Not a lot of big changes on my latest Weekly Top 30. The Killers remain on top for a third week with “boy”, and Death Cab for Cutie‘s “Here to Forever” holds at #2. It’s interesting that the top two artists have rather malevolent-sounding names, yet make such lovely music. Steve Lacy‘s “Bad Habit” inches up a notch to #3, and Beach Weather‘s “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” moves into 4th place. Spoon continue their rapid climb up my chart with “My Babe”, jumping five spots to #5, and indie pop duo Cafuné‘s “Tek It” inches up to #6. Granfalloon‘s wonderful “Please Write Responsibly” moves up two spots to #7, and The 1975 finally enter the top 10 with their cerebral “Part of the Band”. In contrast to last week’s jackpot of six new entries, only one song makes its debut this week, the beautiful “Weird Goodbyes” by The National featuring Bon Iver. Such a marvelous melding of two distinctive voices!
BOY – The Killers (1)
HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (2)
BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (4)
SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (5)
MY BABE – Spoon (10)
TEK IT – Cafuné (7)
PLEASE WRITE RESPONSIBLY – Granfalloon (9)
SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (3)
BONES – Imagine Dragons (6)
PART OF THE BAND – The 1975 (11)
CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (14)
BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (8)
FREE – Florence + the Machine (15)
SOMETHING LOUD – Jimmy Eat World (17)
UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (12)
PARTY4ONE – dwi (20)
GIANTS – WALK THE MOON (19)
SISTERS – pMad (22)
WET DREAM – Wet Leg (24)
BITTER – Wild Horse (23)
THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (25)
THE ECHO – A.A. Williams (26)
VIVA LAS VENGEANCE – Panic! At the Disco (13)
SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (27)
WHITE HORSES – Art Block (28)
CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (29)
I LIKE YOU (A HAPPIER SONG) – Post Malone & Doja Cat (30)
FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (16)
BREAK MY SOUL – Beyoncé (18)
WEIRD GOODBYES – The National featuring Bon Iver (N)
Tobisonics is the music project of Toby Davis, a longtime alternative electro-pop artist, composer, songwriter and music producer based in Luxembourg. A lifelong lover of music, he was born and raised in England, and spent his volatile teenage years in a series of, by his own admission, both ‘awful and awesome’ indie guitar bands. But by his early 20s, his increasing struggles with depression and other then-undiagnosed mental health issues led him to abandon music. By his mid-30s, he felt trapped, socially isolated, and suicidal. Finally reaching a breaking point, he sought the help of a psychiatrist, which led to regular therapy sessions and medication. Years of repressed emotions and music welled up inside him came pouring out as he slowly began to heal.
For several years, he used his creative vision and talents mixing, mastering or remixing other artists and bands’ music, but starting in late 2018, he decided to create his own musical works as Tobisonics. About his moniker, he says “All Tobisonics really means is Tobi sounds. And that’s how I think of myself, as a noisemaker, rather than a musician.”
Like me, Toby is frightened by the unsettling trend of increasing authoritarianism and populist nationalism happening across the globe, in what sometimes appears to be a creeping movement back toward a new dark age. Some of his songs – “Military Industrial Complex“, “Eye of the Storm” and “Putin’s Got a Gun Against Your Head” – addressed those concerns. More recently, he’s made the courageous decision to tackle his own personal mental health struggles on his debut album We Need Light in the Dark, which dropped October 7th.
In April 2021, he began working on what was intended to be 4 – 5 track EP in collaboration with spoken word artist Wee Scots Poet, with whom he’d previously collaborated on his single “All the Little Things”. When that collaboration didn’t work out, Toby needed to find a voice, as he’s not a singer. So, he decided to use vocal samples as he’d done with his first single “All These Things”. We Need Light in the Dark quickly developed into a far more personal story than he had ever intended.
Toby explains: “I wanted to make an album that gave people hope; an album that said, the worse things get, the more we need to find the wonder in life. In these difficult times, optimism isn’t naive, it’s imperative to our survival. In doing so, I ended up telling my own story of ongoing recovery from chronic depression/anxiety and PTSD, the lessons I have learned, and the ones I am still struggling to learn. By using recycled voices, from old public service announcements and Sci-Fi B-movies, I found I could hide in plain sight. I found I could talk about subjects far more personal and painful than I could ever with my own voice.“
The seven songs take us on a journey that begins with acknowledgment of emotional pain and poor self-esteem, the struggles of overcoming them, and acceptance of who we are and learning to find glimmers of contentment and peace of mind. On the opening track “Panic“, Toby addresses feelings of self-doubt and inadequacy, fearing he’ll never measure up or succeed, which leads to sleepless nights and bouts of panic – something many of us have felt at one time or another. I certainly have. “The trouble is, if you’re not self-reliant, you’ll never do anymore than just get by. You have more assurance but less self control. Panic. All night long.” It’s a fairly short track, lasting just slightly over two minutes, but makes a big impression. Toby starts with a mesmerizing deep synth-bass groove, then layers a fascinating blend of sharp industrial synths, eerie sounds and otherworldly voices, creating a soundscape that’s both unsettling and captivating, and a perfect backdrop for the man’s rather cold, matter-of-fact spoken words.
On “Scream“, he once again uses eerie synths and otherworldly vocal effects to create a disturbing vibe. The biting lyrics are spoken by both an accuser “I always figured there was something wrong with you. Loser. Failed” and the accused, who’s a demoralized victim: “Loser. Failed. Freak. I’m sorry you made me. Emotion. You made me scream.” And on “How Do You Say Life is Wonderful?” he ponders how to remain positive and sane in the face of so much pain (which isn’t openly expressed, but certainly inferred): “How do you say never give up. Life is wonderful? Never give up.” Toby drives home his message with an uptempo Latin dance beat, bathed in colorful industrial synths and almost playful sound effects, all of which beautifully expresses contrasting feelings of sadness and elation.
“Snakes” addresses what seems to be a reopening of old wounds and resentment, namely toward those who’ve betrayed him or let him down in the past: “The vision of your future starts to crumble. Snakes. This is why I keep no friends. No friends. What happened? I trusted you. Can not stand the lies.” Musically, the song is haunting and dark, with a hypnotic beat overlain with mysterious industrial synths, punctuated at the beginning by a somber ringing bell. Once again, Toby uses otherworldly electronically-altered voices, backed by a mournful chorus of female vocals, to create an even more unsettling vibe.
