Tag: UK Artists

THE BRIGADIER – Album Review: “Sailing the Seven Neuroses”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews17 Comments
Boat photography by Ben Yates.

I recently learned about The Brigadier, the music project of singer-songwriter, musician and producer Matt Williams, when he reached out to me about his new album Sailing the Seven Neuroses. Originally from Wales but now based in Devon, England, he’s had music in his blood since his teens. He grew up listening to his parents and older siblings’ records that ran the gamut from rock and roll, country and bluegrass to 80s pop, new wave and rock, plus his dad plays guitar and banjo and was always in bands. Matt started learning to play guitar at the age of 13, and began playing in a series of bands. By the early 2000s he was living in Brighton, where he fronted a band called Brigadier, where he was the main songwriter and singer. Though they rehearsed for quite a while, the band never really took off, and when they eventually fell apart he kept the name as a solo artist.

In 2007, he released his debut album View from the Bath, and over the next 10 years he released another five excellent albums, as well as four seasonally themed EPs. Influenced by some of his favorite acts like Queen, The Beach Boys, The Beatles, Nick Lowe, The Divine Comedy, early Genesis and Pink Floyd, Steely Dan, Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin, as well as country rock, 60s, 70s & 80s pop, and synthpop, his highly melodic music is a pleasing blend of power pop, rock, folk and synthpop elements, featuring relatable lyrics reflecting his life and relationship experiences expressed through his comforting low-key vocals.

In addition to his prolific music output from 2007-17, Matt also produced and recorded soundtrack work for documentaries and short films, and his music garnered both local, national and international radio coverage, including BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Southern Counties and Radio Devon, as well as performing live sessions and interviews for BBC Southern Counties and BBC Devon, and in USA and Europe, as well as magazine coverage. He’d intended to continue with his music, but life, family and jobs took precedence, leaving his time and energy for making music rather depleted. Now, after an eight-year hiatus, he’s back with his seventh album Sailing the Seven Neuroses, which dropped yesterday, June 18th.

Photo by Digital Horse Brasses

All songs on the album were written, performed and produced by The Brigadier, with the exception of drums on “The Purge” and “Hot Solace”, which were played by Emily Dolan Davies, “What about tomorrow?” by James Carmichael Dooley, and “It’s you I think about” and “Don’t go to bed with a bad mind” by 444. Mastering was done by Wayne Bassett (who’s also a member of Welsh electro/art punk band Head Noise, who I’ve featured several times on this blog) at Robot Recordings. And rather interestingly, like all previous albums by The Brigadier, Sailing the Seven Neuroses features 13 tracks.

I’m always a bit apprehensive when an artist I’m unfamiliar with approaches me about possibly reviewing their album, but my reservations were quickly put to rest as I listened to Sailing the Seven Neuroses, as there’s much to like here. The album opens with “Bleak Companion“, a marvelous power pop song that hooked me right from the start. The lyrics speak to dealing with the day to day routines of work and obligations that seem to get in the way of living: “I’m so tired of having to get out of bed to do the things I have to do, but there’s no other way.” In addition to the infectious driving melody and stellar guitar work, I love the airy synths and Matt’s exquisite layered vocal harmonies.

The song gently segues into the lovely second track “The Purge“, and as the song unfolds it’s clear Matt hasn’t lost a step during his long time away from music. In fact, his musicianship and vocals sound better than ever. This song reminds me of some of Todd Rundgren’s early work, though the harmonies seem to channel the Beach Boys in spots.

Those wonderful harmonies are on full display on the incredibly pleasing “Blessings“, which features some gorgeous jangly guitars and spirited piano keys over a lively, upbeat melody. The Brigadier admonishes us to appreciate what we’ve got and not compare ourselves to others: “Count your blessings before you mess things up reflecting on the stuff you haven’t got. Don’t compare and contrast, ’cause you’ll only take a fast track to feeling pretty down about your life.“

The great songs just keep on coming. “Peace within the Poison” has a delightful retro 60s vibe that calls to mind some of the great pop songs by the Lovin’ Spoonful and Beach Boys, but with a contemorary treatment. And once again, I must call out The Brigadier’s lush vocal harmonies, which are also nicely featured on the enchanting “Perfect Surprise“.

