Welcome all to ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐น๐น๐โ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ, a series of weekly reviews by Charles Connolly – an artist in his own right. Here, Charles delves into the greatest brand new singles brought to you by the best unsigned artists on our electrifying and eclectic set of ๐๐๐ฌ ๐ผ๐ง๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ฅ๐ค๐ฉ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฉ playlists.
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Charles reviews Paul McCโฆ
I’ve been thinking about niceness recently. Niceness, politeness and good will. Kindness and honesty. Selflessness. I’m quite nice, but I’m no saint. I will quite naturally be good, but I won’t be a pushover. I will put up a fight if I believe in something strongly enough. But then again, sometimes I will lose that battle either because I’m not strong enough, or because I don’t have the energy, or, because my opponent is simply stronger; or stronger willed. And this is how I came to thinking about niceness. Are nice people too nice? Are they too good for their own good? Can being too nice be unhealthy or even detrimental?
At the New Artist Spotlight, I have โmetโ SO many incredibly nice people. The good. The saints. The ones who live in everlasting guilt if they so much as eat the last slice of chocolate cake. The thing is, these nice people would never DREAM of eating the last slice of chocolate cake. Theyโre far too kind to do something so brazen and selfish as that. Instead, all these nice people will huddle together and watch that delicious slice of chocolate cake – that they all want to devour – go to waste. They will stare as it turns green and furry, and they emphatically tell themselves they made the right choice. Did they, though? Did they make the right choice? I would say they did not. But imagine their disgust if after the pointlessly inevitable smalltalk of โNo no, please, YOU have it – No no, please, I insistโ, some big pig comes along and steals that final slice from over their heads and devours it wholeโฆ Did the pig do the wrong thing? Well, thereโs always tact, but I think not. I think itโs better that SOMEone had it than no one. But then again, maybe notโฆ The question is whether that was the most deserving person in the room. What REALLY should have happened was this. A knife comes into play, and that final slice is divided up among them. Quickly, though, before biggy piggy arrives. But is that fair to biggy piggyโฆ? Oh, the trials these nice people have to go through. It must be so hard being that nice.
What with my job being music production and sound engineering, I very often receive messages with a similar theme. Before I divulge that theme, I think itโs important to tell you that I donโt mind this at all. In fact, I am honoured that they even think to choose me as the recipient. The theme of said messages is, my thoughts on their latest masterpiece before it is released or even finished. It is such a relief when I press play and it is absolutely wonderful and utterly flawless. But – I must be honest – this is seldom the case. I mean, itโs seldom the case even with mainstream music. Usually I have various thoughts. I ask them specifically what kind of feedback theyโre after; whether itโs songwriting, production, recording, singing, playing, mixing, or โwhether it would hit big because this might be the oneโ. Inevitably, they usually reply โwell, anything reallyโ, which of course gives me nothing, and I doubt they mean this. From their wording and manner, I gauge the situation and feel for how honest and frank they want me to be. Bear in mind, this is all in black text on a white background. I canโt hear their voice. I canโt look at their facial expressions. I canโt tell instantly if theyโre excited, confident and bold, or if theyโre nervous and, well, nervous! But because my life has been conducted in messages for many years, I have got pretty good at reading people by their way of typing. Maybe they just want confirmation that itโs the best thing I have ever heard in my life – although they already knew that. But then, why would they even ask me if they already knew that? Is that not just an admission of self-doubt? Maybe theyโre PRETTY sure itโs good, but they just want to make sure they havenโt lost their mind. The sensible choice of a second pair of ears. Usually, though, I have SO much to say about what I have heard, and Iโm just not sure if theyโre ready for that. Or even if they WANT that. Tact is my number one priority here, but also honesty. The difficulty is fusing the two. Very often theyโre wondering if perhaps the mastering needs a tiny tweakโฆ Yet Iโm wondering if the drummer was drunk and why the lead singer was struggling to find a note among the cat squeals. Whereโs the middle ground? Do I fob them off with the classic โIโm too busy right now, but Iโll listen when I canโ – hoping that I leave it so long that they forget all about meโฆ? I hate doing that. In fact, I canโt remember if Iโve ever actually gone through with that. Initially it might be my plan, but guilt and niceness get the better of me, and I end up doing what I can in terms of verbal help. Sometimes they leave me a little tip (very kind indeed), and sometimes they donโt. Sometimes I mind, and sometimes I donโt. It depends if they have taken up hours of my time, or just ten minutesโฆ
Rather welcomingly, they sometimes give up and ask me to sort all the problems as paid work. And sometimes, that was their plan all along. Which is fine with me! But what if they donโt want my hands-on help, and instead just want my verbal feedback? The thing is, how do I say what I want to say? And SHOULD I say what I want to say? I want to be honest. After all, THEY came to ME! But still, I am aware that it is very common for artists to lack self-esteem. Equally, they can have far too much of itโฆ They might just want some sort of verification that itโs good to go. Or maybe some minor tweak. But I am absolutely sure that not one single artist wants to hear that the whole piece needs to be ripped apart and basically done again from the ground up; especially when they spent 5 hours getting that hi-hat right (it was far from right). The worst though, is when it IS finished. It has already been uploaded to their distributor. What can I say? They canโt change it. So anything I say is pointless. And yet, they want feedback. In this case, tact usually takes precedence over honesty, sadly. But itโs their own fault for asking me when itโs too late to be changed. Overall, though, I am constantly asking myself how to say the right things.
