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.
๐ฝ๐ง๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ซ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ – ๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐ก๐ก๐๐ฃ
Charles celebrates 5 years of Connolly’s Cornerโฆ
Well…!! Here we are again, with another instalment of the CC machine. But this one is a little special. It’s one that I never really thought I would reach. I have been writing these things every single week for five years. Five bloody years, can you believe?! That’s the age of the New Artist Spotlight. Half a decade! You all know this as Tuesday Review Day, but for me it’s Monday. I always write these on Mondays. To me, Monday means writing day. It’s my weekly dose of creativity, where my mind goes wherever it wishes. Monday is never free, for I am busy doing this. Just this. Yes, it takes most of the day. It may seem like a half-hour dash, but it’s really not. Hence why I’m stunned to have reached this milestone. What milestone…? Well, my 250th review, of course!!! What a lotta woyds.
I would like to thank those who bother to read my articles every week without fail, and then write the most thoughtful comment underneath. Itโs your time and your effort, so I very much appreciate it. But I hope youโre doing it for selfish reasons – because you want to, rather than โto show supportโ. This is the RIGHT kind of selfish. You people are the reason I keep going with them. I would like NOT to thank those who (for some reason) pretend to read them and either write a generic comment that could apply to any single article, or give the article to a robot so the robot can write a comment. This is sick, rude, insulting and a lie. I despise liars. For me, lying is the very worst trait below criminal law breaking. Honesty means everything to me. Which is the main reason I so despise HAL (A.I.) in art and creation. Yep, like a broken record I’m harping on about this old chestnut again. A lot has changed in music since I started writing these things. “In the old days”, the only thing I would have to listen out for was โvocal packsโ: pre-made vocal tracks, complete with words and melody, sung to perfection and mixed impeccably, available to buy (or steal) on the internet. To me, this was cheating, and frankly a waste of time. It meant that the “artist” would not have to bother writing a melody or lyrics, would not have to sing or have the tricky task of finding an excellent singer to record, and would certainly not have to work out how to mix vocals. All they really had to do was stick in a few VERY simple chords, repeating from beginning to end, and add a beat. Hence why so much music has turned into generic muck. The thing is, I avoided this second-hand flab rather easily. It wasn’t so much lying as laziness, and it simply didn’t warrant a place in my Corner. HAL, however, is an entirely different kettle of cod.
When I say “HAL”, I mean pure HAL. I mean type a few words and generate a song with one click. There is more thought, effort and talent in writing a shopping list. A shopping list would also probably take longer. However, it’s not the ultra laze that gets to me. It irks me, but it doesn’t cripple and crush me. It doesn’t turn my brain inside out and make me question everything in the world. Laziness is not a good trait, but it doesn’t feel harmful. It feels pointless. Switching from ultra laze to ultra LIES, though, is what truly depresses me. Having to have my detective mode permanently switched on is exhausting. I crave the days of simply listening to music, and deciding whether I like it or not. You see, I have not met or known one single HAL “artist” who has admitted right from the start that they are not proper artists and that they generate their releases with one click. If truth enters the equation, what is the point in releasing these things? I could never see why anyone would choose to do such a thing if not trying to pretend they have talent when they don’t. It simply makes no sense. Hence the lies. The point is to pretend they created this “art” themselves. Now, this could be that they’re trying to tell themselves that this is in fact an alternative way of creating art (lying to themselves), or it could simply be that they know exactly what they’re doing, and that they are attempting to deceive any listeners they might have. I donโt mind if someone is a terrible artist. Theyโre trying their best and theyโre completely failing. So what? Theyโre trying! Theyโre bothering. Theyโre not lying. Iโd rather honest garbage from a human than dishonest mediocrity from a machine. This is supposed to be ART, for Christโs sake!!! It has got to the point that I admire anyone who genuinely makes their own music and doesnโt pretend, regardless of the quality or talent. How awful is that?? Art is being upheld by the honest. And what with there being so few honest people in the world, the true art world is getting smaller and smaller.
