Art Block is a brilliant and innovative singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in East London, England who I’ve been following for nearly seven years. Possessing a uniquely distinctive and highly emotive singing voice, he creates a hauntingly beautiful style of alternative folk, characterized by stirring melodies, lush arrangements and gorgeous instrumentation built around his poetic, often deeply moving lyrics. A prolific artist, he’s released an impressive catalog of music for more than a decade, including numerous singles, EPs, remixes and four albums, his most recent of which, Tiger, dropped only a month ago on April 30th. I’ve featured him several times on this blog, most recently in March 2024 when I reviewed his lovely EP Dandelion. (You can read a few more of my reviews by clicking on the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post.) One of his songs, “White Horses”, reached #1 on my Weekly Top 30 chart in December 2022, and ranks #26 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list.
Since the release of Tiger, Art Block has dropped two new singles – “You & I” on May 2nd and “Love Is A Fire” on the 22nd, the latter of which I’m featuring today. The track was produced and mixed by William “Wheeliemix” Robertson and mastered by noted British mastering engineer Pete Maher (whose clients include U2, The Killers, Noel Gallagher, The Rolling Stones, Nick Cave, Paul Weller, Jack White and Lana Del Rey, to name just a few). Art Block played all instruments except for drums, which were played by his frequent collaborator Raphael Bouchara.
As its title suggests, the song is a smoldering beauty with sweeping cinematic synths, haunting, reverb-drenched guitar chords and crunchy percussion, all of which create a magnificent incendiary backdrop for Art Block’s fervent spine-tingling vocals. It’s a darker, more dramatic sound than many of his previous songs, and I love it. The lyrics seem to speak of a tempestous love affair in which feelings of unbridled passion and longing are intertwined with the lasting pain from past mistakes and betrayal. Art Block told me he was inspired by The Cure’s latest album Songs of a Lost World, who played a special concert at the Troxy in East London neighbourhood this past November.
Our love is a fire Do what you desire Don’t hold it in Don’t hold it in So much to forget So much to remember Why don’t you bleed? Why don’t you bleed? Our love is a fire Do what you desire Hold it in Life was empty without you Do what you desire Don’t hold it in Don’t hold it in Our love is a fire So much to forget
Both “Love Is A Fire” and “You & I” are available exclusively on Bandcamp.
January 10th was apparently a big day for new music releases, and I featured three singles that dropped that day on my recent installment of Fresh New Tracks. One I missed – because I was not yet familiar with the band who recorded it – is the wonderful song “Who’s a Fraud?” by English alternative pop-rock band Still Traffico.
Originally formed in London as a four-piece named Peach, the band renamed themselves with a rather unusual but certainly distinctive moniker Still Traffico in the summer of 2023, when they reduced down to three members consisting of Cam McColl (lead vocals/guitar, Dan Carabine (lead guitar) and Dan Arthur (bass). Influenced by everything from Chanson Française storytelling to African desert blues to post-rock and more, Still Traffico make a blend of indie pop and post-punk they call “Railway Pop” and cheekily describe as a “sound that clanks and shunts… but soothes.” After listening to their songs I’d say that sounds about right.
Still Traffico released their debut single “Seagull” in September 2023, and since then have dropped three more excellent singles, the latest of which is “Who’s a Fraud?” While not quite jangle pop, it most definitely features some marvelous jangly guitar work, as well as really lovely twangy guitar notes accompanied by a subtle but solid bassline and spirited percussion. It all works beautifully to create an enthralling and memorable backdrop for Cam McColl’s immensely pleasing vocals. I like “Who’s a Fraud?” more with each listen, and think it’s their best song yet.
The poetic lyrics seem to speak to those who think of themselves as pure of heart and mind with the best of intentions, yet are quick to judge others they feel are wrong or inferior to themselves:
I tore the lid off Light hit the eggshell walls What lurks underneath Can't be concealed anymore.
It's coming for you In all your comfort Turn your face away when it matters.
So who are you calling a fraud?
You've seen the world You've got your measure on things Now, hold yourself Like we're the same? It's night and day.
I tread alone in familiar places. Step into the road as the lights turn red. To find that people behind me follow. To feel.. that cars can't kill.
You know the world You've done your own reading So, hold yourself like we're the same? It's night and day.