On the buoyant nu disco track “You Just Have to Dance“, he acknowledges that he has no choice but to move on from all the pain and resentment, and make the best of the life he has left: “Are you sure you can deal with it? Deal with it? Dance dance. You just have to dance. You just have to dance now. You gotta dance. But you can’t win them all.” On “All I Ever Needed“, he speaks of the fear of abandonment and being alone, and begs a loved one not to leave, in this case, his dog Enzo, who suffers from epilepsy: “The thing that makes the difference here Is the emotion that goes along with him. A great great fear of being alone. Being alone.All I’ve ever wanted. And all I’ve ever needed. Don’t leave. Don’t wanna be alone.” With a somewhat complex melody, dominated by a throbbing dance beat that calls to mind that used on the Donna Summer classic “I Feel Love”, the songs feels at once retro disco, yet freshly current.
That ringing bell first heard on “Snakes” makes a return appearance on the closing title track “We Need Light in the Dark“, which brings everything full circle on the album. Toby now recognizes that he must be the source of his own light in the dark, acknowledging that while bad stuff will still come his way and that life will never be perfect, he must do his best to remain hopeful and positive: “We Need Light in the Dark. We gotta help ourselves. But you can’t win them all. How do you say life is wonderful?” Running nearly five minutes, it’s the longest of the seven tracks, and also the most downtempo. The combination of a languid bass groove, cool spacey synths – highlighted by deliciously funky Prince-esque keyboards – and trippy vocal effects create a bewitching soundscape that nicely conveys a restrained sense of optimism.
We Need Light in the Dark is a fine debut by Tobisonics, beautifully showcasing his masterful composition, arrangement and production skills. I’m touched by his willingness to expose himself to the world through his music, and I hope this album will speak to others who’ve experienced similar mental health struggles, perhaps even helping them to come to terms with some of their own issues.
This is a guest post by Stephen Choi, a singer-songwriter based in Melbourne, Australia. He creates music under his artistic moniker Duel Native, and is a founding member of London-based indie band Greyhound Green. He describes his sound as a blend of alt-rock, indie-folk and dream-pop, with some environmental science thrown in. Thus far, he’s released three singles and an EP, his latest of which is the lovely single “Hiding Out”, which dropped September 2nd.
He named his music project ‘Duel Native’ for two reasons: First, to reflect his international heritage and dual citizenship, as he’s half-Trinidadian and half-Hong Kongese, born in the UK, and currently based in Australia. Second, it recognizes his multiple passions in life, the two biggest of which are music and his environmentalism. Stephen is also a trained environmental architect who’s currently working on “green music” projects, like reducing waste at festival campsites, understanding the life-cycle impacts of releasing digital music, and exploring alternatives to PVC in records, i.e. non-vinyl vinyl! With that in mind, he’s written an article about the positives and negatives of using vinyl for records, and efforts being made to remedy the problem.
Turning the Tables
People love vinyl. And it seems, every year, they love it more. The vinyl resurgence began in the mid-2000s, and has since grown at an increasing rate. Last year, one out of every three albums sold in the US were vinyl LPs.
Why is this happening? I think it’s because there are things you can do with vinyl that you don’t do with digital music, like… wrap it up and give it to someone, or put the artwork on a wall, or read the liner notes, or – and this one is for real music-lovers – actually listen to an album from start to finish!
As a musician, I love vinyl too, but the problem with vinyl is… well, the vinyl. Or more specifically… the PVC. PVC has been described as “The Poison Plastic”, and “One of the most hazardous consumer products ever created.”
Polyvinyl chloride – or PVC – is a rather controversial synthetic material, typically made from ethylene (found in crude oil) and chlorine (found in salt). To cut short a science lesson, when processed, these two ingredients are combined to form PVC. Throw in some Polyvinyl Acetate to make a polymer, plus a few other additives, and we end up with a mix that is used to make vinyl records. It’s often referred to by the industry as “the most versatile plastic”, because they’re kind of “ideal” for records – you can achieve a smooth finish, it’s robust but not too brittle, and, it’s cheap to make.
The problem is that production of PVC results in toxic, chlorine-based chemicals and dioxins that are building up in our air, water, and food chain, and they spread across the globe quickly.
Scientific studies show these chemicals are linked to severe and wide-spread health problems, including infertility, impaired childhood development, immune system damage, hormone disruption, and even cancer. Musicians aren’t usually au fait with chemistry, but most I’ve listened to know that there’s something about the toxicity of vinyl that they don’t feel so comfortable being a catalyst for.
In recent years, we’re starting to see PVC being removed from all kinds of products from all kinds of companies, from toothbrushes to yoga mats, to kids’ toys. But it’s still the primary ingredient in vinyl records!
So… what to do about our love of vinyl? Do we stop buying it? Do we stop listening to music altogether due to the environmental impacts of doing anything at all?
I would say a resounding NO!
If you love vinyl, there are a lot of things we can do to reduce the impact, such as:
Go to a local indie record store and buy used vinyl.
If we’ve got records we don’t listen to, give them away or sell them!
Finally, let’s look after our records well, because one thing worse than vinyl is… damaged vinyl, because PVC is almost never recycled.
There’s another exciting development in this space… new materials to make vinyl. Later this year, the world’s first bioplastic LP will be released. The mix was formulated by Evolution Music after five years of research, and it contains sugars and starches – not PVC – and does not create any toxic waste in their production!
Being a first-of-its-kind, it won’t be perfect; further work is being done. Like any attempt to shift an industry, change can be scary. But, I believe this is the start of a healthy conversation, and one that will change the vinyl industry for good. So we can keep listening to music and keep supporting artists, and do so whilst caring for the health of our world.
Hailing from Irvine, North Ayrshire, Scotland is Culann, a talented five-piece comprised of brothers PJ (vocals, guitar) and Sean (drums) Kelly, Greg Irish (guitar), Ross McCluskie (keyboards) and Calum Davis (bass). Formed in 2008 while still in their teens, they’ve managed to stay together as a band all these years, rather unusual for a group with five members. Skillfully blending elements of folk, Celtic-rock, alt-rock, prog rock and even a bit of reggae, as well as largely ignoring the norms of conventional songwriting and structures, they employ complex melodies, frequent time changes and an unlikely fusion of traditional Scottish music with a contemporary rock approach to create their own distinct and colorful sound. They’re also proud of their Scottish heritage, and sing it’s praises on a lot of their songs.