And you thought the 250th โepisodeโ would be a jolly thingโฆ Very sorry to have soured what could have been a perfectly good vibe. The good news is, I can now bring you that good vibe. I can bring you the polar opposite of HAL. The flip-side of lies. Possibly the most honest man in the whole of the New Artist Spotlight. A man who has no truck with robots. A man who simply does things the way they were always done, (before the world collectively decided art was a chore). He doesnโt have to lie because thereโs nothing to lie about. He can be proud of his honesty. He can be proud of his art, because he made it himself. He can be happy and content in his retirement, for he is already there. He has his health, he has his family, he has his music. What more could a man want?? Well, Iโll tell you one thing he certainly deservesโฆ Recognition; and a whole load of it. This man has failed to release a dud song since his very first solo single. He is consistent like a pro. Actually, most pros are not this consistent. Now, 16 singles into his solo career, he has shown no signs of slowing down, and no signs of taking the โeasyโ route. Great art is not easy. Great ANYTHING is not easy. Consistently great art is rare. And Rich Allen, is more important than ever before.
I needed to make sure my 250th article covered someone special. Someone I know personally. Someone I admire. Someone wholesome and pure. But of course, it had to be someone supremely talented. Who could I possibly choose but the saintly artist, singer and musician, Rich Allenโฆ? Actually, this was NOT planned. I purposely never plan my reviews because I like to keep things fresh and current. Despite often being sent early copies of songs soon to be released, I never listen to them until they are released. I donโt want repeated listens to taint my choice; we often warm to songs more if we know them well – familiarity brings us closer. The thing is, Richโs brand new single, โBroken Love Songโ, was not something I could avoid before release. And why was this? Could I simply not wait? Did Rich force me to listen? Oh come off it; can you imagine Rich โforcingโ anyone to do anything? He is an extremely polite gentleman! No, the reason I heard it early, was because I mixed it. Itโs quite difficult to mix a song without hearing it. I have tried, but it just sounded empty. I have had the privilege of mixing every Rich Allen release (Iโm proud to say), but I had forgotten when this particular song was to be released. I only knew it was due for release at some point. Hence how despite knowing the song, the review was still not planned. It was released on Friday and I listened with fresh ears. I then listened to all other new NAS releases. One other song came quite close, but I felt Rich simply HAD to be the one for this anniversary edition.
Mixing Richโs music is always such a joy. Not because itโs easy, but because itโs satisfying. Everything is organic and recorded in a proper studio by himself and other talented folk. Every single note is carefully thought out and chosen. Nothing comes simply by chance. Every single pluck of the acoustic guitar or ukulele is different from the last. There is human feel. There will have been discussions and alterations made along the process. Everything is natural and professional, but nothing is utterly perfect. There is always imperfection in human perfection. Machine perfection is literal perfection, which is dull. I have spent the last few days quietly getting obsessed with Steely Dan, and it has been such a joy. To some, they are the cheesiest band in the world. To others they are the epitome of slickness. To most, theyโre simply all right. I think the main reason I have truly fallen for them (astoundingly late in life), is twofold. One, the brilliance in complex songwriting, hidden within what could be conceived as easy listening, and two: their obsessive perfection in sound. This isnโt to say that I donโt go for a more punky haphazard rock, but what with my job as a sound engineer and producer, my ears naturally sway towards this kind of thing. It fascinates me. So when I hear Rich Allenโs raw, unprocessed tracks, I get all excited. I hear the musical layers, I hear the sheer talent in playing and singing, I hear the emotion, I hear the classic songwriting, and I start to think. I imagine what I can bring to the table. I want to make it perfect without being perfect. I want to enhance everything thatโs special. I want it to sound like a record. And so I get to work.