Since their inception in early 2012, London-based alt-rock band Brain Ape has consistently pushed the envelope, both musically and thematically, to create music that’s innovative, unorthodox and thoroughly original. Now a duo consisting of Minky Très-vain (a descendent of both Sir Francis Drake and Sir Christopher Wren) on guitar & vocals and Sol Alex Albret (descended from the Vikings) on bass, they’ve released music rather intermittently over the years, but their discography includes three albums, Dara O’ in 2014, Auslander and Ausländer, an all-acoustic album featuring five tracks from the original plus three new tracks, both in 2017, along with several singles. I reviewed Auslander, which you can read here, as well as several singles, most recently their unusually-titled “mcmx. drawing room”, which you can read here.
Whereas their earlier sound was strongly influenced by grunge acts like Nirvana, their newer music is now influenced by contemporary pop and hip-hop acts like Billie Eilish, Childish Gambino, and Denzel Curry. They’ve also never shied away from tackling cultural and sociopolitical issues, and as such, over the past two years have released a series of singles exploring the rise of nationalism in the West and the glorification of false icons. Beginning with “mcmi. fenchurch king”, followed by “mcmx. drawing room”, Brain Ape has now released the third installment or chapter of songs within this narrative, “mcmx. downing street“, which will be included on their forthcoming third album SHREWD, BRITANNIA, due for release in November. They purposely released the single on the 3rd of July, on the eve of the July 4th General Election in the UK.
The band states the song is “an attack on corrupt modern politics, whilst keeping a keen eye on history, legacy, and accountability.” With a title named for the famed London street where the official residence of the British Prime Minister is located, as well as references to George Orwell and his dystopian writings, the song’s lyrics dive deeper into the story of Eric Tunglsson: son of the Auslander first introduced in “mcmi. fenchurch king”.
Curious about these characters, I asked Minky for clarification. He responded “the characters are a selection from a cast of people we’ve been writing about since the very beginning. Way back in 2012, the first mention of these people was included in the ‘Dead at 20’ EP that we were a part of all those years ago. Since then we’ve dropped a plethora of ambiguous material about these people, most notably on our second album ‘Auslander’. All the clues are there, and there’s plenty for people to sink their teeth into, but over the coming years we’ve decided to release more details with lesser ambiguity. When we release our third album, ‘SHREWD, BRITANNIA’, a lot more will become obvious, but even then we have plans to release more information after that. Like with everything Sol and I do, it’s a slow game but it’ll all pay off once the stars align.”
Like all their music, “mcmx. downing street” is a fascinating and trippy song, and more melodic than its two predecessors. The song kicks off with Minky singing the opening verse, with his seductive voice ending with an almost menacing breathy “ha” as he sings the words “Brittania” over a thumping bassline, accompanied by spritely synths. Then a sensuous throbbing dance beat takes over, overlain with extremely gnarly psychedelic guitars and sharp percussion that erupt in the delightfully edgy choruses. Everything turns darker at song’s end, when Minky’s echoed vocals turn downright savage over a fearsome backdrop of shredded guitars, grinding bass and crashing cymbals. It’s an incredibly impactful and most satisfying sonic feast for the senses!
Run, rum, run
He is Britannia Run, run We shall Lionise him
Oh well, whatever, we never did mind when he lusts (Shame) Oh well, whatever, we never did mind Oh well, whatever, we never did mind, can we trust? (Shame) Oh well, whatever, we never did mind Oh well, whatever, we never did mind all the greed (Shame) Oh well, whatever, we never did mind Oh well, whatever, we never did mind, can he bleed? (Shame) Oh well, Orwell, we never did read
Tension rising, air is blinding, he's igniting, costs are climbing Sun is setting, still they're betting on the Lion Is he lying? Ha
Oh well, whatever, we never did mind when he lusts (Shame) Oh well, whatever, we never did mind Oh well, whatever, we never did mind, can we trust? (Shame) Oh well, whatever, we never did mind Oh well, whatever, we never did mind all the greed (Shame) Oh well, whatever, we never did mind Oh well, whatever, we never did mind, can he bleed? (Shame) Oh well, Orwell, we never did read
Son of the Auslander He is our king We rule Britannia God save the king
Brain Ape have also included a seven-minute piece “mcmi. fenchurch king, drawing room, downing street”, a seamless combination of their last three singles, as a B-side to “mcmx. downing street”.
