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.
๐๐๐ฉ ๐๐จ๐๐ ๐๐ค ๐๐ฉ – ๐๐๐ช๐ก ๐๐๐พ๐ค๐ง๐ข๐๐๐
Charles is not an accessoryโฆ
Your favourite band or artist might be someone whose music you have been in love with since their very first timid toe-dip into the realm of public ears. It is a sound that soothes or excites; a sound that was seemingly made for you personally; bespoke. You receive record after record, gift after gift, of tailored bliss. And then comes (very often) album number fourโฆ ALL CHANGE!! The band or artist gets bored with their own sound and wants to โswitch things up a bitโ (a curious phrase that has strangely become part of life). Excited, nervous, you listen. Confused, disappointed, you no likey. It is not so much the music that you donโt like, as the fact that is has changed. You might take it as a personal slight, as if they are trying to rid you from their fanbaseโฆ This is, of course, not the case. The last thing any artist wants to do is ditch their fans; the fans are everything! What the artists hope is to take their fans with them on their own journey. They want their fans to trust them. Any artist needs to be genuine. Their music must not be swayed by the wants and needs of the fans. Thatโs why art is not a product.
It makes me think of Bob Dylan โgoing electricโ, The Beatles ditching the mop-top image of โFrom Me To Youโ and delving into the land of โTomorrow Never Knowsโ, Radiohead switching abruptly from organic instruments (OK Computer) to drum machines and synthesisers (Kid A), Or RAYE migrating from generic hip-hop pop to orchestral wonderment. Should any of these artists have to DEFEND themselves or be forced to retreat to what they were doing in their sleep, year after yearโฆ? An artist was never supposed to be a factory (with the huge exception of Andy Warhol, but that was the whole point – turning art on its head; he sure โswitched things up a bitโ). The most the artist can really say is โLook, thatโs what weโve made; thatโs who we are for now. Get used to it.โ The same can be said for close friends. Say, they change their hairstyle, their fashion or even their political point of view. The reaction can be so fierce. The retort will often be โGet used to it, or sod offโ. Itโs blunt, maybe even a little on the rude side, but itโs fair. Friends are not there to be what you want them to be. They are not minor accessories to your oh-so important life. They have given you the choice: like it or lump it. Respect it or go away.
What Iโm not a fan of, though, is change for the sake of change; a forced change with no apparent goal in mind. Clutching at straws, this is what lost souls do. But if there is purpose and reason, oh, the answer can be nothing BUT change. If you donโt like who you are, do NOT get used to it. Youโre already used to it, and (to quote the Bard), it sucks. Sometimes itโs not a case of disliking the continuum, but simply being bored of it; a feeling of completion; time to move on. Like wearing shorts as a young boy, itโs all you ever knew, itโs what goes on your legs. But at the grand old age of 12, you feel youโve done that, and frankly, youโre conscious of hairs sprouting on those shinny-shin-shins. It doesnโt mean you will never wear shorts again (or maybe it does), but for now you simply would like to try something new. On goes the skirt. Ahem, or trousers – whatever floats your boat.
It is now probably time to reflect on a specific changer. One who has gone from strength to strength over the past 4 years. The conscious plot-forwarding chapters are marked by albums. Please welcome Paul McCormick from Liddypoo! Thatโs โLiverpoolโ for those who donโt speak my junk language. As of writing this, it is raining in London. I should think it is also raining in Liverpool. Although we (the British) barely had any rain over the entirety of summer, weโre sure making up for it now – Godโs seesaw balance (he likes to โswitch things up a bitโ just as we were getting used to it). The thing about rain, though, is that it can be a little depressing when relentless; it can lower the spirits. We can become quiet, low and insular; it can make us a little restless and snappy; but in a peculiar way, it can also make us perky, positive and hopeful, which all interests me in terms of following Paulโs career thus far. Friday saw the release of his third album, โCautiously Confidentโ. While being his third, I personally see it as the final act of something that simply needed dealing with; his state of mindโฆ
I think you all know by now that I am not really much of a playlist man, but instead very much a lover and respecter or long-playing records. For me, an LP (or album) is what truly connects an artist with its listener. An isolated song can be fabulous, but it is more about music and listener, rather than artist and listener. I have always felt that a carefully crafted album is the ultimate connection between chef and devourer. It brings one closer to the creator and the intention. Letโs look at these three albums from Paul McCormick. Album 1 was bitterness, confusion and resentment; the (intentional) mess. Album 2 was honesty, analysis and realisation; the (inevitable) problem. And finally, Album 3 is bravery, strength and healing; the (compulsory) answer. I see these albums as three acts in order to get not to the conclusion, but to the beginning. Life starts here. Setbacks in life can take over and basically BECOME life itself. To the extent that one can forget there was ever a reason for sorting the problems in the first place. Wars are not won just so we can sit back and watch TV in peaceโฆ I expect something totally different and fresh for Album 4. But weโll probably have to wait at least 2 years for that. In the meantime we have album number three to enjoy (not to mention his previous two). โCautiously Confidentโ is his best so far. The journey has only just begun.