Or should I say โthing-gsโโฆ We are tripping over to Liverpool this week. I donโt need to tell you which country thatโs in, because: The Beatles. No matter what any Liverpudlian might claim, the only real reason anyone outside Britain has heard of Liverpool, is The Beatles. We all know this. I went there about a decade ago. And why? The Beatles. I stayed in the Hard Days Night Hotel! And no, I didnโt miss out the apostrophe, the hotel did (rather irritatingly – probably an annoying copyright reason). My entire trip was Beatles. Oh, and Tate Liverpool for a Mondrian exhibition. Tate Liverpool used to be called the Liverpool Tate. Just like โTransport for Londonโ used to be called London Transport. And now itโs called TfL. Yuk. Itโs called progress. I digress. Back to Liddypoo, as I call it. Look, itโs better than my personal word for Polandโฆ So! Liddypoo. What a glorious trip it was! The only thing I regret is not having visited Paul McCartneyโs childhood home. Itโs a museum, you see. A perfect replica of how it was when he was living there, complete with much original furniture, and even some original wallpaper! I think it would have really done something to me, walking through those very rooms. Anyway, I didnโt. It’s funny how, being a Londoner, I pronounce Singer as Singer, yet I pronounce Stronger as Strong-ger. I don’t say Sing-ger. Liverpudlians keep it nice and simple. They always pronounce that second G. I don’t say Class and Dance; I say Claas and Daance. Paul McCartney released an LP many moons ago called โWorking Classicalโ. This pun doesn’t work in a London accent, because I don’t say Class. I say Claas. But I don’t say Claasical. Well, truth be told, I actually often do. But that’s because I’m weird. I have always called that album โWorking Claasicalโ. Call it an amuse-bouche.
What might come as a surprise to you all is that despite Paul McCโs fame and fortune, he has joined the NAS! I know. Quite crazy, right?? In fact, heโs been a member for quite some time. Nearly two years, as it happens. Truly. I am not lying. Paul McC from Liddypoo is a member of the New Artist Spotlight!!! Okay, the thing is, I might not be being quite fair here. I mean A Paul McC from Liverpool is a member of the NAS. Paul McCormick, to be precise. I have often called him โPaul McCโฆโ in messages. Itโs our own little amusement. It had occurred to me that this might actually annoy him, but he was perhaps too polite to let me know. Like he didnโt know how to say the right things. But the thing is, the more popular Paul McC is not a hated character. Quite the opposite these days. Heโs like the ultimate living person in music. So being called โPaul McCโฆโ can hardly be an insult. AND, they have something in common. Theyโre both Liverpoolish. Sorry: Liverpudlian. Absurd term, but there you go. I TOLD you we were tripping over to Liddypoo.
