty Shipp released an EP Hold Fast to Hope in 2014, then followed in 2017 with their highly-acclaimed debut album Mortal Ghost. They dropped several singles throughout 2019, which culminated in the release that November of their phenomenal second album Liquid Exorcist, which I reviewed. In keeping with their nautical theme, the album is a concept work built around the subject of sea mine terrorism. This past January, starting with “Bottom of the Barrel”, they began releasing what would become a series of nine singles at the rate of one per month. All of those songs and more are featured on their latest album Dark Side of the Ocean, which dropped October 28th.

An ambitious work, Dark Side of the Ocean (its official title is Cosmic Innuendo, Vol 1: Dark Side of the Ocean), is another nautically-themed concept album, this time exploring the balance between dark and light, descent and ascent, and men and angels. About the album, Shipp explains: “While it was written and recorded during the pandemic, instead of following the natural response of the world to react to the crisis with fear by retreating into our comfortable “Us and Them” sects and blaming “Them” as the problem and the bad guys, this album tried very hard (as challenging as it was at the time) to focus on the commonalities and good that still exist in all people and the hope that still exists for our world to bring us all together and get all our needs met.“

Shipp wrote the lyrics, co-wrote the music with band drummer Newton, and did the arrangements. The album was produced by Stephen Leiweke at Yackland Studio in Nashville, and mastered by Alex McCollough. The gorgeous artwork was created by Hein Zaayman.

With a few nods to Pink Floyd, including its title, the album is divided into two parts: The first half (consisting of 21 ½ minutes), called “DESCENT”, follows the descent of a drowned sailor, sinking past undiscovered creatures and mysteries to the bottom of the ocean, where his soul is intercepted by a group of sea angels and taken to their underwater kingdom. The 2nd half of the album (also 21 ½ minutes long) is called “ASCENT”, and explores this angelic kingdom, ruled by Poseidon, the king archangel of the ocean. After debating the danger involved, the angels decide to ascend and discover why men’s souls are sinking from the ocean’s surface with increased frequency, with feelings of duty to help these men in the world above the waves, which the angels ironically call “Heaven.” Read the full story here.

The album opens with the title track, a 33-second-long spoken word introductory piece accompanied by eerie underwater sounds and a building guitar riff, informing us that the ocean contains 99% of Earth’s living space, yet 80% of it has never been mapped, much less explored. We have better maps of the surface of the moon than of the ocean floor, and with scientists estimating that there are as many as 90% of ocean species still undiscovered, one has to wonder what else could be down there at the bottom of our planet…the dark side of the ocean.

Those grungy, jagged riffs are quickly joined by a torrent of aggressive drumbeats as we’re launched headlong into “Living Waters“. Shipp passionately sings of the life-giving power of water, despite the fact that it’s also taken the life of many a sailor: “Let the living waters flow and bring the world to life. Trickle down the darkest cracks that never get the light. Weaving in and out of every creature on the Earth. Pull us all into the harmony that we’re created for.”

This immediately segues into the 49-second-long interlude “What Blows Up (Must Come Down)“, a fantastic barrage of raging surf guitars. Like their previous album Liquid Exorcist, Dark Side of the Ocean contains several instrumental interludes that serve to connect the tracks and move the narrative forward. That interlude then becomes “Bottom of the Barrel“, a gnarly but melodic track sung from the perspective of the drowning sailor, whose soul is reborn into a magical undersea world: “Down at the bottom of the barrel. Still your love is bottomless. The weight of the world is crushing me to a pulp, but it brings my soul to the surface. If I make my bed in Mariana Trench, I’m welcomed to a city that’s lit. Bioluminescence.” The cool video was directed by Shipp’s wife Joy Soleil.

Though Rusty Shipp is not a Christian band per se, Shipp is up-front about his faith, as is evident in many of his lyrics. The 36-second-long track “The Bloop“, which serves as an introductory piece for “Tanninim“, a song about undiscovered sea monsters, includes spoken lines of scripture from Genesis, interspersed with Shipp’s own lyrics: “Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life. And God created great Tanninim and every living creature that moveth. Which the waters brought forth abundantly after their kind. And God saw that it was good, saying, ‘Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas’.” “Tanninim” has a wonderfully eerie vibe, highlighted by a bold reggae beat driven by Newton’s brilliant drumming, and accompanied by Shipp’s spooky vocals that sound like he’s singing while underwater.

