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.
𝙁𝙡𝙮 5𝙔.𝘼. – 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙀𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚
Charles is given a nudge…
A blank sheet of paper is a funny thing for a writer. Not ha-ha funny, but rather awkward. It stares back, reflecting as much light as it possibly can. It can be as daunting as the peak of a rollercoaster at tipping point. It can be as flat and as dead as a stale piece of toast. But it can also be the most exciting potential adventure. At this point – before the beginning – anything is possible. The possibilities are literally limitless. Providing the writer has the imagination, the experience and the impetus, they can go anywhere and do anything. There’s often one problem, however… The writer can go ANYwhere and do ANYthing! How many of you have had a chunk of time off work, the weather’s blissful, you are completely free, and yet you find yourself as plump as a heavy cushion on a sofa, watching Netflix…? You can do absolutely anything, so you opt for nothing. I saw you nodding. I saw you check to see if anyone saw you nodding. Because yes, it is a little embarrassing. The main reason is that the options are endless, and it seems like far too much effort to hone and whittle. Decisions are far too much like hard work. You’re supposed to be OFF work!! So, Netflix it IS. Shame, really. Because Netflix can wait. Free time is a rarity. Use it! But where do you start?
This all occurred to me because of a question I am very frequently asked: “How do you keep getting ideas for the themes of your articles after all these years?”… I could simply shrug it off with an arrogant flourish: “Oh, it just COMES, my dear!”… But that not only would come across pretty poorly, but also wouldn’t be quite true. No, I don’t cheat or steal. And no, I don’t use HAL (A.I.). I use what I have. And what I have is new music from all sorts of artists. I don’t start with an idea of something to write about, then search for a song that might suit that theme – good luck with THAT method! I start with zero, and listen to LOTS of new songs. Aside from looking for something that tickles my fancy, I am subconsciously looking for a potential theme. I really don’t think I could write these articles without the jog of the songs and artists. Because yes, it could be to do with the artist rather than the song. It could be where they’re from. It could be that their main job is professional juggling. It could be that they’re blind. Or that they have lost someone dear to them. Or it could simply be that they have written a song about overcooking spaghetti. I need this. THIS is my inspiration. Without it, I would have TOO much potential scope, and therefore: Netflix.
Sometimes we just need a nudge. A suggestion. A starting point. Sometimes, though, there just isn’t a nudge available. All is blank. So we start to daydream. We perk ourselves up by looking back at past achievements. In music, this could be songs we have released in the past. We look back at old reviews and all the comments on social media etc., and we listen to those previous releases. We smile; we feel proud. But sometimes we wonder if we could have done things differently. Not necessarily better, but simply in another way. And so, a nudge is born. Something new from something old; a celebration of sorts! I’ve been saying “we” a lot in this paragraph, but let’s zone in on one particular artist who seems to have had this exact experience. While he might have been temporarily blind, he can see clearly now the blindfold is gone. Please welcome, The Blindfold Experience, with his (their) brand new release, ‘Fly 5Y.A.’! Yes, at first it might seem like a weird title. Especially as I first saw the ‘5’ as an ‘S’…! Here’s the story. Michael Lind (the main man behind The Blindfold Experience) released his very first single back in 2020. It was called ‘Fly’. Still is, in fact. It’s a big, epic rock ballad. Wicked. It’s so full, and so fabulous. A classic in anyone’s library. But Michael saw that the song could work with a lighter, more delicate approach. Still retaining a certain rock element, but altogether, more intricate and airy. The Blindfold Experience released ‘Fly Again’ around a year later, at the end of 2021 – the “acoustic” version. This was always my favourite of the two versions because it let the music breathe a little more. It somehow had more heart and more yearning. But it had a thinner sound than the original. There was a certain richness and power in the original that had been replaced with something else in the second version. And yet, both versions remain magical. I assumed that ‘Fly’ had flown. It turns out it was simply hibernating for the LONG winter.