โBroken Love Songโ canโt decide whether itโs a happy or a sad song. But I can definitely declare that itโs a beautiful song. A beautiful song with style, class, grace, modesty, maturity and honesty. Something that, frankly, goes for all of Richโs songs. But this one feels even more honest than usual. More open. I have noticed how Rich is baring his heart and soul more so as time goes on. It isnโt that he was lying in the past, but that he was perhaps not being so transparent. Telling the truth but maybe not the whole truth. A very dry acoustic starts us off before swaying into soft backing vocals, ukulele, pedal steel guitar and a deep kick drum. The bass and shaker then hold the tempo while retaining groove and bounce. Then, with all his usual heartfelt emotion, confidence and experience, Rich takes to the mic in a loose shirt. Heโs been through it all. The overall sound is more dry than usual, which, rather than lacking in ambience, somehow enhances the close, personal nature of it all. Thereโs sadness in this minor-key pokey gypsy folk, that is, until the uplifting country-inspired chorus introduced by the slide of the pedal steel. Major chords bloom throughout, bringing such hope and optimism, only to be brought down to Earth by the minor chord of the refrain, โAllโs youโll have left, is a broken love songโ. It is the moment the song reaches classic standards. โEmotionally Iโm spentโ – what a daring line to open the songโs second verse. Instantly, we are in his world. The whole of the second verse seems to have the most emotion for me. After another fulfilling chorus, we hit the bridge. Itโs truly double-time country this time. Now, I donโt normally go for country music, but thereโs something about Richโs voice and his arrangements that seem to make me love anything he creates. More versage follows said bridge, but then we get an unusual chorus where I think Rich decided to sit down and have a few sips of his beer. He leaves the vocals to Emily Coomber, his resident backing singer, and itโs amazing how different it feels. She sounds so relaxed, yet so forthright! But for the last 30-40 seconds, itโs as if Rich has jumped back on stage with fresh exuberance. He means every word of what he sings. The songโs final line is that of its first, rounding the whole piece perfectly. Honesty at its finest. And whatโs the song about? Itโs about love, of course. I couldnโt think of anyone with whom Iโd rather spend my 250th article. Much love TO ya, Rich.
There will be no CC article next week, as Iโll be taking a week off in celebration of 250 of the buggers. I think I deserve that. But donโt fret; the following week I will be back!
Shameless plug because I think I deserve that too:
Do you wish to have your song fixed and mixed? Would you like some additional production or even a full production? Would you like that finishing touch in mastering? Perhaps a little sprinkling of magic? I’m yer man. Get in touch (on Discord or via the link below) so we can chat about how to make your music stand out. Leave the more complicated, dull stuff to me so you can spend more time on your art! Let me make YOUR music the way YOU want it to sound.
250 honest articles can be quite exhaustingโฆ Ah, bed. Finally, it’s time to lie.
Listen to ๐ฝ๐ง๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ซ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ on the ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐น๐น๐โ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ Spotify playlist HERE!
Listen to ๐ฝ๐ง๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ซ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ on the ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐น๐น๐โ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ Apple Music playlist HERE!
Listen to ๐ฝ๐ง๐ค๐ ๐๐ฃ ๐๐ค๐ซ๐ ๐๐ค๐ฃ๐ on YouTube HERE!
Follow ๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐ก๐ก๐๐ฃ on Instagram HERE!
Follow ๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐ก๐ก๐๐ฃ on TwiX HERE!
Hire ๐พ๐๐๐ง๐ก๐๐จ to produce/mix/master your song HERE!
Please share this post and let me know your thoughts in the comments below
#review #song #songreview #RichAllen #BrokenLoveSong #folk #country #ballad #organic #noAI #nolie #genuine #honesty #celebration #anniversary #TwoFifty #love #CharlesConnolly #ConnollysCorner #CC #NAS #NewArtistSpotlight #IWantMyNAS #StopPayola
Leave a Reply to Martin Koppmnn Cancel reply