On the hard-driving grungy rocker “What’s Kracken?“, Shipp uses the mythical sea monster Kracken as a metaphor for the truth in a divided political environment where what constitutes the truth is often elusive and up for debate: “A tentacle washed up on shore. The TV says there’s something more ‘Was it just a giant squid or evidence of Leviathan?’ Can anybody out there say ‘What’s Kraken?‘” 

One of the many things I love about this album is how every track sounds uniquely different, with a wide variety of music styles and genres represented. “Fish in the Sea” is in the style of a sea shanty, a traditional work song once commonly sung aboard large merchant sailing ships, while “Angel Aquarium” fuses ska with frantic guitar-driven rock. “DESCENT” ends with “Bioluminescence“, a brief hauntingly beautiful piano ballad reprising the chorus from “Bottom of the Barrel”.

Opening the “ASCENT” half of the album is “King of the Deep“, a funereal-sounding sea shanty that’s one of the most powerful tracks on the album, and also one of my favorites. With verses alternately sung by sailors, angels and Poseidon, the song seems to be an ode to Poseidon himself. I like how the vocals and instrumentals are presented differently for each: the sailors’ are delivered with deep, baritone vocals accompanied by pounding drumbeats and fuzz-coated gnarly guitars, while the angels sound…well, angelic, with Shipp’s near-falsetto front and center, accompanied by lovely synths and delicate guitar notes. And as Poseidon, Shipp’s vocals are more commanding, of course. The song ends in a dramatic chorus of all three entities singing in glorious harmony.

“Man Myth Legend” is a roiling punk rock gem fueled by marvelous psychedelia-tinged surf guitars. Man, this band knows how to rock! The lyrics speak to looking beyond our pre-conceived notions about people, keeping us locked in eternal conflict, and instead try to see them as humans not all that different from ourselves: “Tradition tries to demonize what we don’t understand. We need to see them through the love that covers all our skins. Until we’re dining in their homes, these men will be as good as myths and legends. They say the issue’s black and white, but aren’t we all just different shades of gray? If it makes us black and blue, then we’re going the wrong way. But we could bring in an age of peace, joining both our worlds into one. We could be the heroes that make a new end to the legend.“

Each of Rusty Shipp’s three albums includes a cover of a classic rock song by a famous band. Their first album Mortal Ghost featured the Beatles song “Helter Skelter”, Liquid Exorcist featured Audioslave’s “Show Me How to Live”, and now Dark Side of the Ocean includes Pink Floyd’s “Us and Them“, from their 1973 masterpiece Dark Side of the Moon. While honoring the song’s compelling melody, Rusty Shipp’s version shaves a little over four minutes off the original, and gives it a harder rock treatment, with a bold mix of jangly and gnarly guitars and more emphatic vocals. The lyrics speak to the stupidity of war: “Us and them. And after all we’re all just ordinary men. Me and you. God only knows, it’s not what we would choose to do. Forward he cried from the rear. And the front rank died. The general sat and the lines on the map moved side to side. Black and blue. And who knows which is which and who is who? Up and down. And in the end we’re spinning round ‘n round.“

The darkly beautiful instrumental interlude “Waking Braves” is a playful reimagining of their song “Breaking Waves” from Liquid Exorcist. This is followed by the grungy “Untouchable“, a terrific Nirvana-esque song about a soul with eternal life, free from earthly worries: “I am untouchable ‘cause nothing in this world can touch my soul. I am unconditionally loved, more than my heart could ever hold. I am a part of a plan where I am taken care of forever. I have eternal life, so tell me what is left to fear?” The grungy rock vibes continue on the raucous minute and a half long instrumental interlude “Up the Waterspout“.

The album closes with “The Other Side“, where so many of the elements that make Dark Side of the Ocean such a great album come together into a grand finale. The songs starts off as a slow acoustic ballad, then erupts into a celebratory feast of rousing surf guitars and frenetic ska grooves. The lyrics speak to what I think of as my own definition of Heaven, which is not some magical ‘perfect’ place in the clouds, but rather a sense of happiness and contentment that exists as a state of mind: “People always look for Heaven in the wrong places as if it’s just somewhere you go on retirement vacation. But a wise man once said that the Kingdom of Heaven is within; try looking there and let me know when you find it. We’re going on a search for the real Heaven. A Heaven we don’t have to wait for till our lives are through. We’re finding out the real meaning of salvation, and finding out it’s better than anything we thought we knew.”

I’m not sure what more I can say about Dark Side of the Ocean, other than to reiterate how marvelous it is. Not only are its concept and storyline brilliantly executed, it’s sounds damn good too! The musicians and sound engineers involved in the album’s recording and production did a masterful job, and the result is a work that’s flawlessly arranged and beautifully crafted on every level. Finally, a great deal of credit must go to Russ Shipp’s incredible vision, imagination and talents, both as a songwriter and vocalist.