Also curious about the unusual video, which stars Minky as Eric Tunglsson, Sol as Wyn Pfaird and former bandmate and The Kid and I band frontman Jacob Powell as Trin O’ Gealach, I asked Minky about what they are trying to convey. He responded: “Sol and I put a lot of planning into the video for this single. Originally, we had floated the idea of shooting various location shots, some footage of the band performing in studio, some live footage, as well as the footage that has been included in the final video. But when we sat down with some trial edits we felt as though a busy video countered the blunt nature of the single, so we made the decision to strip back the music video to let the lyrics breathe more. It also helps balance the b-side which we released in tandem with this single, where the singles ‘fenchurch king’ and ‘downing street’ book end the busier, more conceptual ‘drawing room’. In many ways, the structure of that b-side mirrors those of classical symphonies’ first movements, which is not a coincidence.”
Here are “mcmx. downing street” and “mcmi. fenchurch king, drawing room, downing street” on Spotify:
Anyone having even a cursory knowledge of the music industry knows that the UK is blessed with a plethora of talented music artists and bands, ranging from legendary acts to independent ones known only to a local following, and everything in between. One of my personal favorites is London-based singer-songwriter Oli Barton, an exceptionally talented and creative guy who’s been making music for nearly eight years, both as front man of his backing band the Movement, and more recently as a solo artist. Oli’s music, released via his independent label Coke & Dagger Records, has been featured many times on BBC Radio, and he’s supported such acts as Starsailor, Kid Kapichi, and Baxter Dury. I’ve been following him since early 2017, and over the past seven years have featured him eight times on this blog, most recently in February when I reviewed his single “It’s Over Now”, which has become his most popular track in terms of streaming numbers.
Photo by Alice Denny
His eccentric yet sophisticated style of alternative rock is a colorful mix of post-punk and psychedelia, fortified with touches of funk, pop and grunge, and I can honestly state that I’ve loved every single one of his songs. Five of them have appeared on my Weekly Top 30 charts – the provocative 2017 single “Kinky”, which went all the way to #1, as well as “44”, “Martyr”, “Just Like Always” and “Paid Off”, all of which reached the top 5. Now the dangerously charismatic charmer is back with “You Just Played My Mind“, which is also being released as a B-side to “It’s Over Now” in a limited edition 7-inch vinyl pressing of 100 copies. The vinyl copies, which will become available on September 24th, can be pre-ordered from his Website.
For recording of the song, Barton was joined by former bandmates Jamal Aggoun on guitar, Marco “Fuzz” Paone on bass and Josh Needham on drums, all of whom he complimented “I really wanted to make a more aggressive, gnarly track and I think the lads smashed it out here.” The track was produced by Alex O’ Donovan, who also played additional percussion, arranged and tracked by Jules Gulon, engineered by Luke Ferrero, mixed by Cenzo Townshend and Robert Sellens, and mastered by Barry Grint.
Drawing inspiration from doomed romances plagued by extreme incompatibility, Oli’s lyrics explore the conflicting emotions of two people who just don’t work together. “Well it’s been a while since I’ve seen a style that’s quite like yours./ Well the way you spoke, well it broke my heart. And you know that someday I’ll be calling you, and know that you just played my mind.”
Musically, the song is an exhilarating rock banger that’s every bit as good as “It’s Over Now”. I really like the opening dark and ominous reverb-drenched gnarly guitar riff, and how the song quickly explodes into a raging beast, courtesy of Jamal’s distorted guitars, Marco’s powerful driving bass and Josh’s explosive drums, before settling down to sultry verses, beautifully sung by Oli’s distinctive accented vocals that I adore. I’ve long admired the ace musicianship of the above-named musicians, but they really take things to the next level here. Jamal’s multi-textured guitar work is fantastic, and the strength and dexterity of Josh’s drumming are a thing of wonder. As always, Oli’s colorful vocals are incredibly satisfying, running the gamut from sensuous croons to spine-tingling impassioned wails. Also, I must compliment the engineers and producers who contributed their respective talents on this track for the outstanding clarity of the instrumentation and overall sound quality.
“You Just Played My Mind” is much more than your typical B-Side, and those who purchase the 7-inch vinyl copy will be getting two equally great songs in one package.