They’ve released music rather sporadically over the years, beginning with their self-titled debut album Culann in 2012. They followed with a few singles, finally dropping their beautiful second album The Great Ecumene seven years later, in 2019 (which I reviewed). Now, Culann are back with a fantastic new single “Rovers”. Released in September, it’s their first new music in three and a half years. The time off hasn’t diminished their dynamic sound one bit. The guys effortlessly deliver driving rhythms, fueled by Calum’s powerful chugging bass line and Sean’s explosive drums, and fortified by PJ and Greg’s dual intertwining guitars and Ross’s sparkling keyboards. The music is alternately raging and delicate, serving to heighten the tension as the song progresses, and keeping a firm grasp on our attention from start to finish. “Rovers” is another superb song from this remarkable band.
As to the song’s meaning, PJ explained: “It’s based on an old myth from our area in Scotland called ‘Rovers Doom on the Carrick Shore’. The two main characters, pirates consisting of a captain known as the ‘rover’, and his shipman, used to take their ship and raid the coastal towns. The younger of the two men hears a voice one night, an enchanting mermaid’s song beckoning them to come closer. He tells his captain, who immediately is defiant of any supernatural occurrence. He ignores the younger man’s advice and hits full steam ahead, causing the ship to crash into the rocks, whereupon the crew meet their doom. Lyrically we wanted to show both men’s point of view; the younger man laments the song and speaks of how he hears the mermaids song in his dreams. The older captain is bullish, in the lyrics he says things like ‘ignore the heathen’s lore’.”
‘Row out to me my love’
Came the gorgeous sunset cry
A force, a voice of comfort
With no danger & no lie
It’s you, when I close my eyes
No others see you in their dreams
and your voice that haunts me only
Are things not what they seem
SAIL! It’s springtime in the harbour.
Fuck the cries, the mermaid’s lies. Ignore the heathen's lore.
SAIL! It’s your time in the harbour.
There’s no Red Head, alive or dead, that can whip winds off the shore
So now, from the burning sea
We watch, as the waves turn wild
and I beg don’t call another
to leave one more orphan child, tonight.
SAIL! It’s springtime in the harbour.
Fuck the cries, the mermaid’s lies. Ignore the heathen's lore.
SAIL! It’s your time in the harbour.
There’s no Red Head, alive or dead, that can whip winds off the shoreSo why, why take me blindly
I’ll never comprehend
Cause you, you curse the bounty
and sent me to my end
Below the ocean waves
across the thunder sea
Below the ocean waves
You sleep with me
The dramatic video, shot in black and white by Stuart Alexander, was filmed in and around the historic coastal hamlet of Portencross, and features Scottish actor Rab Affleck, who’s also starred in six other Culann videos, as well as actor Brian Blakeley. The two are seen acting out their conflict, interspersed with scenes of the band performing the song near a raging fire.
Music act The Star Crumbles came to be rather serendipitously earlier this year when singer-songwriter Brian Lambert, who’s based in Denton, Texas, reached out to singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Marc Schuster, who lives in suburban Philadelphia, for some help with his song “Kids” (which I wrote about last March in a Fresh New Tracks post). The two had previously met on Twitter, but had never before worked with each other. Well, they immediately hit it off, so much so that they decided to collaborate together on more music projects, eventually leading to their creation of a new music act they dubbed The Star Crumbles. On September 30th, their debut album The Ghost of Dancing Slow was released on Bandcamp, and will go live on most other streaming services (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.) on October 7th.
Brian Lambert & Marc Schuster
Before I get into the album, I want to provide a bit of background on Brian, Marc and The Star Crumbles. Brian has been writing and recording music for many years, and says he’s “reinvented himself more times than he can count.” He even tried his hand at country music for a while, but eventually realized that it just wasn’t for him. More recently, the prolific songwriter’s been making indie rock music inspired by some of his favorite acts like Spoon, Gang of Youths and the Replacements, and beginning in 2021, he challenged himself to writing, recording and producing a new song every week for an entire year. He now has an incredible body of work to his credit.
Marc is an insanely creative renaissance man in every sense of the word. Not only is he an educator, author and literary critic, he’s also a prolific songwriter and musician, recording both as a solo artist and as part of numerous music projects and collaborations with an ever-expanding roster of musicians. As if all that weren’t enough, he’s also a pretty good visual artist, is incredibly supportive of other artists and music bloggers (including yours truly), and has a terrific WordPress blog of his own called Abominations, where he writes about music and interviews lots of indie artists. I’ve featured him three times on my blog, including a review last February of his wonderful EP There Is No Down.
In addition to making music, both Brian and Marc are wildly imaginative and funny guys. Soon after forming The Star Crumbles, they came up with the idea of creating a tongue-in-cheek back story for the act. Since their music is strongly influenced by their shared love of 80s new wave music by such bands as The Cure, Echo & the Bunnymen, Ultravox and New Order, they decided that The Star Crumbles would have its origins in the early 80s, but due a number of unexplained circumstances, they suddenly disappeared from the music scene before having a chance to release their first album: “From 1982 to 1986, The Star Crumbles were always on the verge of something big – until they vanished without a trace, taking their eagerly anticipated album, ‘The Ghost of Dancing Slow’, with them. Everyone thought they had potential, but they were dogged by misfortune and bad timing. Also, they had terrible business sense.“
The guys recruited a motley crew of friends and fans to provide their own unfiltered insight into what became of The Star Crumbles. The result (which I was honored to be a part of) is a brilliant and hilarious video documentary Beyond the Music. The inventiveness, originality and deadpan delivery of those who participated is really quite impressive! Please press play:
Okay, now lets get to the music. The Ghost of Dancing Slow was a DIY project, totally self-recorded and produced by Marc and Brian. Marc mixed the tracks, and they both had a hand in the final mastering. Marc played guitars and drums on all tracks, while both he and Brian played synths. All but one of the ten songs on the album were written by Brian and Marc, the exception being “Cool Down”, which was written by fellow musician Mike Mosley (who also appears in the documentary).
Opening track “Desperately Wanting” was The Star Crumbles’ first official single, released this past May. It’s a beautiful and compelling song about a couple who are unable to communicate their needs to each other, leaving their relationship in a perpetual state of limbo, with each of them feeling unfulfilled and unhappy. The album’s title is taken from the song’s lyrics: “The space that lies in between. The gap that lies in between, what we’re really wanting, we don’t want to talk about. The ghost of dancing slow, inside what we’re speaking. But we pretend not to know, what we’re really thinking.” Musically, the song is driven by Marc’s hypnotic bassline, over which he’s layered somber droning synths, thumping drumbeats and gently crashing cymbals. Both he and Brian played guitars. Brian’s plaintive vocals are both comforting and melancholy, nicely conveying the sad sense of resignation expressed in the lyrics. It’s a great song, and spent 12 weeks on my Top 30 chart this past summer.