Cautious confidence makes a lot of sense; not to be scared, but not to be reckless. This attentive show of ebullience has been brought to us over the months through a series of singles and EPs, which Paul has been eking out as the ingredients for his third major work; but only now do we get the full ten-course meal in one sitting, complete with Track 1, which I believe to be the only remaining unheard song; โGet Used To Itโ. It sets the scene and defines the LP as a whole. This is not a phase; this is who he is now, so get used to it. Comfortably, I shall. Instrumentally speaking, Paul rules the roost, singing all vocals and playing all guitars, while Carl John Dillon beats the skins (always worth getting a drummer unless youโre absolutely brilliant yourself – anything less than excellence on drums can cripple a song into mediocre obscurity). His producer and mixing engineer is the ever-faithful Robert Whiteley, guaranteeing Paulโs usual measure of yardstick (itโs always a reliable yard). Writing is, of course, all Paul (with songs as personal as this, how could it be anyone else??). We start lo-fi, with guitar chords hanging in mid-air like smoke in an enclosed room; beats filtered at both ends; an OWgan pads with each chord. After just one round, the REAL drums introduce with enthusiastic pep; the bass fills the low end while a supremely strummed acoustic guitar opens up the upper range. Now I REALLY know why Paul and Robert brought in Carl – that fast shuffle on the hi-hats is notoriously hard to sustain and needs the experience of a loose yet controlled wrist (โalways from the wrist, never from the elbowโ, my drum tutor used to say). Paul grabs the mic with his now-usual confidence, making sure not to knock over the mic stand (itโs cautious confidence, after all). That first line is the set-up for the entire record: โI was always over-cautious, Now Iโm cautiously confidentโ. Itโs almost an explanation should you not have heard the previous album duo. There is a certain smug swagger (though he would probably dislike to be called smug, and โdoes swagger really suit me?โ) with the line โDoes it make you sick, seeing me succeed? You lost the power you had over meโ. This isnโt arrogance. This is pride. The protective shell is off, and he can walk without aid; fun-makers can f- fun off. But Paul has also grown his proverbials: โYouโll face the wrath of my tenacityโ!! Heโs now Paul McComeGetSome! Then comes the singalong chorus โGet used to it, Get used to itโ – absurdly catchy. The man is going more and more rock with every release – and it sure suits him. And speaking of suits, I wouldnโt be surprised if the next album ditches the suit jacket and goes full black leather – it takes a heck of a lot of guts to pull that off.
My absolute fave bit, though, is at 2:22 (a pleasing number), where guitars stab the space provided (gorgeous spring reverb). But 2:31 is where things REALLY get heavily cool; a riff sent from tone heaven via Royal Blood, bleeding straight into a screaming guitar solo. But blimey, that tone. I think it might be layered, but it also sounds a little like when you stick a wah pedal in the chain but leave its position somewhere in the middle for an exaggerated snarly mid tone – pro tip! Or as they call it these days: Life Hack!! โGet Used To Itโ is without a doubt one of Paulโs very best songs so far. And WHAT an opener to one heck of an album. Boy done good.
One thing though. DONโT get used to itโฆ USE it. Use your new-found energy, freedom, vitality and confident drive in order to reap what you can from what life has to offer. And if life seems to have nothing to offer, take control and MAKE life have meaning and purpose.
Phew! I need to simmer. I think Iโll switch things down a bit.
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