Hailing from London, England is The Kid and I, an alternative indie rock band originally formed as a solo act in 2020 by singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Jacob Powell, but later expanded to include Minky Très-vain (guitar, backing vocals), Daniel Malek (bass) and Elvis Quagliotto (drums). Très-vain is also front man of scratch rock band Brain Ape (who I’ve featured several times on this blog over the past six years), of which Powell was once a member. Influenced by an eclectic mix of acts ranging from Biffy Clyro, Foo Fighters and Blink-182 to Tyler, the Creator, Sam Fender and Phoebe Bridgers, The Kid and I serve up a fresh blend of energetic rock and indie vibes, infused with heartfelt lyrics reflecting the struggles of modern life.
Starting off with the single “White Feather” in November 2020, they’ve now released a total of 10 songs, the latest of which is “Good Times Go”, a song Powell says is “an exploration of toxic masculinity, taking accountability for oneself and wondering what went wrong along the way.” The song is their first single to be released since signing with London-based independent label Scratch Rock Records on February 24. The song is a hard-driving garage rock banger, delivered by a full-frontal assault of super-gnarly guitars, powerful thumping bass and explosive drums. I love that aggressive stomping beat and those reverb-soaked wailing riffs, and both Powell’s fervent soaring vocals and the guys’ spirited backing harmonies are glorious. I think it’s their best song yet.
A live version of the song, recorded at a performance at London’s Temple of Art and Music, dials up the song’s already impressive energy levels to even greater heights, those stomping beats, furious guitars and Powell’s impassioned, almost feral vocals nearly breaking the speakers. It’s rock’n’roll the way it’s meant to be played – heavy, loud and in your face! The video nicely captures the guys’ unbridled passion and deft musicianship, though I wish it had been filmed in wide screen.
Here’s the video of original version of the song, which I find quite charming:
Art Block is a brilliant and innovative singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist based in East London, England, who’s been making beautiful alternative folk music for nearly ten years. A prolific artist, he’s released an impressive catalog of music since the beginning of 2015, including numerous singles, EPs, remixes and three albums, two of which, Stones and Fire and borderline, were released in 2023 alone! I’ve featured him several times on this blog, most recently last June when I reviewed his wonderful EP Tiger. (You can read a few more of those reviews by clicking on the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post.) One of his songs, the haunting and gorgeous “White Horses”, went all the way to #1 on my Weekly Top 30 in December 2022, and ranks #26 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list.
On March 1st, Art Block released a new EP Dandelion, featuring three exquisite tracks inspired by the Northumberland coast and St Abbs, a small fishing village on the southeastern Scottish coast. The EP was produced, mixed and recorded by his longtime collaborator William Robertson at Super Symmetry Studios, and mastered by Tony Cousins at Metropolis Studios. Art Block played all instruments except for drums, which were played by Raphael Bouchara, another frequent collaborator of his. The lovely string arrangements were done by Joseph Robertson, with additional synths by Charlie Shan.
In addition to his sublime melodies, poetic lyrics and gorgeous arrangements, a defining aspect of Art Block’s music are his distinctive, deeply affecting vocals that are often so emotionally wrought, they rip at our heartstrings. The three songs on Dandelion are no exception. First up is “Journey”, a beautiful, cinematic song that I’m guessing uses the voyages of seamen, sailing from the Northumberland coast to distant lands, as a metaphor for how we take our idiosyncrasies and shortcomings with us wherever we go: “A journey from a distant light. Don’t you understand? The actions you made in the past echo now. A cold cold heart, frosty like the art burns in the arctic.” Musically, the song starts off with a delicately strummed guitar accompanied by gentle synths and faint sounds of the sea, then gradually builds into a dramatic soundscape highlighted by lush orchestral strings and AB’s lovely soaring harmonies.
The title track “Dandelion” serves up more beautifully strummed guitars, sumptuous strings and bold percussion, as AB plaintively sings “I feel I am like a Dandelion, burning in the sun, spreading pollen. Riding the wind through time, I spin, alone in my sphere. I’m separating.I’m caught in the rain, only He knows my pain. Teardrops of joy and you’re constantly away. Growing older fast. This dance is not our last. Float like a seed in the sky. Dandelion in an empty sky.”