Next up is their follow-up single “Shadows in the Dark“, another winning tune with a strong retro 80s vibe that borders on darkwave. The guitar work is fantastic, and I love that sizzling little guitar solo in the bridge. Brian’s fervent vocals are great as well. The cool video, which was created by Marc, features pixelated renditions of the band trapped in an eight-bit Atari nightmare.
On the timely and relevant “Conspiracy“, the guys take on those who spread conspiracy theories, and the damage it does to society: “While bald-faced lies are told, the rhythm of what’s true skips a beat. We wonder how they get away with it. There is no consequence for ineloquence that harms the trust. I think it’s more than just a bit intentional.” The gravity of the subject is driven home by the song’s unsettling vibe, created by a rather menacing groove, overlain with dark industrial synths and distorted guitars.
“Cool Down” sounds like a long-lost song by Joy Division or The Cure, with gorgeous shimmery guitars and swirling synths, and Brian’s vocals sound better than ever here. “Cozumel” is a sweet song about spending time with a loved one in the Mexican resort, and though the subject matter is quite different, it made me think of Suzanne Vega’s great song “Tom’s Diner”. Those great jangly guitars return on the haunting new wave gem “Trees in the Forest“, with lyrics that seem to speak of feeling lost and disconnected from the world.
With its bouncy new wave vibe, “What Are We Waiting For” urges us to stop doubting ourselves and seize the moment so that we can move forward and live our fullest lives. “Spectres in Waiting” has a decidedly different feel than the other tracks on the album, with a somber, more introspective feel, highlighted by rather mournful guitar notes. The wonderfully-titled “Past, Present and Future Walk Into a Bar, It Was Tense” is another terrific story song, in which Brian talk-sings about his present self encountering his past and future selves in a bar, and wanting to ask them questions to gain a better understanding of himself: “All these years older, what do you get? I hope not colder, nor full of regret.” I love the song’s darker vibe and rather menacing gnarly guitars.
Closing track “If I Could” is the longest on the album, running over five minutes, and has a gentle, upbeat cadence that’s really pleasing. The song seems to be about searching for the truths that will help guide us to a better life, which I also think kind of encapsulates the overall them of the album: “Every time I thought I had an answer, there is just another question that begs that I go searching. Even when I find it, I’m left not truly knowing. I guess it will always be that way.”
The Ghost of Dancing Slow is a marvelous album, and we’re so fortunate The Star Crumbles were successful in retrieving the lost masters to these new wave gems so that we can enjoy them these many years later 😉
Those who purchase the album on Bandcamp will receive a bonus song. Also Friday, October 7th is Bandcamp Friday, meaning all proceeds from purchases go directly to the artists.
Not really a band in the traditional sense, Atlanta-based music act Drawing on Scars is the creative brainchild of songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Will Thacker, who for more than a decade has collaborated with vocalists from across the U.S. and beyond in the creation of dramatic and edgy alternative rock songs. Will writes and performs all the music, and the different vocalists write the lyrics, which they then interpret in their own distinct vocal style. The result is an ever-changing music repertoire that always sounds fresh and unique.
After putting the act on hiatus in 2017, Will formed the band Fieldcrest with vocalist Jena Jones, and together they released an EP Canvas (which I just happened to review four years ago today). He resurrected Drawing on Scars in early 2019, and has been on a creative tear since then, dropping an impressive number of singles. His most recent collaborative effort has been with South African singer-songwriter Jodie Reid, a prolific artist from Johannesburg who’s released four albums of her own since 2019, at the rate of one per year! The two began collaborating by long distance in 2020, and released their first single “Here Comes Some More” that November. They followed in April 2021 with “If Only For a Little While”, and “Take It” (which I also reviewed) that August. All three of those songs are included on their new album A Bridge Across the Sea, which dropped September 30th.
Most of the songs on the album can best be described as melodic hard rock, tinged with elements of grunge, alternative metal and even power pop, and delivered with Will’s driving rhythms, scorching riffs and thunderous percussion. While these songs fall generally within Drawing on Scars’ typical music style, they’re a considerable departure for Jodie, whose solo music is more folk and soft-rock oriented. But she does a fine job as both a lyricist and rock singer, with a sound somewhat similar to that of Paramore vocalist Hayley Williams.
The album title A Bridge Across the Sea seems to reflect not only the long-distance connection between the two artists made possible by the internet, but also the themes of many songs, namely trying to hold onto one’s mental well-being, sense of self-worth or struggling relationships amidst breakdowns in communication, trust and/or identity. On the opening song “Desire” Jodie emphatically sings of her unrelenting and insatiable sexual hunger that’s overtaken her existence: “My self-control is crumbling, no matter how I hold it. I want it, I need it, I won’t accept defeat. Keep pushing, I crave it, as soon as I’m ready I’ll grab it and I won’t ever let it go. Take me to the edge and push until I break (let’s see how far I go) Down on my knees I’ll do whatever it takes.” Will’s jagged riffs serve to reinforce the emotional fire contained in the lyrics.
“What Day Is It” finds Jodie feeling lost and at the end of her rope: “I could have turned back. Retraced my steps. But that seemed like too much effort at the time. I just wanted to escape parts of myself.” And on “Encode“, she sings of the walls she’s built around her for self-protection: “And so you poke and prod to discover what makes me tick. You’d have me cuffed and caged, and treated like a lunatic. And when questioned I would stubbornly shake my head. I don’t want to share my secrets with you.”
The haunting and lovely “Bitter and Sick” is a cover of the original song by L.A. duo One Two, from their 2012 release Best Friend EP. Whereas One Two’s version is more ethereal and atmospheric, Will and Jodie give the song an edgier treatment, with heavier instrumentals and stronger vocals that become most pronounced in the dramatic chorus, while still retaining the song’s deeply emotional vibe. The lyrics seem to speak of a toxic relationship from which the singer cannot free herself: “Come on and break me down. I’ll let you ruin my day. Flow through my veins. I need a fix. Bitter and sick.”
The next few tracks are both hard-hitting and deal with dysfunctional relationships. “You Ran” speaks to a partner who just couldn’t be counted on, and I love these lines which really cut to the chase: “To be honest we were never meant to breathe the same air. Cause whatever I gave you stole from me and left me there.” And on “Take It“, Jodie rails against an indecisive partner who’s unable to ever choose a course of action or direction to take, causing them both frustration and ennui as they lumber along without direction. “Weighted down to your knees as you drag your feet along. And all questions are avoided with a shrug. Whatever’s easiest for you. Given time you just might drop that burden to the floor as you march alone unencumbered, but you’re weighing down on me.” It’s a terrific rock song.
