- WE ARE BETWEEN – Modest Mouse (2)
- FLATLINE – Two Feet (1)
- METRONOME – Polarizer (5)
- FOLLOW YOU – Imagine Dragons (6)
- WELCOME TO THE PARTY – Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions (10)
- BED HEAD – Manchester Orchestra (8)
- NOT DEAD YET – Lord Huron (3)
- SHY AWAY – twenty øne piløts (4)
- SAVE YOUR TEARS – The Weeknd (7)
- CAN WE GO BACK – The Frontier (11)
- TYPHOONS – Royal Blood (12)
- MARTYR – Oli Barton & the Movement (13)
- SINNER – Young Decades (14)
- COME FIND ME BACK – Philip Morgan Lewis (15)
- YOUR POWER – Billie Eilish (16)
- BETTER – Michigander (17)
- BREAK MY BABY – KALEO (9)
- CRAWLING KINGSNAKE – The Black Keys (20)
- ZITTI E BUONI – Måneskin (23)
- ALL YOU EVER WANTED – Rag’n’Bone Man (24)
- HIGHER POWER – Coldplay (25)
- STARGAZING – The Neighbourhood (28)
- LIKE I USED TO – Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen (29)
- NOTHING2 – Strange Souvenirs (27)
- STOP MAKING THIS HURT – Bleachers (30)
- STICKY – The Maine (N)
- SOLAR POWER – Lorde (N)
- MISSING PIECE – Vance Joy (N)
- EVERY WINDOW IS A MIRROR – Joywave (N)
- ENNUI – Dawning (N)
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT – SECRET POSTAL SOCIETY
One of the most prolific and generous artists I’ve encountered in my nearly six years of blogging is Secret Postal Society, the music project of Welsh singer-songwriter, composer and multi-instrumentalist Craig Mapstone. Since the beginning of the year, he’s faithfully released a new single every week, and as I write this, he just dropped his 27th single “Here Comes Trouble”. At the end of each month, he bundles the four singles from that month into an EP, which translates to six EPs thus far in 2021. Here’s the cover art for his latest EP, simply titled June EP.
Based in South Wales, Craig has been writing songs and playing in various local bands over the years, primarily as a drummer. He was content to remain mostly hidden behind the scenes playing drums, but hadn’t been in a band for quite a while. As with virtually all musicians around the globe, the covid lockdowns prevented him from performing live and leaving him with lots of time for introspection, but also impacting his overall sense of well-being. He told me “After the crazy year that was 2020, I found myself refocusing what was important to me, and music was always a big part of my life. It was also my lifeline as it helped me with my anxiety. During last year I found myself playing guitar more and coming up with lots of ideas with no real focus as to what to do with them. Then literally a few days before the end of the year I just decided that I was going to create a band and then try and write/record a new song every week. I set up my YouTube channel and Instagram account and went from there.”
And thus, Secret Postal Society was born. Each week, Craig writes (or co-writes) and records a brand new song, playing all of the instruments and singing all of the vocal parts himself (with the notable exception of some solo guitar and backing vocals from Rev Rabbit (of Welsh indie rock band Revolution Rabbit Deluxe, whose three albums I’ve previously reviewed) on the song “Now Is The Time”. In addition to Secret Postal Society, Craig is also co-founder (with Raj Chand) of Weird Triangle, a business that offers design services for digital video projects, logos and promotional materials, and their own line of T-shirts and hoodies. Through his involvement with Weird Triangle, Craig designs most of the artwork for the Secret Postal Society single and E.P. covers, along with limited edition T-shirts for each song. He also creates most of his videos using free and publicly available footage he finds on the internet, then edits it to fit the particular song.
Secret Postal Society was not only a way to help Craig through a difficult time, but he also uses it to help others. Accordingly, he donates 100% of the profits from the sale of each T-shirt (with the E.P. designs) to a different charity each month. Thus far, he’s supported the following charities: MS-UK (January), Cystic Fibrosis Trust (February), Velindre Hospital (March), Mermaids UK (April), The Prince’s Trust (May) and Umbrella Cymru (June).