The Brigadier takes us into the 80s with the exuberant, synth-dominant beauty “Hot Solace“, a song about not letting petty problems and slights get the best of us: “I won’t let the melancholy come over me. I let the pouring rain wash away the pain.” Midway through the album is the title track “Sailing the Seven Neuroses“, a somewhat quirky but beautiful instrumental track with a bit of a tropical flair that ventures toward ethereal psychedelia at the end. Next up is “Man about the House“, a terrific power pop gem serving up grungy guitar work and insistent piano keys layered over a strong toe-tapping beat.

On “Heaven’s in my Heart“, he creates an enthralling otherworldly soundscape with a colorful mix of spacey and carnival-like psychedelic synths and resonant guitar work that seem to channel Pink Floyd in spots. His little symphonic flourishes and soothing breathy vocals are delicious. Those 80s influences are back on the irresistible love song “It’s you I think about“, featuring sparkling synths and warm guitar lines. And on the effervescent “Everyday an Ordeal“, vibrant piano and organ take center stage, fortified with arresting rock guitar chords and Matt’s joyful comforting vocals as he sings of wanting to find a bit of escape from life’s daily struggles: “Everyday an ordeal. Everyday the frustration is real. Everyday the struggle within. You just want to find a place to hide away.”

With it’s stomping beat, soaring choruses and exuberant blend of chiming, twangy and gnarly guitars, “What about tomorrow?” reminds me somewhat of “Hot Love” by T.Rex with a bit of Pet Sounds-era Beach Boys thrown in for good measure. And saving the best for last, The Brigadier closes the album with “Don’t go to bed with a bad mind“, a glorious five and a half minute-long tour de force that really showcases his impressive songwriting and musicianship. He seems to effortlessly pull together beautiful melodies, numerous time changes and fascinating musical textures from a dizzying array of styles and elements, yet it all works beautifully. And I know I’m beginning to sound like a broken record, but once again I must make note of those gorgeous harmonies that so strongly echo the Beach Boys. And in fact, in a recent interview with Aldora Britain Records, Matt responded to a question as to his favorite artist with “Queen or The Beach Boys depending on the day.”

Sailing the Seven Neuroses is a beautiful album that keeps sounding better with each listen. Every track is superb, with no weak ones that make me want to skip past, which isn’t something I can say about very many albums. The Brigadier is most definitely back!

The Brigadier’s socials:  Facebook / Instagram 

Find his music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / YouTube

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.

Solar Eyes Socials: Facebook / X / Instagram

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

NAVE – Album Review: “X”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews3 Comments

Hailing from lovely Bournemouth on the southern English coast is NAVE, the solo music project of British singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, composer and producer Nathan Evans. Incorporating a broad array of genres and styles, including alternative rock, electronica, trip-hop, folk, ambient, orchestral and dark wave, the hyper-talented artist creates dramatic, incredibly compelling music that’s often atmospheric and gorgeous, but sometimes also harsh and unsettling. Though he says he generally shies away from listening to a lot of music, as he prefers to “be naive and not heavily influenced by others’ music” in the creation of his own songs, he admits to finding inspiration from the music of his youth by such acts as Radiohead, Nirvana, Queens Of The Stone Age, Muse, BRMC, UNKLE, Deftones, Limp Bizkit, Morcheeba and Moby. And in fact, Nathan formed a band called Deltorers in his teens, which eventually took him to Australia in support of Queens Of The Stone Age.