Connect with Rusty Shipp: Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music: Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / deezer / YouTube
Purchase on Bandcamp 

Top 30 Songs for December 4-10, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's15 Comments

This is my first post in a week, as I’ve lost all enthusiasm or motivation for writing music reviews. But I can’t not post my Weekly Top 30. The beautiful poignant ballad “SNAP”, by Armenian singer-songwriter Rosa Linn (aka Roza Kostandyan), is my new #1 song. Rosa represented Armenia with the song at this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, finishing in 20th place. “SNAP” subsequently went viral on TikTok, reaching the top of the charts in Belgium, and the top ten in several European countries. In the U.S., the song also reached #1 on the Billboard Adult Alternative Airplay chart, where it recently spent seven weeks on top, but peaked at only #82 on the dismal Hot 100 chart.

“SNAP” was co-written by Rosa with Larzz Principato, Courtney Harrell, Allie Crystal and Tamar Kaprelian, with writing sessions taking place in both Los Angeles and Yerevan, Armenia. In an interview for Wiwibloggs, Rosa stated that the song is a personal story everyone can relate to: “I think we’ve all been at a snapping point, where it felt like there’s no way out and that the entire world is just crumbling down around you. You start questioning everything, including yourself. I have been there. And what I realized was that I had the strength to shape my reality – it just took getting out of my own way and finding inner-peace. It’s all about self-love and accepting that you are enough. Writing ‘SNAP’ was a form of therapy for me and I hope that it can be that for others who are also going through hard times.“

In other chart developments, “Crest of the Wave” by British band Foals, and “Tonight” by French alt-rock band Phoenix, with guest vocals by Vampire Weekend frontman Ezra Koenig, enter the top 10. Five songs make their debut this week: “EDGING” by Blink-182, entering my chart at #26. Though the song has spent the last five weeks and counting at #1 on the Billboard Alternative Airplay chart (Billboard has far too many charts, which to me dilutes the importance of most of them, but I digress…), it’s only now starting to grow on me, as I’ve never been much of a Blink-182 fan. The sweet “Then It All Goes Away” by Dayglow enters at #27; “Trouble With This Bed” by Beach Weather debuts at #28, giving them two songs on this chart; “Dance for Me” by Brooklyn singer-songwriter and blog favorite Sam Rappaport enters at #29; and “Disorder” by Welsh rock band Columbia enters at #30.

  1. SNAP – Rosa Linn (3)
  2. PARTY4ONE – dwi (1)
  3. SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (2)
  4. THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (6)
  5. SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (7)
  6. CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (4)
  7. BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (5)
  8. WHITE HORSES – Art Block (10)
  9. CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (11)
  10. TONIGHT – Phoenix featuring Ezra Koenig (14)
  11. I LIKE YOU (A HAPPIER SONG) – Post Malone & Doja Cat (12)
  12. WEIRD GOODBYES – The National featuring Bon Iver (13)
  13. UNHOLY – Sam Smith featuring Kim Petras (15)
  14. I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU – The 1975 (16)
  15. THIS IS WHY – Paramore (18)
  16. SISTERS – pMad (8)
  17. OFFCUTS – Mount Famine (17)
  18. SHADOWS IN THE DARK – The Star Crumbles (19)
  19. WET DREAM – Wet Leg (10)
  20. ANTI-HERO – Taylor Swift (22)
  21. SAIL AWAY – lovelytheband (23)
  22. OUT OF MY SYSTEM – Louis Tomlinson (25)
  23. LOVE DON’T LIVE HERE ANYORE – Crystal Cities (24)
  24. NIGHT BUS – Caitlin Lavagna (27)
  25. I.N.V.U. – Kid Kapichi (20)
  26. EDGING – Blink-182 (N)
  27. THEN IT ALL GOES AWAY – Dayglow (N)
  28. TROUBLE WITH THIS BED – Beach Weather (N)
  29. DANCE FOR ME – Sam Rappaport (N)
  30. DISORDER – Columbia (N)

DOM THOMAS – Single Review: “Everything I Own”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews13 Comments

I recently learned about Welsh singer-songwriter and musician Dom Thomas when he followed me on Instagram. A talented and busy guy, he works as a librarian at Cardiff University, is founder and editor of VAINE Magazine (a Welsh literary and arts magazine for emerging artists and writers), and a poet who’s had one of his works published. He’s been writing and recording songs for his forthcoming EP, and released his wonderful debut single “Everything I Own” on November 11th. I liked it the instant I heard it, so much so that I want to both share it with my readers and give Dom a bit of press.