“Broken Photo” touches on the perils of trying to be someone other than who you are, and living a superficial existence in an attempt to impress others. Jodie uses social media references to drive home her point: “You could have been so great, you might have been so grand if you had taken time to focus on the tasks at hand. Instead, you framed yourself a picture-perfect life. On display to show the socials, but didn’t even get a like.” I really like the song’s chugging rhythms and super-grungy guitars.
“Elephant” tackles the proverbial elephant in the room, namely how many people are afraid to speak honestly for fear of being harshly judged, even when we need to call out injustice or wrongs: “There’s an elephant in the room. Can you sense all the space in the conversation? Best eluded to keep the peace. Avoidance is encouraged by our generation.” This song strongly resonates with me, as I will not keep quiet about a lot of shit going on in America and the world, and it appears both Will and Jodie agree with me: “I can’t stay quiet anymore. Silence will not stop what’s in store. I will not roll over sweet submission. Forces will ensure that we learn our lesson.”
My favorite song on the album is the poignant “If Only for a Little While“. Jodie wrote the deeply moving song after the sudden passing of a close family friend, as a way of helping her process her feelings of grief and loss. Her vocals are heartfelt and tender as she laments “Cold down to the core of whatever’s left. I’m just matter lying still – hands on my chest. How I wish I could cry – let it all escape. Instead, I’m completely broken not even able to break. Lie me down, I’ll be right by your side. And I will hold onto you if only for a little while. Now you’ve gone, you left us all behind. But we will hold onto you if only for a little while.” The mournful piano and strings are beautiful and haunting, but also contain glimmers of hope.
The album closes on a high note with “Here Comes Some More“, a splendid nod to 90s grunge. I’m not certain, but the lyrics seem to be about someone who always needs to win, to be right, to be the best, yet never changing their approach, nor ever feeling fully content with themselves: “Every breath that you fake – you take it too hard. Each time, you start to lose faith, just to see if you’ve still got it in you (Well we all know you do). But you’ve been there before. You take a swing in the same old fight, hoping maybe this time you’ll strike true. The way you did before.” Jodie’s confident vocals are especially good on this track.
A Bridge Across the Sea is a fine debut effort from two very talented artists. Though they come from totally different environments, with divergent music styles and backgrounds, Will and Jodie have successfully managed to ‘bridge’ those differences to collaborate in the creation of a solid, well-crafted and compelling work.
A particularly exciting Top 30 chart this week, with lots of movement and a ton of new music. The Killers keep a firm grip on the #1 spot for a second week with their hopeful anthem “boy”, and Death Cab for Cutie‘s “Here to Forever” advances to #2. “Bad Habit” by Steve Lacy moves up two spots to #4, and Beach Weather‘s dreamy “Sex, Drugs, Etc.” jumps five spots to #5. Entering the top 10 are “Please Write Responsibly” by Granfalloon, from his wonderful album Calendar, which I just reviewed, and “My Babe” by Spoon, leaping 10 spots to #10, the highest upward mover for the second week. God, I love Spoon, and love that song!
A whopping six new songs enter my chart this week, more than I can remember in a very long time, and interestingly, four are by British acts. Beginning at #25, they are in order: “These Are the Days” by Irish band Inhaler, fronted by Elijah Hewson, the heartthrob son of U2 front man Bono Hewson; “The Echo” by immensely talented British singer-songwriter A.A. Williams, a hauntingly beautiful song I was alerted to by fellow blogger Robert Horvat (Rearview Mirror); “Spit of You” by British singer-songwriter Sam Fender (the guitars are absolutely gorgeous); the achingly beautiful “White Horses” by British singer-songwriter Art Block, who’s similarly-titled EP I reviewed last month; “Crest of the Wave” by British band Foals, one of my current top 10 favorite bands who can do no wrong when it comes to music; and “I Like You (A Happier Song)” by Post Malone & Doja Cat, currently at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. I’ve had several songs by the great Post Malone on my chart, but this is the first appearance for Doja Cat.
BOY – The Killers (1)
HERE TO FOREVER – Death Cab for Cutie (3)
SUPERMODEL – Måneskin (2)
BAD HABIT – Steve Lacy (6)
SEX, DRUGS, ETC. – Beach Weather (10)
BONES – Imagine Dragons (5)
TEK IT – Cafuné (8)
BROKEN RECORD – NAVE (4)
PLEASE WRITE RESPONSIBLY – Granfalloon (11)
MY BABE – Spoon (20)
PART OF THE BAND – The 1975 (12)
UNTIL I FOUND YOU – Stephen Sanchez (7)
VIVA LAS VENGEANCE – Panic! At the Disco (9)
CRACKER ISLAND – Gorillaz featuring Thundercat (18)
FREE – Florence + the Machine (17)
FAILURE TO COMPLY – MISSIO (14)
SOMETHING LOUD – Jimmy Eat World (19)
BREAK MY SOUL – Beyoncé (13)
GIANTS – WALK THE MOON (21)
PARTY4ONE – dwi (22)
WHAT’S THE TRICK? – Jack White (15)
SISTERS – pMad (26)
BITTER – Wild Horse (27)
WET DREAM – Wet Leg (30)
THESE ARE THE DAYS – Inhaler (N)
THE ECHO – A.A. Williams (N)
SPIT OF YOU – Sam Fender (N)
WHITE HORSES – Art Block (N)
CREST OF THE WAVE – Foals (N)
I LIKE YOU (A HAPPIER SONG) – Post Malone & Doja Cat (N)
There’s a literal avalanche of new music being released again, so it’s time for another Fresh New Tracks installment. Today I’m featuring songs by three artists I’ve previously written about – (in alphabetical order) Chicago-based alternative electronic rock artist brett.grant.5, Virginia-based singer-songwriter The Frontier, and Spokane, Washington-based singer-songwriter Johnny Ritchie, as well as Youngy, a Scottish singer-songwriter from Glasgow who’s new to me. All four songs were released today, September 30th.
brett.grant.5– “Ancient Messages”
brett.grant.5 is the artistic name of singer-songwriter, composer and producer Brett Grant, who’s been active in the Chicago music scene for many years, both as a member of several bands and as a solo artist. Drawing from a wide and eclectic range of musical sources and genres, ranging from 1920’s jazz and classical to electronic and experimental progressive rock, his sound is bold, unorthodox and fascinating. We’ve been following one another on social media for over five years, and I’ve grown quite fond of him, both as an artist and a human. Since 2019, I’ve written about his solo music as well as that of his band A Million Rich Daughters.