On the moving third track “Holy Island”, AB sings his praises for Lindisfarne, a tidal island off the Northumberland coast also known as Holy Island, and how its beauty inspires and invigorates him, helping him to cope with life’s challenges, also giving a nod to Palestine: “Holy Island your clear blue sea, cleansing every part of me. Whispering winds, monks they pray to stop eternal damnation. Don’t believe they see your beauty, even appearing through the rain. I may feel but I am blind, wilted and worn out. Oh I cry and feel your soul. Aching in my dune-filled soul. Poetry so divine our future’s may so intertwine. Palestine I see you there, sweeter than you might care. Holy Island by the sea, you fill me with your beauty.” Again, a beautiful, strummed guitar and lilting strings are the dominant musical features, along with warbling synths and Raphael Bouchara’s wonderful cymbals creating the majestic sounds of waves gently crashing on the shore.
Once again, Art Block has delivered a sonically beautiful, flawlessly crafted, and intensely thought-provoking work. Though it contains only three tracks, Dandelion is deeply impactful nonetheless, leaving a lasting impression for all who take the time to give it a careful listen. I remain a dedicated follower and fan.
The header photo is of Art Block standing on a lonely road in the Atacama Desert of northern Chile.
Named after his childhood imaginary friend, Eleanor Collides is the solo music project of London-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Nick Ranga. The talented artist melds alternative, indie and dream rock with synth pop to create his distinctly melancholic, yet beautiful sound. I love how he’s described his influences: “I find inspiration in the cathartic vulnerability of Low, the poetic storytelling of R.E.M., the passionate anthems of Manic Street Preachers, the genre-defying artistry of Orville Peck, and the darkly captivating electronica of Depeche Mode. These influences, among many others, have shaped my artistic vision, allowing me to carve out a unique sonic identity.”
Though he’d been writing songs for many years, he finally started recording and releasing music in the summer of 2021, beginning with a four-track EP How to Make Friends. He followed up with a couple of singles, then in March 2022, he released his debut album People are Taller in Real Life. Since then, the prolific artist has dropped eight more singles, one of which, the hauntingly beautiful “Pantomime“, I featured in a Fresh New Tracks this past April. Today he’s back with his latest single “Daydreams and Algorithms“, another outstanding track. All eight singles will be included in his forthcoming second album, due for release later in the year.
For the recording of the song, Nick sang lead vocals and played guitars, bass, piano, drums and strings, and Charles Connolly, who mixed and mastered the track, played marimba and sang backing vocals. Though “Daydreams and Algorithms” starts off slowly, with just a simple, rather melancholic strummed guitar, it soon becomes clear that there’s a lot going on musically. As the song progresses, the instrumentation expands into a captivating soundscape, with added guitar, piano and warm strings, accompanied by Charles’ enchanting marimba and Nick’s steady drumbeats and moody bassline. Nick’s pleasing, low-key vocals have a comforting, almost sensuous quality, nicely complemented by his and Charles’ ethereal backing harmonies. It’s a stunning song.
As to the song’s meaning, Nick says it’s “about longing and obsession in the age of social media, about falling in love with someone through a screen who may or may not be real.”
I can hear the sound of dreams The cigarettes and faded blue jeans The photographs and played back scenes Never knowing what they mean
I can see your days collide The indecision codified The fantasies and rising tide History happens in real time
ooh ooh ooh
You could be my daydream My landslide, my slipstream My devil chasing moonbeams Intention lost to the mainstream
I could be your joyride Your agent on the outside Your lowest low and highest tide Watch as I revert to type
Brain Ape is a wildly imaginative and creative London-based rock band who skillfully fuse punk, stoner rock, grunge, noise rock and shoegaze to create their unique sound they call “Scratch Rock.” Originally formed at the beginning of 2012, like many a band, Brain Ape cycled through a series of drummers, and is now a duo consisting of Minky Très-vain on guitar & vocals and Sol Alex Albret on bass. They’ve released music rather intermittently since 2012, but their discography includes three albums (Dara O’ in 2014, Auslander and Ausländer, an all-acoustic album featuring five tracks from the original plus three new tracks, both in 2017) and several singles. I reviewed the full-length Auslander, which you can read here.