The third’s the charm! That’s right, folks. ‘Fly 5Y.A.’ is the five year anniversary of the original. We’ll ignore the fact that this year marks the 6th year anniversary rather than the 5th (annoying pedantic CC). The thing is, I know how long it can take to put something like this together. I wouldn’t be surprised if this idea came to Michael a whole year ago. Involving multiple artists can really slow things down. Being a stickler for perfection can slow things down even further. But of course, we end up with something better in the end – it’s all worth the wait. ‘Fly 5Y.A’ retains the best of both initial versions (full richness, intricacy, definition), but adds a whole LOAD of wonderful stuff. Reggae, for one! No, I’m not kidding. And when I said “the third’s the charm”, it really is charming. Let’s look at who it involves: the perpetrators of this act. We’ll start with the obvious one, Michael, the Swede. He is the writer and producer, but also plays keys (that subtle offbeat piano and occasional OWgan that I hope isn’t just in my imagination). The beast on vocals (WHAT a voice!!) is none other than the mighty Paulb from the UK. Paulb seems to be how he likes to be known. At first I thought it was Paul Brock, but this could simply mean Paul B Rock – for rock music. I’m sticking with the official thing of Paulb, just to be safe. On drums, we have Nicole Trinchero from Argentina. On bass, it’s Gaston Lescano, also from Argentina. Our axe wielder is Alex Duarte, from Venezuela, but ALSO living in Argentina. It seems Argentina is the place to be! And finally, all mixing and mastering is by Andres Guazzelli, from… Right that’s it, I’m moving to Argentina.
It’s quite incredible what can come of just a few professionals getting together like this. ‘Fly 5Y.A’ is undeniably of the same standard as the top mainstream releases. But with better writing. You see, what I have seen for a long time as lacking in the modern music mainstream, is excellent writing. The singers, players, producers and engineers are the very best we have ever had, technically. But where is the point without the song? So for those of you who might be thinking “Michael barely did anything on this record, so how can it be his name on the record…?”, you’re so wrong. Firstly, The Blindfold Experience is not Michael. Think of The Blindfold Experience as a ship, and Michael as the captain. It’s his ship, but it could not leave port without his crew. Besides, he built this shippy on rock and roll. Secondly, he is the songwriter. Writing being by far the most important part of almost any song. So let’s talk about this song. What drew me to this new high-flying version in the first place, is the vibe. I NEVER expected Michael to delve into reggae. Never in a million years. Most who don’t DO reggae, don’t quite GET reggae. It is different to pretty much every other genre. It has nothing to do with rock, jazz, classical, electronic, or a whole host of genres. Though there is something of pop and folk there, in a small way. It’s all about feel, vibe, tilt, mood, weight and light. It’s about ease. So when Michael blended this ease with the power of Paulb and those heaviest of guitar tones, it really shouldn’t have worked. It should have sounded awkward, embarrassing, mismatched and simply wrong. Instead, however, it fits together like clasped hands. The ultimate in satisfaction. I think he manages all this by having huge respect for the genre, as he should, what with being a dreadlockless Swede. Much of this song is oomphed-up traditional reggae. Roots galore!! But it is The Blindfold Experience’s injections of rock that truly make this something new and exciting. Another thing that makes this release so damned exciting, is how LIVE it sounds! This is due to a combination of everything – not just Andres’ stupendous mixing. A mixing engineer can only get the best results if they have the best recordings and performances in the first place. What’s more astounding about this “live” sound is the knowledge that each part was recorded at a different time in a different place. But probably Argentina. Because it’s the place to be.
There is a radio edit and a full version on this release. They are actually different, it’s not just a case of bits being edited out. Pay attention especially to the drums… Enjoy this brand new thriller, out now!
NEVER overcook spaghetti. Lionel Richie told you once, twice, three times al dente!!
Listen to 𝙁𝙡𝙮 5𝙔.𝘼. on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Spotify playlist HERE!
Listen to 𝙁𝙡𝙮 5𝙔.𝘼. on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Apple Music playlist HERE!
Listen to 𝙁𝙡𝙮 5𝙔.𝘼. on YouTube HERE!
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