With his new single “Ancient Messages“, he continues to push himself artistically by exploring new sounds and techniques, keeping his music innovative and fresh in the process. Brett told me he actually wrote this song a few years ago while still in college, but lost it when his laptop was stolen. He recently stumbled across an old demo he’d recorded, and decided to rework the track. The song has a dark undercurrent, gradually building from a somewhat unsettling and tentative vibe, highlighted by a droning, pulsating synth bass groove, into a magnificent dramatic soundscape of eerie synths and jagged grungy guitars. The lyrics are rather abstract, but my take is that they’re about a growing emotional chasm between two people in a relationship, and being unable to either reach them or quit them: “And if I reach for your embrace, your questions could I even face? I guess I know I’ll never win. My motivation drips with sin. Decaying from within. Why can’t I exorcise you from the claim?”
Another artist I’m very fond of is The Frontier, the music project of singer-songwriter Jake Mimikos. Based in northern Virginia, the talented, gracious and funny guy has released an impressive amount of music since 2015, and we’ve followed each other on social media for nearly that long. Drawing upon elements of pop, folk, rock and electronica, his music is incredibly pleasing and flawlessly crafted. As with many singer-songwriters, Jake’s songs are often inspired by personal experiences, and touch on such topics as love, relationships and loss. He lyrics are honest and straightforward, as if he were having a conversation with a friend, and delivered with comforting vocals. I’ve loved all of his songs, and have featured many of them on this blog over the years. Three of them – “Dark Places”, “Can We Go Back”, and most recently “Closer” – have reached #1 on my Weekly Top 30 charts.
He never disappoints with each release, and hits a home run with his new single “Rather Be“. It’s a melancholy but lovely song, with a languid guitar-driven melody, nicely enhanced with lush keyboards and percussive synths. Jake’s guitar work is really beautiful, as are his heartfelt layered vocals. The bittersweet lyrics speak of a relationship that’s broken beyond repair due to one partner’s inability to be faithful and honest “All that you said, was it easy to find the right combination of words in your mind? Well I’d rather be lonely than lied to.”
Johnny Ritchie is an engaging and thoughtful young singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist who I’ve previously featured twice on this blog, when I reviewed his singles “Social Robots” and “Too Much Trouble”. Originally from Indiana, Johnny recently relocated from Great Falls, Montana to Spokane, Washington. With a lifelong love for music, he began learning to play piano and drums as a child, then went on to study Contemporary, Urban, and Popular Music at Columbia College Chicago (where he also met Brett Grant), and in 2020 earned a B.A. degree in Music at Western Michigan University. He now has his own business teaching others to play piano, keyboards and drums, as well as providing lessons in music theory, songwriting and improvisation. He also writes and records music in which he fuses alternative and experimental rock with neo-psychedelia and contemporary jazz to create incredibly fascinating and sophisticated soundscapes.
His latest single “Know Better” certainly fits that description, with a progressive jazzy vibe that’s both pleasing and compelling, in a vein similar to some of Steely Dan’s music. The track, which was produced by brett.grant.5, features a meandering free-form melody and a colorful mix of sparkling synths, gentle bass and guitars, and just the right amount of crisp percussion, allowing each instrument to stand out without overpowering the others. Regarding the song’s inspiration and meaning, Johnny said it not only helped him grow and learn as an artist, but also made him thankful for people who, despite no longer being in his life, were nevertheless influential in his development as a person and an artist.
All of us have people who come in and out of our lives over time, some of whom have a significant impact on shaping who we are. The lyrics in “Know Better” are directed at a woman he was once romantically involved with. Though no longer together, he still thinks of her, and wonders if she ever thinks of him: “Sometimes I wonder if you’re missing me. Or missing the person that I used to be. Well I hope you do, I hope you don’t, ooh. Cause now we’re strangers, though I’ve seen your eyes glow. And we’re strangers who have shared our bodies exposed. Yeah we’re strangers./I wish you could know me better as I am now. I wish I could know you better than memories. I wish present us could sit down and talk but I’ll just keep wishing we had known better than to fall in love.“
Youngy is an artist based in Glasgow, Scotland who recently reached out to me about his new debut single “Halo“. I don’t know very much about him, other than that he was a member and front man of Glasgow indie grunge band Audiotown, who disbanded this past March. Now he’s embarking on the next phase of his music career as a solo artist, and “Halo” is his first single. To prepare to write about him, I listened to Audiotown’s back catalogue of songs, and their songs couldn’t be any more different in style and sound than “Halo”. Whereas Audiotown’s music was grungy and edgy, in the vein of such bands as Alice in Chains, Youngy’s debut track is unabashed synthpop. That’s not a bad thing, at least for me, as I love synthpop, especially when it’s fueled by a strong driving dance beat.
And wow, “Halo” hits right from the start and doesn’t let up. I love this kind of music, so it’s right up my alley. The driving beats, exuberant melody and cinematic instrumentals are all fantastic, and I defy anyone to not get moving while hearing this song. The rather simple lyrics seem to speak to letting loose and enjoying the moment for all its worth: “Living life inside a daydream. No place I’d rather be. Nothing makes me feel so happy. There’s nothing else I need. Smoke rings growing like a halo. Twist up around my head.” Youngy sings in a somewhat gravelly monotone, which I didn’t care for at first. But the more I listened to the song, I think his low-key vocals work well with the mesmerizing music. I look forward to hearing more from him!
I continue to be astounded by all the creativity and talent coming out of the British music scene, and one of my favorites (who I’ve been following for several years) is Granfalloon, the music project of Manchester-based singer-songwriter, producer and guitarist Richard Lomax. Using acoustic guitars, synthesizers and drum loops, along with unusual instruments such as vintage Omnichords, the engaging, curly-haired artist creates his own unique style of music that’s a pleasing hybrid of lo-fi alternative folk, experimental and electronica. His songs are enchanting little stories touching on the many idiosyncrasies of everyday life, but with a dollop of quirky surrealism to keep them fun. And his warm, soothing vocals, delivered with a lighthearted cheekiness and charming accent, are so wonderful I would literally enjoy hearing him sing the telephone book. Simply put, his songs make me feel happy.
Since forming Granfalloon in late 2016, Lomax has released a fairly steady stream of singles and albums, beginning with his debut album Down There For Dancing in 2017. He followed two years later with his beautiful second album RGB, then dropped his marvelous third album Positive Songs in August 2021, a collaborative work featuring 11 tracks produced for The Positive Song Project, launched by Lomax and his friend Lobelia Lawson during the first lockdown of 2020. They invited songwriters to create new music by challenging themselves to focus on positive aspects and feelings, rather than negative or depressing songs about feeling isolated and bored during lockdown. The response was overwhelming, resulting in the creation of over 300 tracks by artists from around the world. (I reviewed two of the tracks from Positive Songs – “Working On Your Own” and “The Pigeon” – which you can read by clicking on the Related links at the end of this post.)
