Tag: Sebastian Maynard Francis

SOLAR EYES – EP Review: “Crooked Orbit”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews2 Comments

One of my favorite English acts over the past three and a half years has been psychedelic pop/rock band Solar Eyes. Their music is an arresting style of alternative pop/rock awash in dramatic psychedelic grooves, twangy Western-style guitars and dreamy cinematic synths, giving them a distinctly unique sound. Based in Birmingham, they now consist primarily of singer-songwriter, musician and producer Glenn Smyth and drummer Sebastian Maynard-Francis (former member, guitarist/producer Tom Ford, moved out of the area and no longer performs live with them, but still helps with the production of some of their music).

They’ve released three EPs, numerous singles and a self-titled debut album Solar Eyes last February (2024). One of their songs, “I See the Sun”, went all the way to #1 on my Weekly Top 30 and ended up ranking #18 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list. I’ve featured them many times on this blog, and you can read some of those reviews by clicking on the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post.

Sebastian Maynard-Francis and Glenn Smyth

Now they return with a new EP Crooked Orbit, released via Fierce Panda Records and featuring remixes of five of the tracks from their album Solar Eyes. Smyth explains his impetus for doing the EP: “I’d had this idea of doing a remix EP, as I’d always loved remixes of Primal Scream, UNKLE and Death in Vegas, The ‘She Kissed The Gun’ remix sounds like it’s from something off ‘XTRMNTR’, which is my favourite Primals album. Then it all sort of fell into shape, and it’s even given the songs a new slant. It’s been joyous hearing the remixes coming in.”

Each of the remixes were done by musicians and/or producers who’ve previously worked with or collaborated with Solar Eyes. The first track, “She Kissed the Gun (Hibs Mix)” was remixed by London-based mix engineer and composer Jeff Knowler, who also mixed all the songs on Solar Eyes. The original, which features backing vocals by Melissa Severn, is a brooding and sultry psychedelic affair. For his remix, Knowler dials up the energy by speeding up the tempo and adding more aggressive percussion and all sorts of wild and otherworldly spacy synths that take the song to a whole new level.

So too with “Bulldozer (Hibs Mix)“, in which Knowler adds a lot of dynamism to the track, mainly through a heavier, more assertive beat, rumbling bass, edgier synths and a fantastic twangy guitar solo in the bridge. I actually like this remix better than the original. “Acid Test (The Walls Are Closing In On Me) (Looking Glass Alice Remix)” is a marvelous reimagining of the original by London-based psychedelic pop band Looking Glass Alice. Though most of the lyrics have been removed, the track is brimming with unbridled energy, wobbly psychedelic synths and pulse-pounding tribal beats. Reminiscent of some of the great disco songs of the 70s and beyond, the track is the perfect vehicle for losing yourself on the dance floor.

“Alcatraz (Tom Ford Remix)” is probably the most different-sounding from the original of all the remixes. Former band guitarist Tom Ford completely deconstructs and reimagines the original “Alcatraz” to create an incredibly trippy and futuristic-sounding fantasia of rapid trip hop beats, gnarly industrial synths and distorted otherworldly vocals. Once again, many of the original vocals have been stripped away, and amidst all the discordant sounds he injects enchanting little piano trills and jazzy drum fills that provide an interesting textural contrast.

“Take Me to the Man (Liam McKeown x Liam Connolly Remix)” is a languid and sexy remix by Birmingham musician Liam McKeown, who played additional guitar and keyboards on three of the Solar Eyes tracks, and English electronic/deep house musician Liam Connolly. Whereas the original is pure psychedelic rock, highlighted by a strong driving bassline and gnarly guitars, the remix is a mesmerizing deep house beauty. I love the sultry pulsating beat fortified by assertive hand claps and stabbing synth chords, backed by a plethora of spacey atmospheric sounds. Once again, many of the lyrics of the original have been removed, leaving Smyth repeatedly singing the opening line “I have the keys to the earth“, followed by “And put your faith in the man, he will take you from this land“, ending with “And take me to the man” over and over in the final third of the song.

Crooked Orbit is quite frankly one of the finest collection of remixes I’ve heard in a long while, as each of the five tracks is a total reconstruction and reimagining of the original recordings so that they sound completely new and fresh, not merely rehashed takes.

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Find their music on Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube / Bandcamp

SOLAR EYES – Single Review: “Let’s Run Away”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews14 Comments

I became a huge fan of British psychedelic pop/rock act Solar Eyes in the summer of 2021 when they first released their brilliant single “Naked Monkey on a Spaceship”. They subsequently dropped an even better single “I See the Sun”, which I loved so much, it went all the way to #1 on my Weekly Top 30, and ended up ranking #18 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list.

Their music is an arresting style of pop/rock awash in dramatic psychedelic grooves, twangy Western-style guitars and dreamy cinematic synths, giving them a distinctly unique sound. Based in Birmingham, they now consist primarily of singer-songwriter, musician and producer Glenn Smyth and drummer Sebastian Maynard-Francis, along with new bassist Emily Doyle (former member, guitarist Tom Ford, moved out of the area and no longer performs live with them, but still helps with the production of some of their music).

Glenn and Sebastian in Austin, Texas

Their music has been featured in numerous televised sporting events, including Sky Sports, BT Sport, BBC Match Of The Day and Birmingham City Football Club, as well as traditional alt-rock radio channels such as BBC Introducing Hereford, BBC 6 Music and The Guardian. Last spring, they had the privilege of performing at the legendary SXSW (South by Southwest) festival in Austin, Texas. In February 2022, Solar Eyes signed with the label Fierce Panda Records, through which they’ve released three EPs – Dreaming of the Moon, Alcatraz, and Naked Monkey on a Spaceship. (I’ve reviewed quite a bit of their music, and you can read some of those reviews by clicking on the ‘Related’ links at the end of this post.)   

Now they’re back with a terrific new single “Let’s Run Away“, the second single from their forthcoming debut self-titled album Solar Eyes, set for release on February 16th, which they’ll be launching with a hometown show at Birmingham’s Hare & Hounds. The song was written by Smyth, who co-produced it with Francis, and mixed and mastered by Jeff Knowler. Smyth played guitar and sang vocals, Francis played drums and percussion, Liam McKeown played additional guitar and keyboards, and Tom Boddison played slide guitar.

Smyth wrote, and the band recorded, the song following Solar Eyes’ appearance a SXSW last year, where he was inspired by the historical lore and Tex-Mex flavor of the Austin region. Specifically, he drew inspiration from “small-town tales of daylight robberies in times of old and rumours of the last crimes of the infamous duo Bonnie & Clyde“. He elaborates: “‘Let’s Run Away’ was one of the last songs to be written on the album; it was written in Texas last March when we were out there playing South by Southwest. You can sort of hear it as well, there’s that Americana haze type sound. Spaghetti western vibe. I sort of had in my head – now this might sound a bit mad – Tracey Chapman ‘Fast Car’ – in essence, but with a brummie slant.”

Accordingly, the song features their signature exciting Spaghetti Western-style guitar lines layered over lush cinematic synths and a haunting psychedelic groove, fortified by Francis’ energetic galloping drumbeats. It all beautifully conveys a sense of intrigue and remorse expressed in the lyrics delivered by Smyth’s wonderful droning layered vocals: “I hope that given time, you’ll forgive my crimes, I don’t wanna die alone, I love you, I let you go, I’m to blame / I see it all, I heed the call, let’s run away…”

“Let’s Run Away” is another fine song from Solar Eyes, and in fact, their entire forthcoming album is outstanding. The colorful animated video was created by the band’s new bassist Emily Doyle.

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