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.
𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙒𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙖 𝙎𝙤𝙣𝙜 – 𝙐𝙣𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙
Charles oils those cogs…
Feeling a bit fat lately? Breathing a little heavier than usual? Don’t worry, this is quite normal these days. But it didn’t used to be. Take a look at old photos of anyone under the age of 50 or 60, and they were probably pretty slim. This was the old norm. They ate fresh food and had a balanced diet. Sweet treats were a rare treat – hence the name. In order to buy said fresh food, one had to wander up (or down) the road to the shops (yes, plural) and buy it. It would then be transported via one’s arms and legs (also plural). Arms for to carry; legs for to schlep. These days, food is rather less nutritious, and there are far too many unhealthy options to guide your eyes into temptation. The double schlep is usually achieved pretty much limbless. Vroom there; vroom back. And like a deadweight we wind the sofa with a central blow once back in the homestead; legs outstretched and arms a-flailin’. And yes, you pant with much perspiration. Or perhaps you don’t like the idea of driving all the way there and all the way back, while sweating like a jogger from having moved several inches… There’s always Uber Eats! Eats by apps (these gluttonous plurals). Okay, so at least we all have the fittest thumbs these days… But is it any wonder that we’re perhaps less physically fit than we used to be? For the most part, I call it stubborn laziness. The good news is, people seem to be becoming aware of their physical slump, and so are starting to do something about it.
The bad news is, it seems people are mostly ONLY aware of the physical side. Oh, and good old mental (un)health (stress, anxiety, depression etc.). But there is more to our noggin than what we call “mental health”… Have you noticed lately that your brain is on autopilot? That for the majority of the time it is spent twiddling its neurones, wondering whether it will be needed at any time soon? Are we perhaps getting just a tad too lazy…? Do you remember when you were young (wait, I haven’t finished), being in awe of older people’s knowledge, views and wisdom? I certainly do. These older people weren’t just full of facts, but they seemed so quick-witted. There were layers to their knowledge, and they could respond with witty profundity. But what do WE do these days? We sit in stumped silence, hunched over a small Google machine; we get “the answer” then discard said information within seconds, with the full knowledge (oh, the irony) that it can always be accessed via said little device at a later date. Simply put, our brains have largely become superfluous. I believe this all began with the pocket calculator in the ‘70s. Maths (yes, we pluralise it in England) was suddenly seen by the young as a pointless subject; a needless and laborious waste of time. And to some extent, I see what they meant. But I wouldn’t be comfortable if I couldn’t do the simplest sum without the use of a machine. I would feel a little pointless. And so the mental (un)health aspect starts to creep in. There is such a direct link between the brain and the mind (hear me out, I know most of you think of them as the same thing), that one will very much affect the other. The brain is the internal machine that does the work, and it is required in order to feed the mind with much needed nutrition (instant vibes). Simply put, using one’s brain will make you feel good.
Alongside laze-inducing machines telling us “the answer”, comes another problem. A problem that has been going on long before technology started helping us on our “merry” way. We are so absurdly susceptible to suggestion. Although this has been a thing for (probably) millennia, I have noticed the soaring rise of “wait to hear what everyone else says before blurting out my own identical philosophy”. This needn’t be something so huge as your opinion on world politics, but even something so trivial as your thoughts on a certain wine. If you’ve read the “tasting notes” on the back of the bottle, chances are you will have identical conclusions as to it being full-bodied, containing mild tannins (regardless of not quite knowing what a tannin is) and finishing with notes of cherry and chocolate. We are very much creatures of suggestion (to the advertising industry’s glee). What might be a better “game”, is to taste first, then read after; then you can see if you agree. You’ll feel better, I promise you! But that could be the effect of the wine (hic!). In the words of The Beatles, ‘Think For Yourself’. Self-achievement is one of the biggest mental health boosters. In relying on machines and other people’s minds, there is little to no satisfaction. Which could explain that while I was making that ‘Hands Up!’ album 18 trillion years ago, I was on a high; and while not really making anything of my own right now, I am on a bit of a slump. Having said that, do you know how EYE exercise my brain? By observing and pondering, and by writing these weekly articles. The better the writing, the better I feel.