The very first song he released, on New Years Day, was “It’s Not Over“, an old song he originally wrote and recorded back in 2006. He said the song got him through some difficult times over the years, and felt it was the right track to launch Secret Postal Society. It’s a good example of his laid-back singer-songwriter music style, which is primarily pop-rock infused with touches of indie folk. But as I’ll show in this post, his music is actually quite eclectic, exploring elements of progressive, experimental, grunge, post-punk and alternative rock. Most of his songs are really good, but I’ve chosen a few of my favorites, as well as ones I think give a good representation of his extensive stylistic range.
On his next single “Happy Sad“, he delivers a somewhat heavier rock vibe, with some fine jangly guitar work. He almost reveals his entire face on the video of him performing the song.
One of my favorite songs by him is “Choices“, a dramatic and moody track released in February. On this song, Craig seems to delve more deeply into progressive and experimental rock, using distorted psychedelic guitars, somber keyboards and horns to great effect in creating a darkly beautiful soundscape for his ominous droning vocals. The video was produced by Rubén Velasco and edited by Craig.
His follow-up single “I Like You” has more of a grunge/psych rock vibe, with some terrific reverb-soaked gnarly guitars. His electronically-altered vocals sound almost robotic as he drones “Your love it isn’t science. My love isn’t art. We must redraw the line, cause you’re tearing me apart. Cause I like you. Yeah, I like you.” The cool animated video was produced by Cottonbro.
Continuing on a grunge theme, but with more alternative and electronic elements, is the pleasing track “Numb“. Released in April, it’s another one of my favorite Secret Postal Society songs. Craig’s synths are wonderful, and I also love his guitar work in this track, which reminds me a bit of “Lazy Eye” by Silversun Pickups. The beautiful video was once again produced by Cottonbro.
“Half Way There“, released in late June as his 26th single, marks the halfway point of his opus 2021 endeavor. It’s a beautiful guitar-driven track featuring some lovely keyboard synths and Craig’s soothing vocals. The optimistic lyrics speak not only to his half-year milestone, but also metaphorically of a struggling relationship halfway toward its fulfillment. And we finally get a good look at Craig on the video, which shows his creative process and him performing the song.
I’ll end with his latest single “Here Comes Trouble“, which dropped July 2nd. The song has a late-90s alt-pop/rock vibe, reminiscent of songs by artists like Duncan Sheik, Eagle Eye Cherry and Deep Blue Something. Once again, it showcases the breadth and variety of Secret Postal Society’s musical style. There’s literally something for just about everyone in his discography, and I’m dumbfounded by his impressive output. The ability to write, record and release a new song week in and week out is amazing in itself, but to have such high quality in nearly every track is quite an accomplishment. I hope Craig will be able to maintain the creativity and stamina to continue releasing a new song per week for the remainder of 2021, and look forward to hearing what he comes up with next!
Follow Secret Postal Society: Facebook / Instagram
Stream his music: Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
EMMA YOUNG Releases Video for “All You’ll Ever Need”
Emma Young is a versatile and talented singer-songwriter, actress, model and producer based in Westport, Massachusetts. I first learned about her in April when I wrote about the song “Reanimate” by brett.grant.5 that she was featured on. Emma and Brett met as students at Columbia College Chicago, and played together in the band Sleep For Dinner, who released their self-titled EP in 2019. Over the past few years, she’s also released several singles as a solo artist, along with her debut EP Rise, which dropped a year ago in June 2020. On June 25th, Emma released a dark and provocative new video for one of the tracks on the EP “All You’ll Ever Need“.
The song and video explore the relationship between an artist and her fans. Emma explains: “People get a narrow, highly edited view of an artist. The artist’s job is to convince their audience they desperately need them. The next release is ‘always the best music to ever have been written’ and the next image is ‘always a flawless yet candid’ portrait of what the artist is selling. As I describe in my lyrics ‘This is how it works, parts of life are all you’ll ever see’. The artist singing the song knows their role is to tempt new listeners and get them addicted to their sound. So I play a siren of sorts, luring my follower (played by Wes Kader) through screens and song to the point of obsession. At the same time, I am watching myself through that dusty tv set, always judging the persona I have created, yet detached from her, as if all those photos and videos are just an ideal that I will never truly reach. I sit clawing at the tv set, lonely, viewing the alternate reality I created. I play both the artist and a fan because the artist must both create and be an observer of themselves to calculate the best plan of attack. When I see the fan start to follow me I am satisfied with the result. It’s a dark and multi angled view of music. I am also into horror movies and wanted to play off of some classic scenes!“
Musically, “All You Ever Need” is darkly beautiful and mesmerizing too. Emma has done a masterful job creating a moody, yet sensual soundscape to perfectly express the double-edged aspects of artistry and celebrity. The song opens with discordant sounds and a rather ominous, droning synth lasting around 30 seconds, then transitions to an enchanting dance beat, accompanied by spooky ethereal synths and hauntingly beautiful piano chords. Her breathy vocals are captivating, with an almost ghostly feel as she sings to an imaginary fan who’s quickly becoming obsessed with her. The result is an outstanding song that brilliantly evokes her siren persona.