A deeply personal song, Dom explained in an Instagram post how he came to write “Everything I Own”: “I wrote the song in July 2020, in the middle of the pandemic. I was staying at home with my mum at the time, and I remember having all of my stuff packed up in the middle of the bedroom. And I was there playing this guitar which a friend lent me a few years ago. I remember thinking about how all of my stuff in the world was in that room, and how one of the main things I had (the guitar) wasn’t even mine. I just started thinking about that strange feeling you have sometimes in your 20s when you’re kind of sifting for your purpose in life, and trying to find out who you are. So, this song was the first one I wrote for the EP, and it gave me this idea to write some songs that were really personal.”

For the recording of the track, Dom sang vocals and played acoustic and electric guitars, bass and keyboards, Alec Rees played drums, and Mike Winters played viola. Jordan Roberts and Mark Lowe produced the track, with additional arrangements by Toni Madrid and Jacob Davies, and Eddie Al Shakarchi handled the mixing and mastering. Together, they’ve created a really lovely and melodic song. Dom’s layered guitar work is sublime, nicely accompanied by Alec’s relaxed drumbeats. As the song progresses, the music expands with the addition of Dom’s bold piano keys and Mike’s stirring viola, Dom’s comforting vocals turning more emphatic and emotional as well. Though the song has a rather melancholy undercurrent, Dom’s lighthearted “doo doo doos” in the choruses add glimmers of optimism, giving the song an overall pleasing vibe.

The poignant lyrics speak to feelings of impermanence, sadness, and dreams unfulfilled, whether they be material, artistic or romantic. 

Everything I own
Feels like its borrowed
And I can’t give it back
My heart, my dreams, my love and my soul

Everything I feel
Feels a bit too real
And I can’t turn away
My heart, my dreams, my love and my soul

And these are the things that I’m searching for
But I, can’t get in the door

Everywhere I go,
it feels like I’m followed
And I can’t get away
My heart, my dreams, my love and my soul

And everything I touch,
Feels a bit too much
Like it’s turning to stone
My heart, my dreams, my love and my soul

And these are the things that I’m searching for
But I, can’t get in the door

Everything I know
Fills me with sorrow
And I can’t switch it off
My heart my dreams my love and my soul

And everything I do,
Makes me think of you
And I just can’t forget,
My heart, my dreams, my love and my soul

And these are the things that I’m searching for
But I, can’t get in the door

The endearing video, directed by Daniel Evans and filmed by Alex David, who also did the editing along with Dan Cuddihy, shows scenes of Dom playing his guitar and singing the song while walking through the streets of Cardiff and the surrounding countryside, alternating with scenes of him setting up and performing at a small auditorium.

Connect with Dom on Instagram

Stream “Everything I Own” on Spotify / Apple Music

Purchase on Bandcamp 

Top 30 Songs for November 27-December 3, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's7 Comments

It’s hard to believe another holiday season is upon us, and we’re approaching the end of 2022! There are no significant changes to this week’s Top 30. “Party4One” by Canadian artist dwi holds the #1 spot for a second week, while Beach Weather‘s “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” holds at #2 for a second week after spending three weeks at #1. Rosa Linn climbs two spots to #3 with her bittersweet “SNAP”, and the haunting “White Horses” by British artist Art Block enters the top 10 at #10.

Despite lots of new music still being released late in the year, I have no new songs debuting on my chart this week, as I dislike having too many songs crossing over from one year to the next. There will be lots of chart movement in the coming weeks.

  1. PARTY4ONE – dwi (1)
  2. SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (2)
  3. SNAP – Rosa Linn (5)
  4. CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (3)
  5. BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (4)
  6. THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (8)
  7. SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (9)
  8. SISTERS – pMad (7)
  9. WET DREAM – Wet Leg (6)
  10. WHITE HORSES – Art Block (11)
  11. CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (12)
  12. I LIKE YOU (A HAPPIER SONG) – Post Malone & Doja Cat (13)
  13. WEIRD GOODBYES – The National featuring Bon Iver (14)
  14. TONIGHT – Phoenix featuring Ezra Koenig (15)
  15. UNHOLY – Sam Smith featuring Kim Petras (16)
  16. I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU – The 1975 (17)
  17. OFFCUTS – Mount Famine (18)
  18. THIS IS WHY – Paramore (22)
  19. SHADOWS IN THE DARK – The Star Crumbles (20)
  20. I.N.V.U. – Kid Kapichi (19)
  21. THE ECHO – A.A. Williams (10)
  22. ANTI-HERO – Taylor Swift (27)
  23. SAIL AWAY – lovelytheband (26)
  24. LOVE DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE – Crystal Cities (28)
  25. OUT OF MY SYSTEM – Louis Tomlinson (29)
  26. NATURAL BORN KILLER – Highly Suspect (21)
  27. NIGHT BUS – Caitlin Lavagna (30)
  28. MY BABE – Spoon (23)
  29. BOY – The Killers (24)
  30. HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (25)