Nathan’s a deeply thoughtful guy who’s unafraid to tackle issues relating to social justice, mental health and emotional well-being. A truly prolific songwriter, he’s released a staggering amount of music over the past 12 years or so, both as NAVE and as front man of alternative psychedelic rock band Native Tongue. He’s been on a creative tear since 2021, and has released a ton of music, including numerous singles, several EPs and a monumental album God’s Waiting Room, featuring an astounding 31 tracks, in April 2023. (You can read my review here.) And one of his singles “Broken Record”, a hauntingly beautiful song decrying the addictive nature of social media and its negative impacts on our emotional well-being, went all the way to #1 on my Top 30 chart and ranks #14 on my 100 Best Songs of 2022 list.

His latest release is a fastinating and dark 10-track album titled simply “X“, which dropped January 31st. I’ll discuss the songs and my take on their meanings later, but in a nutshell, the album tells the story of a girl who suffers from a major life-altering trauma at the age of 14, and how she deals with it going forward. When I asked Nathan about the rather obscure title, he responded “The album has intentionally been made for the listener to find their own meaning. Think of it as when David Lynch is asked what it means, ha ha – he leaves it to the audience to make up their mind. So this album has a little privacy behind it but which I think makes it special, as people will ask so many questions. The title ‘X’ refers to the Roman numeral 10 for 10 songs in the album, and also as a symbol for its open interpretation.”

First and foremost, the songs on X are equal parts melancholy, disturbing and beautiful. The music consists predominantly of pensive acoustic guitar notes, accompanied here and there by haunting atmospheric orchestral synths, gentle piano keys and soft percussion, lending an enchanting texture to the otherwise moody tracks. Another interesting feature is how Nathan sings in both his deeper voice and an ethereal falsetto, which almost gives the impression of having two different vocalists on a few tracks, as well as providing a bit of contrasting tension.

The album opens with “The Tide”, in which NAVE introduces us to a young girl who is harmed, possibly raped by someone she’d trusted: “Innocence and wonder were the lights that she stood under. When she turned 14 the world wasn’t what it seemed. Predatory eyes, devils in disguise. Cartoons had not prepared her for the pain that god declared her. To clip an angel’s wings, and tie them up strings./There’s nothing left to say, only bide your time and wait.”

On “The Ashes”, she’s taken somewhere where she’ll be safe, but the effects of her trauma continue to haunt her, with her possibly resorting to cutting or burning herself to try and deal with her emotional pain: “Her stomach grows sick, her wings were clipped, and slowly her blood had drained. She felt so weak, wiping the ashes stuck to tears on her cheek./Emotional wreck, digging her nails in the back of her neck.”

One of the most disturbing but sonically beautiful tracks is “The Scars”, which continues to explore her coping mechanisms, this time focusing on her dreams of exacting revenge on those who hurt and/or failed to protect her, and erecting walls to keep her safe from predators: “She would awake from nightmares with tears in her eyes. Dreams of torture, her family burned alive. Plagued by corruption by her own broken mind. What kind of asshole rips an angel’s wing? She built a castle to stop them getting in.“

Just past the halfway mark of X we’re hit with quite a surprise on the haunting track “The Apology”, in which NAVE reveals that the young girl and her story were fabricated in order to make the listener take notice and connect with him and his music. The lyrics are incredibly poignant, and probably accurately reflect the sentiments of more than a few musicians and authors: “We’re over halfway and I’m sorry to say I fed you all a lie. The girl never existed. I had to stop writer’s block, so I made her up. Can you forgive me? I’m sorry to disappoint, emotionally exploit. I’m just playing the game so you would remember my name. I know it’s kind of pathetic. I hope you still think I’m poetic. Please forgive me for lying through my teeth. I’m trying to make you feel something that is real. I must connect to gain all of your respect. To stop me from feeling worthless and give me some kind of purpose.”

Then, on track eight “The Moment”, he returns to the girl who’d been victimized, indicating that she is in fact real after all. “The moment she couldn’t speak of. The moment she was afraid. The moment no one listened to a word she had to say. The moment she was a victim as an innocent young girl. This world makes me angry. It’s no joke, that’s a real person in pain. What’s the matter with you, that’s a real person, broken and bruised…screaming for help.”