Here I am again, waiting for you in the dark Here I am again, I know exactly what you want from me, what you want from me See you through the lens, staring at me through the cracks See you through the lens, you are waiting for a chance to see, you are waiting for a chance to see me You don't blame me for, all the things that I've done I left you wanting more, you left me with a new history, you left me with a new history This is how it works, nights with you out on the streets This is how it works, parts of life are all you'll ever see, they're all you'll ever need Whoa whoa whoa Oh I'm all you'll ever need Whoa whoa whoa Oh I'm all you'll ever need I'm all you'll ever need All you'll ever need I'm All
The video was beautifully filmed by Bob Klein, who co-produced it with Andrew Bernard.
Follow Emma: Facebook / Instagram
Stream her music: Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube
Producer: Hugh Padgham in the 80s
I’m sharing this well-researched and beautifully-written article about acclaimed British record producer Hugh Padgham by Pierce Brown of The Press Music Reviews blog. It’s truly a master class in writing, so do yourselves a favor and give it a read! And while you’re there, follow his terrific blog too.
Producer: Hugh Padgham in the 80s
EML’s Favorite Songs – “Heat Wave” by Martha & the Vandellas
Though we’re officially only one week into Summer 2021, it’s already turning out to be an exceptionally hot one for a large swath of the U.S., and around the Northern Hemisphere. Temperature records have been shattered in many locations, including here in the Coachella Valley of Southern California where I live. On June 17th, the temperature in Palm Springs reached 123 degrees, setting a new all-time record high for June (after hitting 120 two days earlier). In the normally temperate Pacific Northwest, Portland, Oregon set a new all-time record high of 108 on June 26th, with Seattle also breaking their all-time record with 102 degrees. Those new records look to be short-lived, as they’re forecast to be broken later today!
(Late update: they were indeed broken on the 27th, as high temperatures reached 112 at the official airport station in Portland, and 104 in Seattle, then broken again on the 28th, with temperatures soaring to an unbelievable 116 in Portland, 117 in Salem and 107 in Seattle!)
These crazy-hot temperatures got me thinking about one of my favorite songs from the 1960s, “Heat Wave” by Martha & the Vandellas. Originally formed as the Del-Phis in 1957 by Annette Beard, Rosalind Ashford and Gloria Williams, (and briefly renamed The Vels in 1961-62), the act was redubbed Martha & the Vandellas in 1962 after Martha Reeves replaced Williams as lead vocalist (and later to Martha Reeves & the Vandellas as Reeves gained prominence). “Heat Wave” (also known as “(Love Is Like A) Heat Wave”) was written by the legendary Motown songwriting team of Brian and Eddie Holland and Lamont Dozier, who also penned numerous hits for the Supremes, Marvin Gaye, Four Tops and many others. It was the second hit song they collaborated on with Martha & the Vandellas, following their first hit “Come and Get These Memories”.
Appropriately released in July 1963 – during what is often the hottest part of summer – the single was a breakthrough hit for Martha & the Vandellas, peaking at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100, and #1 on the Billboard R&B Singles Chart. It also earned them a Grammy nomination for Best Rhythm and Blues Recording for 1964, making the Vandellas the first Motown group ever to be nominated for a Grammy Award.
It’s a great song and a timeless classic that’s endured to this day. It was later covered by such artists as Linda Ronstadt (who scored a top five hit with it in 1975), The Jam (in 1979) and Phil Collins (in 2010). The Martha and the Vandellas version was featured in the 1970 film The Boys in the Band, in a scene where several of the characters perform an impromptu line dance to the song. It was also used in the 1976 film Carrie and 1979’s More American Graffiti. And in the 1992 film Sister Act, Whoopi Goldberg sings the song as part of her Vegas nightclub act saluting ’60s girl groups.