Now he’s back with his fourth album Calendar, featuring 12 delightful tracks. I’ll leave it to him to explain his inspiration behind the album’s creation: “The roots of this album can be traced back to 2014, when I was recording a debut album with my previous band. It was the 13th time I had recorded that album. Getting it right was proving difficult… A different approach was needed to keep things fresh. I would write new songs, one every week, without perfectionism weighing down the process. By the end of 2014 I had amassed 52 new songs, each one reflecting the week I’d experienced, all framed as fevered journal entries. After founding Granfalloon in 2016 and releasing two albums, I went into the studio in February of 2020 to begin the task of committing definitive versions of the songs from my ’52 Project’.
Obviously the pandemic put the project on hold and ironically, now everyone had a double album of songs squirrelled away. But I never wrote because I had too much time on my hands. Writing has always been a matter of necessity for me. I returned to the studio again in 2021 with a core band from the Positive Songs Project to whittle down the original 52 to 12 songs. These 12 songs comprise this new album ‘Calendar’.”
In addition to Lomax, who sang lead vocals and played guitars, Wurlizter, Omnichord and melodica, a host of other musicians contributed their talents on some or all of the songs, adding a colorful kaleidoscope of instrumental sounds and textures: Daz Woodcock (bass, vocals, organ, keys), Andy Lyth (drums, percussion, banjo), Cleg (guitars, mandolin, vocals), Garreth Knott (trumpet), Sarah-Jane Pearson (vocals), Caffs Burgis (vocals, synths), Dom Major (guitars), Ellie Boney (cello), George Burrage (violin), Robin Melinda Koob (violin), Molly Becker (violin), Tim Davies (drums), Jack Wakeman (bass), and Jason Alder (contrabass clarinet).
The songs encompass an array of styles, from the exotically folksy “Witch of Woodplumpton” and seductively bluesy “Eulerian Circles“, to the whimsically poppy “Bee on a String” and Americana-tinged “A Year After the Party Died“. But the one thing they all have in common is their outstanding arrangements, instrumentation and production values. The album kicks off with “Archive“, which opens with Jason Alder’s fascinating contrabass clarinet notes, nicely accompanied by twangy guitars, George Burrage’s violin, Ellie Boney’s cello, Tim Davies’ military-style drumbeats. and Sarah-Jane Pearson’s gentle vocals.
I like all the songs of Calendar, but I’ll call out some of the standouts for me, as well as some particularly lovely little moments heard on a few tracks. The aforementioned “Witch of Woodplumpton” is pleasing, but with a mysterious undercurrent, and lyrics that speak to the historic and ongoing oppression of women: “From Mary of Eden to Joan of Arc, we’ve been burning and burying you from the start. You have to dig your way out of your own grave.” Richard’s intricate guitar work is sublime, and I think I also hear Cleg’s sweet mandolin notes. And once again, we’re treated to Sarah-Jane Pearson’s smooth backing vocals, Ellie’s lovely cello, and George’s violin, with added violin by Robin Melinda Koob for good measure.
“Paint It By Numbers” is a cheeky number sung from the perspective of a professor who can only express their love through mathematical figures: “Shall I compare thee to the fundamental theorem of algrebaic K-theory? Like Pythagorus said, something’s deeply irrational about the square root of 2 where the 2 are me and U. Let me show you the numbers. Tell you in numbers. Lay down the numbers. Paint it by numbers 4 U.“
Far and away the highlight for me on the album is the thoroughly enchanting “Please Write Responsibly“, which tells the story of an innocently-written song that goes rogue: “This yarn had caused more harm than was ever my intention. I’d only scribbled words on paper, I hadn’t wanted this destruction. I mean, whoever got hurt by a story? What song brought a government to its knees? What poem dismantled a tank, or started World War 3? And As I tracked the trail of carnage caused by my fantasy, it leapt right out of my computer screen and began to attack me. My Story tore me limb from limb, all the while screaming with glee: ‘Words are more powerful than you ever could conceive So please write responsibly!’” The beguiling song features the musical handiwork of Richard and Dom Major on guitars, Molly Becker on violin, Daz Woodcock and bass, and Andy Lyth on the sweet banjo. I love this song, which is currently enjoying an extended run on my Weekly Top 30.
Another favorite is the bouncy “Bee on a String“, with its lively guitars and Garreth Knott’s warm trumpet. The lyrics describing a woman who keeps a bee on a string trapped in a tupperware box in her refrigerator are an allegory for keeping her man similarly under her control: “I know you’re fascinated by me but won’t you let me be free? Why won’t you let me bee free? O must you keep me in a deep freeze. It makes me sleep so you keep me, and she keeps bees in a deep freeze...”
“O Joyce” tells the story of a Joyce over a 60-plus period of years, beginning with how her mother bought a pet Macaw who she named Bobby Corwen when Joyce was a young child. It’s a cute little ditty, with some nice trumpets by Garreth and guitar, Wurlizter and Omnichord by Richard. I also like how he whispers in a slightly seductive voice, “Joyce, make us a cuppa tea“, after each verse.
“All My Old Lovers (live on the same street)” is a rather wistful, introspective song about past loves, loss, and the need to move on and away from judgmental neighbors and gossiping tongues: “All the meetings they’ll have about this and that, make you feel so exposed. In a small town like this all you do is exist. This is no place to heal. It’s time to move on – You can’t live here any more.” The song is lovely, with a bit of a melancholy undercurrent, highlighted by gentle chiming guitar notes, cello and violin. Richard’s smooth vocals convey a slightly sad sense of resignation.
In a similar vein, “The Day the Party Died” speaks to loss and the passage of time, with references to several mythical characters like Ahab, Peter Pan and Cupid to drive home the inevitable changes that happen with time. Not all of these changes are for the better, expressed in the lyrics “They’ve turned the club into a takeaway. They’ve turned the pub into a takeaway. They’ve turned our home into a takeaway.”
But then on the album closer “Rushmore“, Granfalloon admonishes us to look to the future with hope and optimism, and not dwell in the past: “Don’t waste your life on a memory. The wind will change, both kind and strange. It’s never as dark as you think.” The song is another favorite of mine, as I love the dramatic shimmery electric guitars and beautiful soaring vocal harmonies in the chorus. It’s a fine finish to a delightfully charming album. With Calendar, Richard and his fellow musicians have created a lovely and thoughtful work that makes for a thoroughly enjoyable listen, for which they should be very proud.
