Welcome all to 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿, 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 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 playlists.
𝘼𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙧𝙮 – 𝘽𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙡
Charles reinvents the family…
My family is small. Absolutely tiny. No “Family of Two” jokes, please. I mean my full extended family. My father is an only child. My mother is an only child. My “aunt and uncle” are not my aunt and uncle, but cousins of a kind. They too are only children. Ah, it just occurred to me that some non-native speakers (foreigners, as we used to say) might not know the term. An only child is someone who has no brothers or sisters. It doesn’t mean they are merely a child. Anyway, so that least young generation is small. My parents had two children. My aunt and uncle had two children. Those two “children” also had two children each. Not together, of course. And then there’s me and my sister. She has around 14 children, give or take (or so it seems). Actually, she has four. I have zero (so far). So that balances the books nicely. But that’s basically my entire family, save the odd third cousin, twice removed (whom I’ve never met). Most people say they like their huge family. I like my small family. It seems we like what we have. While we have it, anyway…
The less one has in life, the more one holds on to those few things so dear. Losing just one thing can feel ever closer to impending isolation. Imagine then, if that one thing is a parent or a partner. Although it is quite usual for a parent to leave before you do, it is nevertheless (I imagine), quite devastating. As to a partner, it’s 50/50 as to who leaves first. But what if “leaving” doesn’t mean leaving this Earth…? What if it simply means the split of two halves that once made a whole…? If that “other half” is no longer in one’s life, is that not very similar to a death? Sure, they continue in their merry (or unmerry) way, skipping (or trudging) through life as we know it, but they no longer have anything to do with YOU. To YOU it can be like the death of the biggest, bestest thing in your life. All right then, you’ve twisted my arm. The reason I wrote that song, Family of Two, is because it is how I feel about my closest relationship. Just me and my girlfriend. In fact it will be our 10 year anniversary of being together this year. Which is nice. We got together and reinvented the word “family”. We changed its meaning. Sure, there might be the odd blob falling over and dribbling everywhere at some point in the future, but for now, it’s just us. And that suits me down to the ground.
In having a small family, I rarely lose a relation. Distant relations I have barely ever met are not dropping off every few weeks, because there basically aren’t any. Despite having a small family, realistically I am only close with a tiny fraction of those few. And to lose one of them would frankly tear me to shreds, despite the inevitability of it all. But to lose the other half of my freshest family, would feel like no family, once removed. I would feel truly alone. Family of One. Which I imagine to be bloody lonely. Me no likey even the thought! But it goes far further than loneliness. There is the air of wasted time. A pointless existence without being able to share it with someone. There is a limit to how much one can talk to oneself (so I’m told). And the reply is pretty predictable, believe me! What then, if this lady friend of mine decided she’d had enough of me and chose to leave? In my eyes, it would feel much like a death. In some ways, worse (perhaps in a selfish way)! Let me explain. An end is an end. Deeply sad though it is, there is nothing more to say. But a departure means the departed is still around but elsewhere. Which leaves a yearning. A jealousy of sorts. That others might be able to bask in their company. That should I have acted differently, we two might still have been one. Thankfully though, no such occurrence has occurred. My little family has still those same few members – no more, no fewer. And my even littler family of two is very much in bloom, despite the foul season. It’s blooming marvellous, dare I say! But it isn’t like this for everyone. Some are rather more unfortunate. And it is those poor unfortunates upon whom I will dwell.
I just mentioned the current foul season. Right now in London, it is pouring with rain and absurdly gusty (with wind). It feels like the end of the world; or like the roof is going to be ripped off in one, and the windows are to become porous. It seems impossible to imagine a still, clear, sunny day. But this is the way of the seasons. They come and go in a cycle of fourths. We all know it, but it is nearly unfathomable to believe that contented calm can follow such angry hurt. The good news is, it is not a rumour or a myth. Summer will eventually open its bleary eyes and shine down on you with effortless ease. This goes for life too. As bad as it gets, things will improve, in time. Which brings me to a brand new EP called Seasons. Please welcome long-time NASian member, Blister Soul! What with there famously being four seasons, the EP of course has how many tracks? That’s right: three. And I cannot really separate them. For the purpose of this article, I have picked track one, Anniversary. But really, it is the amalgamation of all three tracks that really shows the full perspective. The whole oeuvre. Where shall we start? I think first let’s talk about the band and their releases thus far. Blister Soul is made up of 4 members from Joplin, Misery. Sorry: Missouri. Greg Ballew is the principle songwriter, lead singer and rhythm guitarist. What we used to call “the leader” before people started getting annoyed and annoying. He is joined by Jason Otero (lead guitar and backing vocals), Bryan Bridgford (bass), and Tony Otero (drums). The classic “band” lineup. Before Seasons, they have only had but one official release. Sign of the Times (another EP) was released all the way back in 2021, and seemingly there has been absolutely nothing since… Did they split up? Were there personal problems? Well, there were various happenings, but in actual fact the band has been playing live shows on and off throughout the intervening years. Personal incidents and tragedies have occurred, but when has that ever stopped an artist…? And then there’s family. Good old family. That often slows down an artist’s creative output. And of course it’s always a bit of a pain when the drummer breaks his ankle. Especially for the drummer! Poor Tony.
Seasons, is about three things. Anniversary, moves us through the loss of a loved one, be it in love or in death. In this case I believe it to be a life no more. There is a cavernous sense of lost loneliness, where the protagonist just gives up and waits for the end. It’s numb in here. Straight and Narrow, touches on divorce. It shows us that regret may be too little, too late. There is no turning back the clock. Realising the error in one’s ways is always a good start, but sadly no matter how much one tries to fix things, this bird has flown. So sad. And finally, Part of Me Still Beats, is an ode to observation and to family. The writer sees how one generation will bleed to the next. Not just in looks, but in character and trait. It could be the inheritance of a gene, or a mere manner, but there will always be something passed down the line. Have you already become your father? Are you seeing how your daughter copies your vocal inflection? Or your temper? Children watch EVERYthing, without realising. They absorb like sponges. THESE are their formative years, so form them well. Pass down the good traits. Once you’re gone, a little bit (or a lottle bit) of you will remain in the next generation. A legacy of sorts.
This EP is also a part of the legacy of this band. Every release will fit another piece into the puzzle that is Blister Soul. And THIS will be what lives on, as fresh and as vital as it was in the studio. And speaking of the studio, I must talk a bit about the music. There is a 90s/00s vibe to their sound, but with something altogether smoother and ironically positive. It glides confidently and honestly like a bright, fluffy cumulus on a clean blue sky, yet with a growing punch of threatening storms. It is introspective. It is retrospective. Each player plays like they care; like they mean it. This is no job. This is no chore. This is a life calling. Artists doing what artists do best; turning something bad into something beautiful. Seasons is a tragic, reflective EP. One of loss, regret and observation. But always, there is real personal beauty.
And would you believe it… the sun is shining! I feel like I have been through all the seasons in just a couple of hours. England, eh?
Last week a cousin came around uninvited. I had to show them the door. The same happened again yesterday with another cousin. That’s the second cousin, twice removed.
Listen to 𝘼𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙧𝙮 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Spotify playlist HERE!
Listen to 𝘼𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙧𝙮 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Apple Music playlist HERE!
Listen to 𝘼𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙧𝙮 on YouTube HERE!
Listen to the 𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨 EP on Spotify HERE!
Listen to the 𝙎𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙨 EP on Apple Music HERE!
Follow 𝘽𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙡 on Instagram HERE!
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