SKAR DE LINE – Single & Video Review: “No Eyes in Paradise”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews11 Comments

Skar de Line is the solo music project of singer-songwriter, producer and composer Oskar Abrahamsson, a thoughtful, charismatic and innovative artist born and raised in Sweden and now based in London, England. Fascinated by the concept of boundaries and the human obsession for self-understanding, he fuses his love for cinematic soundtracks by such composers as Hans Zimmer, Junkie XL and Ramin Djawadi with hip-hop, alternative rock and electronic metal to create dark, unconventional music that takes the listener on a sonic adventure while giving us a lot to think about. The multi-talented fellow writes, performs, records and produces all his own music, as well as writing, directing and editing all his imaginative music videos.

I’ve featured Skar de Line numerous times on this blog, most recently last May, when I reviewed his single and video for “Reset”, the first chapter in his autobiographical suite of music. The song explores the concept of wanting to become a better person through continually evolving and reinventing oneself, but fearing that nothing will ever be good enough, expressed in the lyric “Every time I open my eyes I kill an old version of mine. But I’m not a murderer, no, I’m a maker./ Every time I close my eyes, I am already set to reset.”  He followed in July with the second chapter “New Silhouettes”, a song about having the freedom to make your own choices in becoming whoever or whatever you want to be, with no limits on how many different options you can choose. Now he returns with “No Eyes in Paradise“, the third chapter of his personal journey of self exploration and the need to understand himself.

With this song, he ponders his own sense of self-worth as an artist, believing that he’s creating works of value and merit, but fearing that if no one else sees nor acknowledges it, does any of it mean anything? He explains: “You can be great, you can want to do well for yourself and for people around you, but if no one saw what you did, did it really happen? If your life work is something that the world does not care about, what is your life worth? And are there any limits to what we can’t do to get that attention, that worth? Throughout the lyrics, there is this growing frustration in the world around me, a feeling that I think every creator recognizes. A feeling that the world does not actually really get you.” For both song and video, he uses classical imagery to bring his message to life. Here’s a photo of him in a setting similar to the famous Leonardo da Vinci painting of Mona Lisa (in which he’s undeniably more attractive):

Though all of his songs have cinematic elements, “No Eyes in Paradise” is his most grandiose and melodically complex yet, blending dramatic choral and symphonic elements with bold hip hop beats and heavy electronics to create a magnificent soundscape. The song opens with a soaring gospel-like choral, then quickly segues into a dark trip hop groove, with harsh industrial synths and finger snaps as Skar de Line raps the opening verses. As the song progresses, the music alternates between trip hop verses and sweeping symphonic choruses, punctuated with delicate piano chords and gorgeous string synths. His emotive vocals go from seductive, slightly sinister rapping in the verses to impassioned entreaties in the choruses, creating a strong sense of tension and emotional angst. 

I’ve got this presentation that will surely blow your mind
This is an invitation to a god-damn paradise
The only thing I ask for is another pair of eyes
Cause what you never saw it never happened, right?

No eyes in paradise
No eyes in paradise
No eyes in paradise
No eyes in paradise

As these doors are left wide open
As my world turns in slow motion
As these walls are steeped in gold
Another bottle’s left unopened
Another story on repeat
Another comment obsolete
Another invite went astray
Another offer thrown away

Did I bathe in the light
Turn inside out
Did I repaint the skies
For empty crowds?
Did I wait for too long?
Have you all moved on?
Am I the architect
Left in paradise?

I still got to trust in some kind of order
Some kind of virtue for which you’ll adore me
But I cannot leave it, you need to sign
And I'm getting restless, I'm out of time
How far do you go for wickedness
to stop being sexy and just grotesque?
If there’s a case, I haven’t found it yet
I can’t imagine or believe that this is it

Did I bathe in the light
Turn inside out

Did I repaint the skies
For empty crowds?
Did I wait for too long?
Have you all moved on?
Am I the architect
Left in paradise?

No eyes in paradise
No eyes in paradise
No eyes in paradise
No eyes in paradise

Like a lamb of God, like a torn façade
Tearing up the scars with no regards
Just come inside, I’ll break it down
It’s a god-damn paradise
How far do you go for wickedness
to stop being sexy and just grotesque?
If there’s a case, I haven’t found it yet
I can’t imagine or believe that this is it
If I offered you a piece of the forbidden apple
Would you trust me to repaint the Sistine Chapel?
Does it matter what I do or what I’ve done?
Would you trust me now if I am the only one?