After a hiatus lasting a couple of years, Brain Ape returned in January 2021 with “clxxvi. veni vidi vici”, the first in a series of strangely-titled singles. They followed in 2022 with “cclxxv. theatrum serpentis”, then “mcmi. fenchurch king”, the second of which marked a new shift in the band’s sound. Whereas their earlier sound was strongly influenced by grunge acts like Nirvana, their newer music is now strongly influenced by contemporary pop and hip-hop acts like Billie Eilish, Childish Gambino, and Denzel Curry.
Their latest single “mcmx. drawing room”, to be released on July 19th via London independent label Scratch Rock Records, is Brain Ape’s second single to reflect their change up in style and genre. According to the band’s press release, the song “references a drawing-room within the historic 10 Downing Street (the official London residence of the British prime minister), and continues where their previous single “mcmi. fenchurch king” left off, diving deeper into the story of Eric Tunglsson, son of the Auslander. Exploring rising nationalism in the West and the glorification of false icons, the song marks the second time the duo have made any kind of political statement.”
Musically, the song is unlike anything I’ve heard before, and is hard to categorize or describe. It’s also a brief track, lasting only 1:40 minutes. Starting with a simple, stuttering trip hop beat, Brain Ape layers mysterious psychedelic synths, sharp percussion, grungy scratching and otherworldly vocal sounds to create a decidedly unsettling soundscape that turns quite melodic in the final chorus. I’ve always liked Minky’s vocals, and though it’s sometimes difficult to understand the lyrics, they range from delicate falsetto to ethereal whisper to plaintive wail, all exuding a seductive, yet menacing vibe. A rather interesting feature of the song are the sudden skips occurring from 1:07-1:13, which I assume are intentional. An unusual song indeed, but also strangely beautiful and captivating. I like it!
The video, which was written, shot, produced, directed and edited by the band, features Minky as Eric Tunglsson, Sol as Wyn Pfaird, former bandmate Jacob Powell as Trin O’ Gealach, as well as Siubhan McGealach and The Shrewd.
There are some musicians and bands who possess such uniquely distinctive styles or singing voices, they sound like no one else, making their music immediately identifiable as only theirs. London, England-based singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Art Block falls into this esteemed category on the strength of his affecting vocals that are so heartfelt and steeped in emotion, they have the power to take our breath away as we try and swallow the huge lump in our throats that forms after listening to him sing.
The brilliant and prolific artist creates a haunting brand of alternative folk, characterized by stirring melodies, captivating arrangements and gorgeous instrumentation built around his poetic, deeply moving lyrics. He’s been writing and recording beautiful music for nearly a decade, and has released an impressive amount of it since early 2015. I’ve previously written about him and his music four times on this blog, including his enchanting single “The Basement” (his most successful single, which has been streamed over 350,000 times on Spotify alone) in late 2019 and, most recently, last September when I reviewed his stunning White Horses EP. The title track “White Horses” went all the way to #1 on my Weekly Top 30 chart last December.
Art Block has stayed busy in 2023, dropping a single “Vilnius” in February, then his first full-length album Stones and Fire in March, followed by Tiger EP, the subject of today’s review, at the end of April. Featuring four tracks, including “Vilnius” and an alternate version of “White Horses”, the EP was produced, recorded and mixed by William Robertson and mastered by John Webber. For the recording, Art played all instruments except for drums, which were played by Raphael Bouchara.
The title track “Tiger” opens with a strummed acoustic guitar, accompanied by mysterious airy synths and sounds taken from the streets of Cairo as Art begins to sing, with a strong tremolo effect in his voice, “A plain heart that cuts through all the acerbic dust.” As the song unfolds, the melody gradually swells and instrumentals expand with beautiful guitars, heavier synths and more intense percussion, all of which culminate into a dramatic crescendo. Like the music, the lyrics become more forceful too, with Art Block passionately lamenting of his pain and sorrow over having been left abandoned in a relationship: “A silence that kills, insatiable rips my tongue. A tiger has ripped my lungs, unable to breathe. A figure of speech, crawling through arctic veins. You left me when I needed a friend. A quarrelsome mind, and we don’t see we’re spinning all around as if it’s meant to be.”