From now on, when I say Paul, I mean McCormick. Paul is one of the nicest people I have ever โmetโ. I have to say โmetโ because in recent years most of the people I have met, I havenโt actually MET met. Only โmetโ. Such is the way of the internet. But yeah, Paul is one of the nicest. And itโs just so clear from the moment you interact with him. Just a few words and a glimpse of his face on any of his artwork, and you just KNOW heโs a do-gooder (in the literal sense). Or more precisely: a mean-weller. He means well. I think heโs the type to feel dirty should even the slightest dark thought cross his mind. He is without a doubt honest to the core. And if he canโt be kind and honest in the same breath, he will force himself to find a way out. Paul is pure in this sense. Pretty rare these days, I must say. But of course, this kind of niceness and honesty can prove difficult in the real world. What if he is confronted for an opinion, and he knows that the confronter is not going to like his opinionโฆ? Well thatโs what his new song is all about! Please welcome Paul McCormick with his latest single, โHow To Say The Right Thingsโ! Despite me being an evident fan of Paul, I had never reviewed his music. This was not because I didnโt like it. I always liked his music. I think itโs more to do with mood. Paul makes pop. Like poppedy-pop-pop-pop kinda pop. Catchy-is-as-catchy-does kinda pop. The kinda pop that usually kinda passes me by these days. But every so often it grabs me. Mainly by way of sticking in my head. Did I mention it being catchy? Yes, yes I did. Paulโs latest music definitely does NOT pass me by. His previous single was fabulous (โAcknowledge Meโ), and I was kicking myself for not having reviewed it. Of course, I could always have done a belated review, but whereโs the fun in that? Everyone already knows (and loves) the song. Besides, I knew heโd have a new one out soon. And hereโs that new one! Itโs more pop than the last (which took a brief detour). Letโs talk titlesโฆ
Sir Paul. No, not that sort of title. And he prefers being called Paul, because THIS Paul has not yet been knighted. Iโm talking about song titles. Reading a list of his song titles reveals rather a lot more about him than most songs do for other artists. Me, for example: โHands Up, Hands Downโ? โParakeetโ? โCome The Endโ?? Am I dying?! Not yet Iโm not. It isn’t that easy to work me out from titles aloneโฆ But Paulโฆ? Letโs have a look at some of themโฆ โIโve Had Enoughโ, โBetter Aloneโ, โInto Obscurityโ, โAnxiety and Iโ, โPrivacyโ, โWhat Did I Do?โ, โImperfectionsโ, โAcknowledge Meโ, and now his latest: โHow To Say The Right Thingsโโฆ This all paints a rather clear picture of a bold, brave man ready to take on the world. The epitome of machismo! Actually, I might have got that a little wrong. Trump, he is not. Whether you love or hate Trump, I think we can all agree that he does not have a soft, beautiful soul. SWIFTLY moving on from THAT prickly topic!!!! Paul very much DOES have a soft, beautiful soul. A soul that is kind, sensitive and unsure. I like him. Heโs a very likeable character! And I imagine that his songs help him a lot in terms of mental anxiety and โworking it all outโ. I think he is a lot like a lot of us in many ways. But there is one way he is far braver than most of us. He opens up. He is honest with us all. He is comfortable enough to tell the world about what he sees as his shortcomings, in what I personally see as his charm and his very own character. Not everyone wants an arrogant rockstar.
So! I suppose youโll be wanting to know a little about the song, no? This is fast-paced upbeat pop with no regrets. Itโs shameless and proud. In fact, thatโs the funny thing about Paul. Despite all those titles, so many of his songs are incredibly upbeat and happy. He smiles his troubles away! And hey, whatever gets you through it. Paulโs voice sings loud and proud atop the music, clean and clear. There ainโt no mumbling or ambiguity in the lyrics or vocal delivery. Itโs upfront like a picture-book manual. Itโs not trying to be anything other than what it is. A great pop song with a simple meaning that is dear to his own heart. Something has happened with Paul this year. His latest two singles have – frankly – been leagues ahead of his previous releases. He was always good, but I just KNEW he was going to get even better. What I didnโt realise was how quickly that was going to happen. And itโs all in the writing. I think it used to be more about the lyrics for him, with a nice musical backing track to make it into a fully-fledged song. Lyrics and melodies: thatโs how I always saw him. But in the last two releases, the writing of the music has got more involved. More interesting. There are subtle chord changes that just work, and theyโre not obvious. I also think he does things the right way. I think most music artists are simply artists. They might be able to sing, but their thing is writing. Paul evidently realised his strengths, but also acknowledged his weaknesses – not easy to do. Which is why he has been working with Robert Whiteley for years. Robert is the chap behind the production and mixing. Which is why (also for years) Paulโs sound has always been supoyb. He didnโt haul that slow barrow up the hill, eventually meeting his producer/engineer on album number four. He took the fast train direct to Robert on day one in 2021. Thatโs what Rich Allen did with me: he decided to go solo, and asked me to produce and mix all his music from single number one. It just sort of makes sense (he says, blowing his own trumpet). Of course, IF you can GENUINELY do it ALL to a very high standard, then DO. But unless youโre Kaminski or Patrik Ahlm (or Tame Impalaโs Kevin Parker), youโre probably lying to yourself.
I mentioned Paulโs subtle writing talent in terms of chord changesโฆ Itโs only subtle because it works so well and so naturally. You wonโt hear anything sort of โwoahโ. Itโs just not that kind of music. But these subtleties keep things interesting. Heโs turning into a real pro, and if mainstream pop wasnโt so bloody gloomy these days I can see him writing for the BIG boys (and girls). In the meantime, enjoy the bright chiming guitars, the tightest drums, a load of harmonies, a choir(!), and of course, that distinctively excited voice full of enthusiasm and pep. Thatโs Paul! The mixed production is flawless. Thatโs Robert!
A final thing for Paul. Iโm really impressed with your sharp upturn in writing, and your persistent insistence on quality. I admire that a lot. I also admire your courage in letting us know all about you in song. Boy, you gots guts. Through all my years of writing these articles, Iโm learning how to say the right things.
No cheeky ending-gโฆ? Oh, be nice; or biggy piggy will kick the Liddypoo out of you.
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