On “The Strangest Secret”, it appears that the passage of time has allowed the girl to heal somewhat and take back control of her own life: “That little girl has discovered a secret. Now she gets to keep it all for herself. Silence growing, her life is glowing. Attracting nature to her, power runs right through her. Knowledge now she knows she’s reaping what she sows.”

On the stunning closing track “The Lost and the Found”, NAVE sings to the young woman who’s now become his muse, joyous in the fact they’ve found each other and in the process, rescued themselves from their demons and emotional traumas”: “I wanna freeze time, and stay here forever now I’ve found you, I wrote us these songs to heal our wounds and free us at last. You are my muse. You are my lost and found./ Time goes so fast, I’m grateful for every second I have that passes me by.”

It’s a beautiful, heartwarming and comforting end to both the story being told and the album itself. And once again, I’ve been blown away by NAVE’s artistry, creative imagination and soul-baring honesty.

Here’s the album on Bandcamp:

​And on YouTube:

For more information, check out NAVE’s Website  

His Socials: Facebook / X / Instagram

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

OLIVIA MICELI – Single Review: “Guys Like You!”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews16 Comments

Today I’m pleased to introduce Olivia Miceli, a talented young singer-songwriter and producer based in Staffordshire, England. In addition to her day job as a sound engineer for radio stations BBC 5 live, Radio 4 and The World Service, the hard-working artist has released an impressive amount of music over the past four years. Beginning with the release of her debut single “Fake” in March 2021, Olivia’s since dropped numerous singles and two albums – Road Signs in 2022, and Nostalgic Heartbreak in 2023 – which she quickly followed with her EP Times that were never ours. Last month she released her poignant Olivia Rodrigo-esque single “The Chaos of Growing Up”, and now returns with a cheeky and fun new single “Guys Like You!“.

Like all her music, Olivia wrote, recorded and produced “Guys Like You!” totally by herself in her little home studio set-up. Describing it as “bedroom-pop inspired by 00s rock and artists like Gwen Stefani and Chappell Roan“, she says it’s the coolest song she’s ever written. After listening to it, as well as a lot of her back music catalog, I wholeheartedly agree! The song has a lively toe-tapping groove, overlain with wonderfully melodic jangly guitars accompanied by a throbbing bassline, spirited drums and swirling synths. I like how Olivia’s sweet lilting vocals soar to a defiant croon in the exuberant choruses as she denounces a guy who’s an unlikeable louse: “Guys like you are why I’ve got trust issues / Guys like you should really get a clue.”

“Guys Like You!” is the perfect kiss-off tune, and I think it’s one of Olivia’s best songs yet.

And here’s the song on Soundcloud:

Olivia’s Socials: Facebook / X / Instagram / TikTok

Find her music on Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon Music / Soundcloud / deezer

BRAIN APE – Single Review: “mcmx. downing street”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews17 Comments

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:

Brain Ape Socials:  Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok
Find their music on Spotify / Apple Music / Bandcamp / YouTube

OLI BARTON – Single Review: “You Just Played My Mind”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews6 Comments

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.

Oli Barton’s Socials:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram / TikTok

Find his music on Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon Music / YouTube / Soundcloud

DeltaWulf – Single Review: “I Will Do the Same”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews9 Comments

DeltaWulf is the music project of English singer-songwriter, producer and engineer James Booth. Based in Lancashire, his lively style of rock is influenced by the music of artists like Tom Petty, Eddie Money and Bryan Adams, as well as R&B rhythms and hooks. He’s previously toured with such artists as The Struts, The Pigeon Detectives and New City Kings with his former band Titans Troubadours, and in late 2018, decided to pursue his own sound by forming DeltaWulf. From what I can tell, he records all the instruments himself, and has released a handful of songs on and off over the past six years, including the lovely and heartfelt “You Came at a Time” in 2021 and the hard-driving “Game Changer” this past March.