“Vilnius” was inspired by Art’s visit to the Lithuanian capital last October, where he engaged with the Chromatikon artist collective who participated in a series of concerts intended to revive the old Jewish music of the Vilnius ghetto lost during Nazi occupation. Vilnius holds a special place in his heart, as he spent a year there as a volunteer for Voluntary Service Overseas after Lithuania’s independence from the Soviet Union. The lyrics seem to be told from the perspective of a young Jewish man witnessing the fall of Vilnius and Lithuania to the Nazis: “A Hebrew song, an old man’s lungs. Hold on my Vilnius. I see a cage and hold my rage. Hold on my Vilnius. I was meant to be playing C. Oh what a scene. Wasn’t yet an orphan. We were meant to meet in the dying streets but I forgot your number.” Art’s delicate acoustic guitar notes, accompanied by sparkling atmospheric synths and gentle drumbeats, create a melancholy but beautiful soundscape for his emotive, heartfelt vocals.
“White Horses (Alternate version)” is the same version that appears on Stones and Fire, and to my ears sounds very close to the original. For this alternate version, Art’s added some pretty guitar notes and more drawn-out string synths, as well as a drum machine beat, all of which add subtle textures to the original piano-driven track, making it even more gorgeous than ever. He says the song “was inspired by a beautiful place in England, but also by the attack in Mariupol, Ukraine which was in the news, where I imagined I was going through the devastation there. Perhaps ‘White Horses’ is a metaphor for something else, greater, perhaps mystical or mysterious? The place I visited in England certainly had a mystical feel even though the White Horse itself etched into a hill was not ancient.”
The final track “New Dawn” is a haunting piano ballad about struggling with inner demons and self-doubt that keep him from living a fuller and happier life: “I want to know when life will change, so I can reach out for a new day. Tired of manifesting, tired of love, I have a hole in my heart oh my God. I was always fighting with my thoughts, trying to find peace amid the wars. I was overthinking life, I was overcome with strife.” Art’s echoed vocals have an interesting lo-fi feel, backed by a vintage-sounding piano and Raphael’s skillful measured drums.
Tiger EP is wonderful, serving up eleven and a half minutes of auditory bliss that transports us to dreamy, faraway places. Art Block is a uniquely gifted artist who never fails to deliver exceptional music that’s deeply impactful, sonically beautiful and intensely thought-provoking.
Today I have the pleasure of introducing a wonderful artist named Josephine Pascoe who, together with guitarist and producer Neil Thom, creates exceptional instrumental music with various and ever-changing elements of jazz, acid jazz, classical, blues and funk. Based in the London suburbs, she’s a classically trained pianist, violinist and flautist with a life-long love of music. She began studying piano at the age of five, then violin at eight and flute at thirteen, much of it at Trinity College of Music in London, where she also began composing her own music. She also trained to be a secondary school music teacher, but prefers giving one-on-one instrumental instruction on piano and violin.
According to an article about Josephine on the music blog COOLTOP20, she met Neil in 2016 when she began taking guitar lessons from him. Besides teaching guitar, Neil is a producer and sound engineer with a wealth of experience working with various artists, bands and record companies. One night, after a few rounds of drinks, the two decided to have a go at writing something together, and took some jazzy chords Josephine had been playing with and developed it into what would become their first track “Florescence”, which they released in May 2017. In the years since, they’ve recorded and released 14 more songs, their latest of which is “Starfish“, an exuberant acid jazz tune which dropped May 5th. Josephine and Neil are both big fans of English funk and acid jazz band Jamiroquai, whose influence is strongly evident in their music.
Like most of their songs, “Starfish” was co-written by Josephine and Neil. For the track’s recording, she played piano, Rhodes electric piano, strings and flute, while he played guitar, bass and drums. Neil also produced and engineered the track. As I mentioned at the beginning of this review, their songs incorporate an ever-changing mix of styles that make each one sound unique. Whereas their previous single “Eden” has a mellow jazz vibe, “Zomer” is breezy acid jazz, and “Before The Light Goes Out” is a soothing, contemplative piano ballad, “Starfish” has a more spirited dance-oriented feel, with a strong lively beat. Highlights for me are Josephine’s resonant piano keys, spirited strings and airy flute. Neil’s funky guitars and bass provide a wonderful, edgy counterpoint to the more classical-sounding strings and flute, yet complement both quite nicely. It’s a marvelous track.
ECLECTIC MUSIC LOVER 