Top 30 Songs for June 27-July 3, 2021
- FLATLINE – Two Feet (1)
- WE ARE BETWEEN – Modest Mouse (4)
- NOT DEAD YET – Lord Huron (2)
- SHY AWAY – twenty øne piløts (3)
- METRONOME – Polarizer (5)
- FOLLOW YOU – Imagine Dragons (6)
- SAVE YOUR TEARS – The Weeknd (7)
- BED HEAD – Manchester Orchestra (9)
- BREAK MY BABY – KALEO (8)
- WELCOME TO THE PARTY – Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions (12)
- CAN WE GO BACK – The Frontier (15)
- TYPHOONS – Royal Blood (16)
- MARTYR – Oli Barton & the Movement (18)
- SINNER – Young Decades (19)
- COME FIND ME BACK – Philip Morgan Lewis (17)
- YOUR POWER – Billie Eilish (20)
- BETTER – Michigander (21)
- ROSE HIPS – Dawning (10)
- BREATHE – Ships Have Sailed (11)
- CRAWLING KINGSNAKE – The Black Keys (24)
- AT HOME IN THE DARK – Au Gres (13)
- HYPOTHETICALS – Lake Street Dive (14)
- ZITTI E BUONI – Måneskin (28)
- ALL YOU EVER WANTED – Rag’n’Bone Man (27)
- HIGHER POWER – Coldplay (29)
- WAY LESS SAD – AJR (23)
- NOTHING2 – Strange Souvenirs (30)
- STARGAZING – The Neighbourhood (N)
- LIKE I USED TO – Sharon Van Etten & Angel Olsen (N)
- STOP MAKING THIS HURT – Bleachers (N)
N Pa – Album Review: “The Ghost Within: The Tale of Turmoil”
N Pa (the music moniker of songwriter, composer and producer Nicholas Pavoni) is a creative and talented electronic artist based in New Jersey. He began writing and recording music as N Pa Productions when he was only 17 years old, and in 2007 he self-released his first albums Reality | a dream and Reality | a dream: The B-Side (neither of which are now available). Over the next couple of years, he collaborated with numerous vocalists and producers from different genres of music for the recording of his debut album Sight & Sound, as well as producing tracks for several artists. He was later signed to a couple of different London-based independent labels from 2010 to 2014, but in the years since has worked as a solo independent artist.
In September 2013, he independently released his second studio album The Ghost Within: The Tale of Turmoil, as well as a separate EP Unorthodox. Another collaborative effort involving at least 20 other songwriters, musicians, vocalists and producers, The Ghost Within: The Tale of Turmoil is an ambitious concept work built around the main character and protagonist Turmoil, who N Pa states represents “the fight and uncertainty that is in all of us when we’re trying to move on when something tragic happens such as the loss of a loved one.” The story explores the realms of the reality and lucid dreams/nightmares that Turmoil experiences. The antagonists are The Ghost Within (and his minions), and Turmoil’s lost love Melinda (whose name is never mentioned in any of the album tracks).
A summary written by Josh Wright further explains the album’s concept: “Devastated by the love of his life leaving him, Turmoil finds himself drowning in a cesspool of depression and wanting out of his emotional roller coaster ride. The ghost within haunts his thoughts as he feels his grip on sanity slipping away. The listener gets taken on his journey through madness and back again. Join Turmoil in his process musically and evolve as he does, and as the music progresses, so will he.“
N Pa conceived of the overall concept theme, then composed the instrumentals for each track, knowing in advance what part of the story he wanted to tell. He then gave his musical compositions, along with their desired themes, to various songwriters so that they could write the lyrics for each particular track. His goal was to ensure that no two songs would sound the same, and that together, they would tell a fluid story. The songs draw from a wide spectrum of electronic music elements, including EDM, trance, orchestral, dubstep, breakbeat and glitch. The album was a passion project for him, however, he was never able to fully promote it. After reading some of my reviews of other artists, he reached out to me about reviewing the album, even though it was released eight years ago.