The brilliant video Skar de Line created for the song is his own interpretation of a perfect, but empty, paradise. Throughout the video, he recreates and inhabits some of the most renowned renaissance paintings such as The Last Supper (Leonardo Da Vinci), The School Of Athens (Raphael), and Saint Jerome Writing (Caravaggio), all in his desire to make something special that others will care about. He elaborates: “But like an architect left in paradise, a creator in a world that does not need more creations, I’m feeling like I’m falling behind and running out of time to make a difference. Maybe I’ve gone about it wrong. In the final scenes, as I’m leaving my paradise behind to walk out into the dark night, a thought goes through my head. Maybe it’s all a matter of perspective. Maybe, just maybe, it’s not what I do that needs to change, but rather the world in which I do it in…” His creativity and imagination, as well as technical prowess to be able to produce such a beautiful video, are truly impressive.

“No Eyes in Paradise” is Skar de Line’s finest work yet, and I eagerly await the next chapters in his autobiographical suite.

Connect with Skar de Line: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream on Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud
Purchase on  Amazon

A.WAKE – Single Review: “Railings”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews3 Comments

A.Wake is the musical moniker of Anita Wake, a fascinating and innovative singer-songwriter and musician based in Sheffield, England. She’s been a member of several bands, in which she played bass and sang backing vocals, and more recently, decided to start creating music as a solo artist. With a keen interest in sound therapy, mysticism and the healing properties of music, she seeks to incorporate healing frequencies and modern music elements into her songs.

She released her enchanting debut single “Lemuria” this past July, and followed in October with her darkly stunning second single “Railings“, which I’m featuring today. Inspired by an idea by r. Crampton, A. Wake wrote and recorded the song, sang vocals and played keyboards, while Steve Hulme produced the track. About the song, A.Wake says “‘Railings’ is a modern synth sound song, embedded with a healing frequency to align the heart chakra, to help heal feelings of sadness and loss.”

Opening and closing with sounds of pealing church bells, the song is both beautiful and haunting. The dramatic and stunning swirling orchestral synths have a mysterious quality, punctuated by moments of piercing sharpness and booming percussion, all of which create a ghostly cinematic soundscape. A.Wake’s layered vocals are bewitching mix of mellifluous croons and breathy whispers, adding to the song’s spooky ethereal vibe. Though I cannot pinpoint exactly where the healing frequency lies within the song, I will say that the sounds and overall aura are so powerful and resonant, I can feel its existence.

The lyrics are sung from the perspective of someone who’s already passed away to a loved one who’s still living and missing them, trying to reassure and comfort them in their grief: “The railings round my grave, hold ivy for you. You are not to blame, I died before you. Heaven is to blame, I’ve cried for you. Patience is the game, I’m trying to be. Saying your name. I feel you near me. Looking at your frame, I watch you watch me. If I could hold you just a day. If you could hold me in some way, I’ll know.”

The video for “Railings” was created by PSYNC and directed by Douglas John Thorp, with images of A.Wake singing the song superimposed against footage of her in a Sheffield cemetery shot by Thorp and Rob Cohen. Thorp had this to say about its creation: “There’s a beautiful simplicity to it, dealing with love & loss across the divide that needed a stripped down approach to match. All the shots are hand-held in one location & the video splits itself into two halves: yearning & the possibility of rebirth. Fans of Ari Aster’s ‘Midsommar’ may spot a few unashamed influences here, particularly the use of strong daylight as an unsettling presence. Perhaps also some of the 1970s British folk horror tropes where landscape & natural sounds signify something altogether more disturbing.”

Connect with A.Wake: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram

Stream her music:  Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / Bandcamp

EML’s Favorite Songs – “Heartbeat City” by The Cars

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Favorite Songs12 Comments

I was a pretty big fan of American rock band The Cars during their heyday that lasted from 1978-88. Formed in Boston in 1976, they consisted of Ric Ocasek (rhythm guitar), Benjamin Orr (bass guitar), Elliot Easton (lead guitar), Greg Hawkes (keyboards), and David Robinson (drums). Ocasek and Orr shared lead vocals, and Ocasek was the band’s principal songwriter and leader. Emerging from the late-70s new wave scene, they were among the bands who were instrumental in merging 70s guitar-oriented rock with the newer synthesizer-oriented pop that became dominant in the early to mid 80s.

I love many of their great songs, including “Drive”, “Shake It Up”, “Just What I Needed”, “My Best Friend’s Girl”, “You Might Think” and “Magic”, and one of my favorites of them all is the gorgeous title track from their brilliant fifth album Heartbeat City (which also contains “Drive”, “You Might Think” and “Magic”). That album, which was produced by legendary music producer Mutt Lange, is filled with so many fantastic songs, it could almost be a ‘greatest hits, volume 2’ album for The Cars. I bought it when it came out, and nearly played it to death. I still cherish my vinyl copy.