His albums are only available as a digital download on Bandcamp and in CD format, though several of his singles are also available for streaming on Spotify, Apple Music & Soundcloud.
“Am I a villain or a saint?” MISSIO asks on the title track of their brilliant new album VILLAIN. It’s an aural and emotional roller-coaster, encompassing the yin and yang of evil and goodness that exists within most of us. As regular readers of this blog know, I’m a huge fan of the Austin, Texas-based duo, which consists of singer-songwriter and producer Matthew Brue and songwriter/producer and instrumentalist David Butler. On the strength of their exceptional music catalog, as well as their honesty and openness with their fans and followers, they’ve earned a place among my favorite music acts of all time, and I’ve featured them several times on this blog. Their edgy, thoroughly original sound is an eclectic mash-up of gritty alternative electronic rock, hip hop and dreamy emo vibes. Matthew’s beautiful, deeply emotive vocals add to their distinctive sound that’s totally unlike any other act.
David Butler and Matthew Brue
Beginning with the release of their debut album Loner in 2017, they’ve consistently put out a tremendous amount of outstanding music, including their magnificent second album The Darker the Weather // The Better the Man in 2019 (my review of that album has garnered over 2,900 views, making it my highest-viewed album review ever). They released their gorgeous fourth album Can You Feel The Sun in October 2020, and their fifth and latest album VILLAIN dropped September 23rd. Three of their songs – “I See You”, “Underground” and “Can You Feel the Sun” – have reached #1 on my own Weekly Top 30 chart, with “I See You” also being my #1 song of 2019 and #10 of the entire decade of the 2010s.
Though most of MISSIO’s songs are inspired by personal experiences, both good and bad, VILLAIN is perhaps their most deeply personal and introspective: “This is the first album we’ve chosen to release independently, and we poured our hearts into it. We always aim to write vulnerably about what we are feeling in the moment, and honestly, the last few years have been filled with a lot of difficult moments for us. Therefore, this album was written and inspired from some of the darkest spaces / heaviest emotions that we’ve experienced. It’s an album cultivated over hundreds of hours of internal/external dialogue within ourselves and each other about the meaning of the world and our place in it.“
The ten tracks touch on such topics as the conflict between good vs. evil, feelings of self-worth, anger and resentment, and the need for love and acceptance. The title track “Villain” seems to encapsulate all of these: “Complicated and a mess, slightly OCD. Take for granted many things that mean a lot to me.I know, I’ve got a lot to learn. I was raised as a scorpion. Being pulled by the moon in a high tide. That’s why I’m broken. I know, this hurts a lot. It’s not my fault it never was. And I know, I’m tough like stone. But right now, please hug me, I feel alone.” Musically, the song alternates between pensive, atmospheric moods and urgent, beat-driven grooves, nicely conveying the inner conflict touched on earlier.
Here’s a video, released in January 2023, of MISSIO performing the song.
On the menacing trip hop song “Demons“, Matthew starts off lamenting of his shortcomings “I feel I am letting go. And that makes me angry because I’m not who I want to be. It seems like I’m fading. And that makes me terrified because I’m not who I want to be.” But then he seems to take on the persona of the devil as he malevolently snarls, perhaps in reply to himself “Ay boy, what the fuck you think you’re doing here? This is Hell, don’t you know that you were coming here? I’ve been playing with your demons all day.”
MISSIO summon their inner beast on the bombastic “Say Something” and “#gimmeakiss“, which according to Spotify streaming stats are two of the most popular tracks on VILLAIN. Both tracks last barely two minutes, but blast through the speakers like a sonic battering ram of grinding industrial synths and pummeling beats. It’s clear the guys had a lot of fun recording these bangers, which are more frantic than their usual style, and both need to be played at full volume!
“I Wanna Fight And You Know It” is an eerie, aggressive song in which Matthew speaks to his darker, more combative side: “People tell me that I may be the disease. Like I’m the crazy bitches in the sea. Maybe all of ’em are right when it comes to being shady. I wanna fight and you know it. I got my fists up tonight and you know it.” And on the anthemic “We Are Who We Are“, Matthew addresses the importance of being true to ourselves, and accepting our imperfections in order to live a life that’s honest and real: “Why do we try to live a lie? It isn’t worth it. Who you tryna please? ‘Cause if it’s me, it isn’t working. We are who we are. That can be hard to accept. We are all fucked up human beings.”
One of the more enjoyable tracks on the album is “Does Anybody Love Me“. I love the infectious upbeat vibe and hearty piano and bass-driven groove. The lyrics speak to overthinking and worrying too much about what others think of you, but also cognizant of the fact that many others do the same: “Does anybody love me? I don’t know. Is everybody lonely? I think so.”
The final three tracks on VILLAIN are more contemplative and melodic, beginning with “Failure to Comply“, a beautiful, powerfully moving song about a narcissist who’s unable to love or show empathy toward others: “What is it you’re looking for? What is it that leaves you wanting more? Will you ever fight for me? Will you ever love someone other than you?” The mournful piano and dramatic, sweeping instrumentals are gorgeous, as are Matthew’s deeply heartfelt vocals. My favorite song on the album, it’s spent the past three months and counting on my Weekly Top 30.
“Picture in My Pocket” is a beautiful love song, with a languid, almost jazzy feel. The warm piano keys, subtle percussion and strummed guitar are positively sublime, and Matthew’s gentle vocals have an enchanting ethereal quality as he softly croons “Hang on to love if it’s real. I want to believe. I have this picture in my pocket of a peace I won’t grieve. And then I saw you. And you saw me. And suddenly the world wasn’t as bad as once before.”
VILLAIN closes on a positive note with the stunning and cinematic “To the Universe“. The lyrics speak to living life with an open mind and an open heart, unafraid to take chances and follow your dreams: “Open your mind to ideas that you don’t like. It’s a beautiful world if you quit puttin’ up a fight. You can let your walls down and be who you want to be. ‘Cause it’s a beautiful world, you can scream it when you don’t believe. To the universe, to the universe. It’s where we’re headed.”
Their previous albums are all so exceptional, I wasn’t sure how MISSIO could possibly keep matching their quality, let alone top them. But how shortsighted and wrong I was to doubt them, as once again they’ve gifted us with a phenomenal album in the form of VILLAIN. Every single one of its tracks is outstanding, which is not something that can be said about very many albums. I remain a faithful and devoted fan.
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 