The album opens with “Prologue (The Beginning)“, a darkly beautiful and mysterious track introducing us to Turmoil, and setting a perfect tone for the story about to unfold. N Pa wrote the lyrics, which are narrated by Michael Leonard: “Her betrayal turned love to poison. His heart, now tainted with the thought of madness. It burns, like a brush fire in the field of lust. His sanity escapes with every breath. His mind, the only safe haven for him to hide. This, is the tale of turmoil.” The song quickly segues into “Turmoil“, an ominous track which sees Turmoil slowly losing his sanity: “Turmoil, she creeps into your veins. Another world overtaking all the sane.” The lyrics for this track were written and sung by Xenoc, aka Aaron Zafran, a DJ, musician and electronic music producer. I really like the orchestral touches N Pa uses on this track, especially the dramatic strings that give the track a bold cinematic feel.
Continuing with the theme of Turmoil’s mental anguish, “Memories” delves more deeply into his PTSD resulting from his obsession over the loss of Melinda; “I’ll never be the same, cause now I’m lost in you. My memories still haunting me. Running after you. You saw the best in me when I couldn’t see. But now you’re gone, I’m all alone.” Musically, the song is a seven-minute-long EDM track with haunting dubstep undertones. The lyrics were written by Dvir André Tzanua and Meital Patash-Cohen, members of Israeli electro-dance pop act Knob, with Patash-Cohen singing vocals.
“Blistered” sees Turmoil coming to terms with reality, and realizing he must metaphorically walk through fire to get to a better place of rebirth and healing: “It’s all around you, Engulfing, it’s everywhere. It feels like choking, but still you can find me there. I know an answer to clear up this smoky air. Just walk right through it. The fastest way to get you there.” The song delivers more pulsating EDM goodness, with lyrics written by Christopher Volz, lead singer of nu-metal band Flaw, and sung by Volz and Anthony Grisko.
One of my favorite tracks is “Sea of Darkness“, a darkly beautiful and musically complex feast for the senses. I love the mix of psychedelic and spacy industrial synths and hypnotic thumping EDM beat, punctuated here and there by bass drops, trap breakdowns, enchanting keyboards and loads of gnarly distortion. The lyrics, which speak of sinking further into despair – “This sea of darkness Is taking me down, down, down. The depths of the sea are my only escape. Darkness my only light” – were written by N Pa and sung by Richard Bush of the Philadelphia rock band Peace Creeps, whose vocals remind me in spots of Calvin Harris. Additional vocals were sung by Bobby Jasso, and electric guitar was played by multi-instrumentalist and music producer Taylor Barefoot.
Escaping from darkness and moving into the light is addressed on the brief “Interlude (The Battle)“, a haunting orchestral track with gorgeous electric violin played by David Wong. The lyrics were written by N Pa and narrated by Michael Leonard: “The once was is now no more. His fate sealed in this entrapment. He must now seek out the light. Encased in the darkness, the battle for the mind has commenced, and each side is eager to win. But Who will turn out the victor?” The next track “On the Inside” opens with a sample from The Mars Volta song “Ilyena”, featuring heavily distorted and otherworldly vocals, then settles into an exuberant EDM groove with thumping dance beats and spacy synths. The extensive lyrics were written and sung by Frank Pino, Jr. of Massachusetts rock band Waltham, who has a beautiful, emphatic vocal style. The song seems to be a tug of war between Turmoil and The Ghost Within, who gives him an ultimatum to either save himself or be forever lost: “Follow me no compromise, or you’ll be left alone. Come with me to save your mind, or fall forever.” It’s a great track.
Next up is “Release Me“, a beautiful seven-minute long EDM track in which Turmoil pleads with both The Ghost Within and Melinda to free him from his emotional hell: “Release me from all I’m feeling. Release me, and start the healing.” The lyrics were written and sung by Pete Murray of L.A. rock band Lo-Pro (who to my ears sounds a bit like Jared Leto) and Luke Jackson, with guitars and cello played by Jeremy Berghorst. The synths and beats on this track are fantastic, and I really love the guys’ passionate vocals.