His latest single is “I Will Do The Same“, a dynamic rock song about falling out of love, with bitter lyrics describing two people who’ve made the painful decision to split up and go their separate ways. It appears DeltaWulf originally released the song back in November 2018, but decided to re-release it on May 19th. The song is both catchy and melodic, and to my ears has a compelling guitar-driven indie rock vibe reminiscent of some of the great songs of the 90s by acts like the Gin Blossoms, Toad the Wet Sprocket and Goo Goo Dolls.

Booth’s guitar work is really outstanding, featuring a vibrant array of textures running the gamut from beautifully-strummed twangy notes to shimmery guitar runs to reverb-soaked gnarly riffs, all of which are accompanied by driving bass and lively percussion. His earnest vocals are pleasing, yet imbued with a rawness that conveys feelings of exasperation and a sad resignation expressed in the lyrics:

Back here, where we have been before
I open up the door, and you come rolling in
There was a time when I would have been glad
To give everything I had just to lay beside you

A dignifying feeling, elevated breathing, anxiety decreasing, freed you from me
I watch you from the ceiling
I'm no longer breathing
Now's the time for leaving
Would you not agree?

Absolution from the chaos in my brain
Finally I find some shelter from the rain
There was a time I thought of giving you my name 
But you can't take your part that I will do the same

DeltaWulf’s Socials:  Facebook / Instagram 

Find his music on Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon Music / deezer / Napster

ASGARD RAVEN – Single Review: “For Us All”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews19 Comments

The other day, while listening to the weekly Tweetcore Radio Hour music podcast, hosted by the inimitable Marc Schuster and available on the Audio Mirage Studios blog and elsewhere, one of the songs he played immediately jumped out at me. It’s not often I stand up and take notice when first hearing a song, but this one hit me right between the ears. At first, it sounded like it might be an old Oasis song I’d never heard, but I knew that couldn’t be right, as Marc plays only newer songs by lesser-known independent and unsigned artists. It turned out to be a song titled “For Us All“, by British artist Asgard Raven. With a name like that he sounded vaguely familiar, though I couldn’t quite remember where or when I’d learned of him. After doing a bit of digging, I found the interview Marc did with Asgard two years ago for his own blog Abominations, which I’d read. 

With a name inspired by Norse mythology, Asgard Raven is the musical moniker of Joe Bickerton, a singer-songwriter and musician based in the southwest London suburbs. Drawing from an array of influences, including punk, rock, blues, folk and indie, as well as the music of some of his favorite acts like Midnight Preachers, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Embrace, Puddle of Mudd and the aforementioned Oasis, he plays a “melodic-anthemic” style of alternative rock reminiscent of 90s brit pop and rock, or as he put it in his interview with Marc, “anything with guitars in it to be honest“.

According to his bio, Joe learned to play guitar in the 1990s while posted in Cyprus during his time in the army. Inspired by Oasis and motivated by his distaste for radio music, he took his guitar everywhere, covering 90s classics all over the world while on deployments. During the early days of Covid lockdowns when he had plenty of time on his hands, he picked up his guitar again after a long hiatus, and began writing and recording songs inspired by his life experiences, “reminiscing on memories that we can all relate to“.

Raven records his music at Sunrise Sound Studio in Hampshire, where it’s produced by his frequent collaborator Marc Burford, of British rock band Echotape, and mixed by Mat Leppanen at the Animal Farm studio in London. He’s also had support from legendary Oasis manager Alan McGee, mentoring him around the direction of the project. He released his outstanding debut single “Until Another Day” in September 2021, and has followed with three more singles, his latest of which is “For Us All”, which he released on March 22nd. (He’s also uploaded an extensive number of excellent demo tracks worth checking out on Soundcloud.)