But what does any of this have to do with ‘You Wrote a Song’ by Unobliterated?? I’ll get to that in a bit. For now, allow me to welcome Gary Taylor to my Corner, for he is the entirety of Unobliterated. Before we delve into the song’s meaning, let’s cover some other stuff first. So… Who is Gary Taylor? He’s a full-frontal nudist. Ahem. What I mean to say is, he is bold and brave, makes sure you sit up and take note, and often has the guts to say what others would only dare to think. His clothes are in place, rest assured. Although living in Portugal with his family, he made sure to hold on to his English roots by way of a dry, sarcastic (sometimes even scathing) sense of humour – I’m sure you aren’t surprised to hear that this sits well with me, while it might give some others a funny turn. It’s an English quirk, just like other nations having their own quirks. And what has Unobliterated been up to lately? He wrote a song. A song called ‘You Wrote a Song’. Now we get to the song’s meaning? No, no; not yet…
Musically, Unobliterated is a master of disguised clever chords and chord changes. With most of his music you might find yourself rocking away (in a nodding fashion), completely oblivious to anything particularly brilliant going on. But believe me, this subtle brilliance is the reason you haven’t got bored and skipped. It isn’t jazzy; it doesn’t ever feel awkward; it’s what I have always attempted to do in my own music. To sound simple, while actually being rather more. The song starts straight in with oomph and dissonance. A welcome dissonance. It’s creepy, but it suggests something’s coming, thus holding your attention. The almost indecipherable lyrics are pivoting between dissonance and “home turf”. Interestingly, those lyrics that are difficult to pick up are exactly what make you pay closer attention. This isn’t a mixing error, but the genuine intention. Robotic confusion, if you will. Then comes the setup of all setups – a two-bar drum fill – as we sink into a “more pleasurable” verse… But it isn’t a verse. It’s a full chorus, followed by a verse. Which also sounds a bit chorus-like. The whole piece has such an unusual structure, which is – ugh – music to my ears! Remind me never to use that phrase when reviewing music. In hindsight, I think Gary – sorry – Unobliterated, has done something unique here, in giving the verse the words of a chorus. Because things seem to actually get more interesting in the other verse. The first verse that follows the chorus – see what I mean? He’s a crazy mixed up kid who probably knows exactly what he’s doing. I love it when artists are being arty rather than reading the manual d’art. Experimentation and newness!!
And after all this excitement, do we get more of the same…? Hah!! I don’t THINK so. This is Unobliterated: king of the bridge! Now, most bridges are how long; 10 seconds? 15 seconds? How long’s his? Try 50 seconds!!! And it’s a three-part bridge too! The first part is what I have come to expect from Unobliterated. It’s smooth, cool, and takes us down another road. But in part two, that road comes to a bridge (no pun intended), leading us to a new land! We have width, reverbs, delays, and ultimately an ethereal, ambient electronic paradise. I almost expect a deep trance-like kick to take over, but just as you think it might go full electronica, he makes a handbrake turn and careers off into the more familiar Unobliterated sunset for a brief part three. Gary Taylor remains the king of the bridge. There are just SO many moments in this song where I smile and tingle with “ohh, that chord” or “ahh, that sound”, that I won’t bother to list them. The final 17 seconds show off the most beautiful voice we never knew he had. The tasting notes suggest a finish of Frank Joshua with no hint of tannins (whatever they are).
Okay, okay. But the song’s meaning…? Let’s ponder on this a bit. I mean, it’s a good question. What IS this song about? But then do you REALLY want me to say my thoughts? How’s about I don’t say what I think it’s about… What do YOU think it’s about? Let me and Gary know in the comments. But if you come to this article a little later than immediately after publication, please don’t rely on other people’s comments for “the answer”. Just listen to the song, listen to the lyrics (the lyrics are in the description of the YouTube video – linked below – should you wish to read them), use your own brain and make up your own mind. Life is better this way. We simply NEED to be more independently minded and not rely on others’ thoughts and views. Be bothered, and write your own mini review in the comments if you wish, but focus on the meaning behind the song. Don’t worry, it doesn’t have to be long by any means (and you don’t have to do it at all!). And also, don’t worry, I won’t be doing this every week. I heard that sigh of relief. Lazybrains.
Remember, don’t look at what others have said. I may not mind you guzzling, courtesy of Uber Eats (still plural), but I might have something to say about Uber Cheats (also plural).
Listen to 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙒𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙖 𝙎𝙤𝙣𝙜 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Spotify playlist HERE!
Listen to 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙒𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙖 𝙎𝙤𝙣𝙜 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Apple Music playlist HERE!
Listen to/watch 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙒𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙖 𝙎𝙤𝙣𝙜 on YouTube HERE! (lyrics in description here too)
Follow 𝙐𝙣𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 on Instagram HERE!
Follow 𝙐𝙣𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙 on TwiX HERE!
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