Finishing the saga is the dramatic and hopeful “Not Today“, with lyrics written by Michael Leonard and Joshua Spradlin, and sung by FloatstoneHeart, Esper Fiction, and Kate Wild. The lyrics for this track are quite extensive too, and speak to Turmoil’s wanting his life to be better, but still feeling intense self-doubt and uncertainty as to whether he’ll be successful: “All I can show is I am buried under all this debt, but I have not given up just yet. Still all I know is, if you give me just one more shot I will surely fuck it up.” Nevertheless he feels resolved to make it, ending things on an optimistic note: “Oh, time, can’t lay me down to bed cause I’ve got too long left to run. I won’t be floating there with the fishes til I’m done.” Musically, the song reminds me in places of songs by Everything But the Girl and Thirty Seconds to Mars, obviously a very good thing!
Making a concept album can be a tricky undertaking, but with The Ghost Within: The Tale of Turmoil, N Pa has succeeded quite nicely. This expertly-crafted album is a fascinating and engrossing listen, sounding as fresh and current today as it was in 2013. N Pa released a remixed version of the album in 2015 entitled The Ghost Within: Remixed (Part 1), then went on a brief hiatus. In December 2020 he released a single “Nothing In Your Eyes” (feat. Marcie Joy, GloomIsOkay, & Android Invasion), and is working on his next EP Euphoric Absence set to to released in later this year. I look forward to hearing it!
Connect with N Pa: Twitter / Instagram
Stream/Purchase his music: Bandcamp / Soundcloud
Top 30 Songs for June 20-26, 2021
- FLATLINE – Two Feet (3)
- NOT DEAD YET – Lord Huron (1)
- SHY AWAY – twenty øne piløts (2)
- WE ARE BETWEEN – Modest Mouse (9)
- METRONOME – Polarizer (6)
- FOLLOW YOU – Imagine Dragons (7)
- SAVE YOUR TEARS – The Weeknd (8)
- BREAK MY BABY – KALEO (11)
- BED HEAD – Manchester Orchestra (12)
- ROSE HIPS – Dawning (4)
- BREATHE – Ships Have Sailed (5)
- WELCOME TO THE PARTY – Jack Droppers & the Best Intentions (19)
- AT HOME IN THE DARK – Au Gres (10)
- HYPOTHETICALS – Lake Street Dive (13)
- CAN WE GO BACK – The Frontier (17)
- TYPHOONS – Royal Blood (18)
- COME FIND ME BACK – Philip Morgan Lewis (21)
- MARTYR – Oli Barton & the Movement (22)
- SINNER – Young Decades (23)
- YOUR POWER – Billie Eilish (24)
- BETTER – Michigander (25)
- BLACK DAYS – Amongst Liars (15)
- WAY LESS SAD – AJR (16)
- CRAWLING KINGSNAKE – The Black Keys (26)
- LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN – Bruno Mars, Anderson .Paak, Silk Sonic (20)
- I NEED YOU – Jon Batiste (14)
- ALL YOU EVER WANTED – Rag’n’Bone Man (27)
- ZITTI E BUONI – Måneskin (29)
- HIGHER POWER – Coldplay (30)
- NOTHING2 – Strange Souvenirs (N)
ALAIN DORRA – EP Review: “Pelican Spirit”
Alain Dorra is a French musician and composer who creates a unique brand of electronic music, featuring his terrific guitar work in a starring role. His influences include such acts as Tangerine dream, Ashra, Ronny Jordan, Morcheeba, Mahavishnu and Soft Machine, as well as early Pink Floyd and Scandinavian jazz. He’s released quite a bit of music over the past three years or so, and his songs have been played on radio stations across Europe and the UK, including Deep Kulture, WIM radio, PRYSM radio, Décibel radio, Sword UK radio, Radio Three D. and Groover, as well as in London and Paris clubs.
At the end of May, Alain released his latest EP Pelican Spirit, featuring four relatively short instrumental tracks with a total run time of just under eight minutes. But what the tracks might lack in length, his deft guitar playing and the variety of sounds and moods of each track more than make up for it, resulting in a wonderfully engaging little collection of songs. “Mystical Teapot” kicks things off with a thumping EDM beat that immediately has our hips in motion, making it a perfect tune for those sweaty nights at the club. Alain’s shimmery guitar work is fantastic, finding a sweet spot between jangle and funk.