“Heartbeat City” was released as the album’s sixth and final single in September 1985, a year and a half after the album’s March 1984 release. Shockingly (to me at least), the single did not chart in the U.S., though it did reach #78 in the UK and #75 in Australia. I suppose the album and string of singles had probably run their course by then. Interestingly, prior to its release as a stand-alone single, “Heartbeat City” was the B-side to “You Might Think” in the U.S. and “Why Can’t I Have You” in the UK.

The song is a sonic feast for the ears, opening with ominous industrial synths that are soon joined by a pulsating, reverby guitar line. The music then expands with a powerful hypnotic drumbeat, accompanied by a thumping bassline, beautiful chiming and jangly guitar notes and magical atmospheric synths, while that pulsating guitar line continues throughout the song. It all serves to create an enchanting soundscape for Ric Ocasek’s distinctive vocals as he plaintively sings of a woman named Jacki who went away, but made him happy when she eventually returned to Heartbeat City: “I’m glad you made it. I can’t complain. I missed you so badly when you jumped that train. Oh Jacki, what took you so long, on just a holiday. I thought you knew the way.” The ethereal backing vocal harmonies are sublime, adding to the song’s overall captivating sound.

KOYAL – EP Review: “Joyride”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews10 Comments
EP art by David Harris

Koyal is an Atlanta, Georgia-based band I recently learned about when one of their members Noah Weinstein reached out to me about reviewing their new EP Joyride, which dropped November 11th. Formed in 2018 while they were still in college, Koyal create pleasing pop-rock infused with an eclectic range of elements, including indie, alternative, rock’n’roll, blues and jazz. In addition to Noah, who plays guitar, drums and sings vocals, as well as recorded and produced the EP, the band consists of Pooja Prabakaran (lead vocals), Henry Wallace (drums & piano), Cooper Billsborough (lead guitar), Ethan Hunt (bass) and Sultan Sayedzada (keyboards).

The band seems to be a pretty cool, well-grounded bunch, with a positive and healthy outlook and realistic approach to the music business. In an interview last month with Shoutout Atlanta, the band explained “We are best friends first and are very kind, motivated, and passionate about music! We manage ourselves, which involves a lot of the less glamorous behind the scenes marketing, booking, planning strategy, producing the music, etc., but all those hours of work helped us transition from a college band to one known in the Atlanta music scene. We really enjoy networking and meeting other creatives! It’s led to so many friendships and helped us be a part of the Atlanta music community.”

They’ve released quite a lot of music over the past three years, beginning with their debut single “Yesterday” in February 2020, just prior to the pandemic outbreak. They followed up that April with their four-song EP Rooftop Hues, then more singles in early 2021, culminating with the release of their debut album Mountain City that July. Their latest release Joyride features four tracks with a jazzier feel than their previous works, and I like it!

Kicking things off is “Past Life“, an upbeat song with an exuberant groove, fortified by gnarly guitars, snappy drumbeats and lots of crashing cymbals, along with a delightful undercurrent of trilling piano keys. The lyrics seem to be about yearning for a simpler time: “I think I knew you in a past life. And I want to know you like I did last time. / And I want to go somewhere unknown. Where it’s you and the moon and me alone.” Most of the vocals are beautifully sung by Noah, while Pooja sings the pre-chorus in the bridge, followed by their dual harmonies in the final chorus. It’s a terrific song.

“Tumbleweed” is a jaunty, piano-driven tune, with vocals nicely sung by Pooja. Henry’s piano work is so good, and I love how his notes are in perfect sync with the galloping drumbeats and swirling guitars. I also like how the song changes tempo at 2:30 to a sultry interlude, only to ramp back up at the end to a lively finish, highlighted by a flourish of jazzy saxophone. The song seems to be about two people supporting each other through good times and bad: “When I’m down you put your arms around me. When you’re down I do the same. You’ll see, you and me, and we’ll keep rolling on, rolling on, like a tumbleweed.”

As the EP progresses, each track becomes longer and more melodically sophisticated. “Open Window” has a cool, breezy vibe that reminds me a bit of the late 1950s/early 1960s bossa nova/jazz pop sound of João Gilberto and Antônio Carlos Jobim. The high quality of the instrumentation, particularly the piano, guitars and percussion, are evidence of the strong musicianship and impressive technical skills of these young band members. Pooja’s smooth, emotive vocals are wonderful, though I found it hard to understand some of the lyrics she sang.