Raven calls “For Us All” “an energetic rock’n’roll song highlighting the challenges, barriers and loneliness people can often face when trying to get on in the world, especially if they don’t conform to the ’norm’. It looks at how we can’t always see when people are struggling, and how by being there we can support those we care about.” The song opens with a wonderful stomping drumbeat, which is soon joined by melodic rhythms and vibrant, multi-layered guitar work by Raven and Burford, featuring a lush array of reverb-soaked jangly, grungy and acoustic textures, accompanied by a driving bassline and outstanding drumming by Nathan Read. And not only does the music seem to channel Oasis, Raven’s vocals even sound a bit like Liam Gallagher’s here, his strong British accent shining through as he offers support to a friend who’s struggling: “The world can be a lonely place sometimes. And no one can see the pain behind your smile. Come on my friend, lean on me. Take my hand, let it all be.“

I like pretty much everything I’ve heard by Asgard Raven, and I think “For Us All” is his best song yet. I’m confident we’ll be hearing lots more great music from this talented artist.

Asgard’s Socials: Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram / Threads

Find his music on: Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon Music / YouTube / deezer / Soundcloud

JOE PEACOCK – EP Review: “Beast Mode”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews7 Comments

Joe Peacock is a British singer-songwriter and musician who was born and raised in rural Herefordshire and now based in Birmingham, England. Describing himself as “a genre-hopping storyteller, whose music has been compared to Bowie, Blur and Costello”, he cheekily adds “all money from the digital sales of my music go into paying producers/mixing & mastering engineers.” Not only is he a hard-working and talented songwriter and musician who’s not afraid to continually experiment and push himself beyond his comfort zone, but also a thoughtful family man who cares deeply about the environment, social justice and inequality.

Mr. Peacock rediscovered his creative spark during the Covid lockdowns, and began writing and recording songs at home, handling all aspects of performance and recording. The prolific artist has released a tremendous amount of music in over the past three years, including three albums – I’m Only Here, in April 2021, Before the robots told us where to go, in December 2021, and Mirror Neuron Generator, in July 2022 – as well as numerous singles and four EPs, one of which, The curse of the mind, I reviewed last August. In addition, he’s also one half of art-folk duo The Missed Trees, his side project with singer/fiddle player Louisa Davies-Foley, who released their three-track EP Animals last April. Now he returns with his fifth EP Beast Mode, featuring six fascinating animal-themed tracks based on real events. He hosted a listening party for the EP yesterday, in which he provided lots of insight behind each track.

The EP kicks off with “Pass the puffer“, a song inspired by an episode of the BBC program Spy in the Wild, which detailed how dolphins swimming round a puffer fish can become blissed out from small doses of the lethal toxins emitted by the fish. He was prompted to do a bit of research on dolphins and created a song not intended to be political or animal rights based, but simply a cheeky observation of the dolphins’ strange behaviour. “One bite can paralyze and kill a human, but dolphins get a buzz off the neurotoxin. Are they purposely experimenting, then going off to look at their reflection? Pass the puffer before the seas get rougher.” I love the edgy cinematic synths, grungy psychedelic guitars and pulsating synth-bass, and the chirpy dolphin sounds early in the song are wonderful. Peacock’s vocals remind me of Damon Albarn, frontman of British bands Blur and Gorillaz.

“Fed to the tigers” tells the story of Marius, a two-year-old giraffe born and raised at Copenhagen Zoo. Though healthy, he was genetically unsuitable for future captive breeding because his genes were over-represented in the captive population, so the zoo authorities decided to euthanize him on February 9, 2014, after which his body was dissected and necropsied in a public educational class, then fed to the zoo’s lions and tigers. Peacock notes “They didn’t want to sell him to some private collector or a circus so decided the most humane thing was to kill him and feed him to the tigers. I don’t make a judgement, just think it’s a dilemma that’s worth thinking about.”