“Blue Desert” has a hypnotic deep house groove, with fascinating funky guitar notes that almost sound at times like horns. As it’s title would suggest, “Galactic Heart” has a darker, more spacy vibe, thanks to it’s strong pulsating beat and funky, psychedelia-tinged guitars. Alain’s guitar prowess really shines on the contradictorily-named “Short Eternity”. His guitar work here is truly exquisite – all jangly and bluesy, and soaked in reverb. The track’s languid, jazzy vibe and otherworldly synths are the perfect accompaniment to the amazing guitars, making this a standout track for me. But truth be told, all four tracks are great, so give this a listen!
Here’s the EP on YouTube:
And Spotify:
Video Premier – MORGENDUST: “Easy Way Out”
Since forming in 2018, Dutch indie band Morgendust have been building a loyal following both at home and abroad on the strength of their outstanding brand of alternative rock music. The Zwolle, Netherlands-based quintet is comprised of Marco de Haan (lead vocals, guitars), Ron van Kruistum (guitars, backing vocals), Iwan Blokzijl (keyboards, backing vocals), Dario Pozderski (bass, backing vocals) and Job Noordmans (drums & percussion). All are talented and accomplished musicians with years of collective experience playing in other bands and as session musicians, imparting their music with a maturity and worldliness that comes from having lived on this earth for a while and experiencing the joys and pains of life, love and relationships. Through intelligent, thoughtful lyrics, they tell stories that everyone can relate to, and package them with exquisite rock melodies and beautiful instrumentation.
In September 2019 they released their stunning debut EP Storm Will Come, then followed up in 2020 with a string of excellent singles: “Alien”, inspired by the story of band member Dario, who as a young man fled his war-torn homeland of Bosnia, “Sundays”, a moving song exploring feelings of choking from a lack of freedom due to abuse of power by others, contrasted with a sunny melody, and “Hands”, an uplifting tribute to all the craftsmen and women around the world who take care of us, using their hands to make, build, create and heal. (You can read my reviews of the EP and two of the singles by clicking on the links under “Related” at the end of this post.)
On June 11th, they dropped a terrific new single “Easy Way Out“, and today I’m happy to premier the marvelous video they produced for the track. The band says the song is “about former lovers, premonitions and escape routes”, with lyrics inspired by Jonas Wergeland, the main character in the trilogy by Norwegian writer Jan Kjaerstad. Marco explains further: “After reading the first novel, around the end of the nineties, I got in touch with him via email. We had a nice conversation about his books and plans. In this trilogy (The Seducer, The Conqueror, The Discoverer), a man looks back on his life and all the women, music and art that made him the man he is today. A lot of my reading experiences fell in place. You never get out of a relationship easily, you always take something out of it, or with you. At least yourself. It defines you. The mantra ‘Stop wasting time’ has become a motto, but easier said than done… So this song was waiting to be released for another project I did with Ron, a long time ago. Luckily, Iwan brought it back to life with fresh new sounds, but the composition, structure and intention of this song stayed intact.”
“Easy Way Out” was produced by Morgendust, mixed by Iwan Blokzijl (who also created the artwork from a photo by Alain Hermans), and mastered by Erwin Maas. The song has an upbeat retro 80s vibe, with Ron’s animated guitar, Dario’s thumping bassline, Iwan’s colorful, swirling keyboards and Job’s lively drums, all melding together perfectly to create an exuberant wall of sound. Marco has a vibrant and warm singing voice, and his plaintive vocals are especially nice on this track. The guys clearly enjoy making music together, and their playful sense of humor shines through in the fun black and white video showing them performing the song in a very tight space. I love it!
I came to you with nothing but my heart in hand
It took some time to realize, I didn’t understand
I ignored the warning signs in my head
Stop wasting time
I‘ve served all different queens and each one had its flaws
To learn to be obedient in absence of the law
And learn about the warning signs in my head
Stop wasting time
Stop wasting time
You’ll never get the chance
We never agreed to allow
There is never an easy way out
I came to you with nothing but my heart in hand
All this time I realized, I didn’t understand
Living with the warning signs in my head
Stop wasting time
Stop wasting time
Stop wasting mine
You’ll never get the chance again
We never agreed to allow
There is never an easy way out
There is never an easy way out
Follow Morgendust: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram
Stream their music: Spotify / Soundcloud / Apple Music / YouTube
Purchase: Bandcamp / Amazon
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 