The final track “I Wanna Believe” is a musical tour-de-force, with a heavier rock sound than the other three songs. The track was mixed for free by Greazy Wil (Wil Anspach) a Grammy winning engineer who ran a competition on TikTok that Koyal entered and won. The song reminds me a bit of “Stairway to Heaven”, in that it starts off slowly then gradually builds in intensity to a roaring crescendo, with three distinct melodic movements.

It opens with the sound of magical synths, followed by delicate chiming electric guitar chords and gentle percussion as Pooja sings to an unseen alien, wanting them to take her away from her earthly problems: “I look up to you. I wish you could take me away. Don’t know where we go, but you’ll help me leave this place. Why can’t I see you? A better version of myself.” Eventually, the music erupts with jagged guitar riffs, heavy thumping bass and aggressive drums as she wails “I wanna believe, in something bigger than myself. I wanna believe! There’s something out there, I know.” The music continues to grow ever more intense with scorching riffs, accompanied by a screaming torrent of psychedelic distortion and explosive percussion, before calming back down in the final 40 seconds to a lovely contemplative piano interlude. Wow, what a spectacular song!

Though it contains only four tracks, Joyride packs quite an impactful punch into its 16 and a half minute run time. The broad range of musical influences, combined with outstanding songwriting, top-notch musicianship and skillful arrangement and production values, all make for a high quality work that’s a joy to listen to. I must say that I’m very impressed with Koyal and their marvelous little EP.

Here’s the EP on YouTube:

And Spotify:

Connect with Koyal: Twitter / Instagram / Facebook

Stream their music: Spotify/ Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube

Top 30 Songs for November 20-26, 2022

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's15 Comments

One of the more fascinating artists making music today is dwi, the music project of Canadian singer-songwriter Dwight Abell. He’s also bassist for Canadian alternative/power pop band The Zolas. Based in Vancouver, B.C., the fearless and talented guy lets his creativity and imagination run totally wild with his zany alter ago, making outstanding music that’s innovative, quirky and fun. Last year, dwi released his brilliant debut album Mild Fantasy Violence, which I loved at first listen. One of the album’s tracks, “Good Friend”, spent four months on my Weekly Top 30, going all the way to #1 this past January. Now he reaches the pinnacle of my list for a second time with his wonderful “Party4One“. dwi says the song is “about falling in love with yourself during an intense state of cabin fever. Love yourself, make out with yourself, and for the love of gawd, scare yourself. The weirdos are in charge now!” Accompanied by a deliriously wacky video, it’s a riotous blast from start to finish, with an infectious bouncy groove and dwi’s relentlessly endearing vocals.

In other chart news, the biggest upward movers this week are “SNAP” by Rosa Linn, climbing five spots to #5, and “Unholy” by Sam Smith featuring Kim Petras, jumping eight spots to #16. Debuting this week are “Anti-Hero” by Taylor Swift, finally entering my chart at #27 (the song has been #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the entire three weeks it’s been on that chart); “Out of My System” by former One Direction member Louis Tomlinson, at #29; and “Night Bus” by immensely talented Welsh singer-songwriter Caitlin Lavagna.

  1. PARTY4ONE – dwi (4)
  2. SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (1)
  3. CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (2)
  4. BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (3)
  5. SNAP – Rosa Linn (10)
  6. WET DREAM – Wet Leg (6)
  7. SISTERS – pMad (7)
  8. THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (8)
  9. SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (9)
  10. THE ECHO – A.A. Williams (5)
  11. WHITE HORSES – Art Block (12)
  12. CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (13)
  13. I LIKE YOU (A HAPPIER SONG) – Post Malone & Doja Cat (14)
  14. WEIRD GOODBYES – The National featuring Bon Iver (15)
  15. TONIGHT – Phoenix featuring Ezra Koenig (18)
  16. UNHOLY – Sam Smith featuring Kim Petras (24)
  17. I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU – The 1975 (20)
  18. OFFCUTS – Mount Famine (21)
  19. I.N.V.U. – Kid Kapichi (22)
  20. SHADOWS IN THE DARK – The Star Crumbles (23)
  21. NATURAL BORN KILLER – Highly Suspect (19)
  22. THIS IS WHY – Paramore (26)
  23. MY BABE – Spoon (11)
  24. BOY – The Killers (16)
  25. HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (17)
  26. SAIL AWAY – lovelytheband (28)
  27. ANTI-HERO – Taylor Swift (N)
  28. LOVE DON’T LIVE HERE ANYMORE – Crystal Cities (30)
  29. OUT OF MY SYSTEM – Louis Tomlinson (N)
  30. NIGHT BUS – Caitlin Lavagna (N)