His lyrics are both bitterly direct and heartbreaking: “Perfectly healthy (and utterly adorable). The zoo said it had no choice, but to kill poor Marius. Shot through the head, he died instantly. He will take up space for more genetically valuable giraffes. He is of no use to us and he costs us money. We can’t exceed our carrying capacity. Overpopulation is a problem you know.” The dark, spacey synths and heavy guitar tremolo lends a strong, disconcerting undercurrent to the track.

On “Cyborg (Broken Animal)“, Peacock explores the idea of using technology to control or even alter humans and animals. He elaborates further: “There’s a philosophical element to it in terms of how we should feel about experimenting with impulses going straight to the brain to control movements and things, plus a bit of a fear of what if it goes wrong and robot-insect armies start attacking us!” He sings “I’m picking up a signal, picking up a signal. My brain is now wired differently. I didn’t pop a pill or flick a switch, but I am tuning in now. See the cyborgs all around, the offspring of necessity. Our motherboards are so corrupted, we are all breaking down.” Musically, the song has a quirky but pleasant sci-fi vibe, with lots of glitchy synths and a gnarly guitar solo layered over a bouncy, repetitive dance beat.

One of the six tracks is a remix of “Cyborg” by the EP’s producer Chris Marney, titled the “Cyborg (Cyber Madness Remix)”. Marney removes Peacock’s guitar solo and fortifies those glitchy sci-fi synths with added sheen, also expanding the track by one minute and ten seconds. Peacock’s vocals have also been put through a vocoder, enhancing the overall spacey vibe. I can’t pick one over the other, as I really like both versions.

“Sweet Kiss of Death” was inspired by a true story about a young Irish horse trainer and jockey named Frank Hayes who died of a heart attack while riding a horse named Sweet Kiss in a race at Belmont Park in New York in 1923. Hayes died in the latter part of the race, but his body remained in the saddle when Sweet Kiss crossed the finish line. Peacock wrote the poignant lyrics from the point of view of the horse, who was nicknamed Sweet Kiss of Death for the rest of her life. (Wikipedia) “I don’t know why your heart failed, but you’d been under pressure to lose weight. You strove and sweated, denied yourself water. Was it all too much? You never complained. Laid to rest in your racing silks, you were ready to ride again. When the reaper paid a visit, I felt your dead weight before we crossed the line. They called me the sweet kiss of death, but I carried you home.” The song opens with a what sounds like a melancholy electronic oboe, which is soon joined by what Peacock calls a weird talking bass sound he used to keep the song from sounding too overly reggae. Despite the rather dour subject matter, the song still has a lighthearted feel.

The final track “Radioactive Hybrid Terror Pigs (24 remix)” is a reimagining of a song he originally released as a stand-alone single in October 2022. Peacock says “It was the first song Chris mixed for me, so I thought I’d bring it back. It was fast and punky all the way through before, so I slowed down the verses and chopped up the guitar line, adding a few synth elements, too.” The song was inspired by a story he read about how wild boars moved into contaminated land in Hiroshima, Japan after World War II. They didn’t appear to have suffered any ill effects from the radiation, and eventually inter-bred with domesticated pigs that had been left behind in the desperate aftermath of the disaster.

Peacock added “The title’s a little bit sensationalist, but when I read it, I just thought that has to be a song! Thematically it fits perfectly with this EP.” The remix verses are sung in a skittering, almost dubstep groove with gnarly guitars, accompanied by sounds of blaring sirens as he sings “A nuclear disaster took all the humans away. Down from the mountains the boars made a foray into the dangers of the big exclusion zone. Almost indestructible, this place became their home.” The music then ramps up to a furious galloping pace in the choruses as he plaintively asks “What can we do now they’ve moved in? Radioactive hybrid terror pigs. Fierce and wild, but domesticated, too.” It’s an entertaining take on a somewhat creepy subject.

Though Beast Mode might not be everyone’s cup of tea, I think it’s pretty brilliant, and another fine example of Joe Peacock’s impressive imagination, songwriting and musicianship. He also created the lovely cover art for the EP using AI.

Follow Joe:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram

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