Charles Connolly

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.

𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙊𝙡𝙙-𝙁𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 (𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙩. 𝙊𝙬𝙚𝙣 𝘾𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡) – 𝙆𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝘾𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡

Charles is syncopated…

Nearly a third of 2026 has passed already, can you believe that? And isn’t it calming to finally have the entire world at peace? With everyone able to get on with everyone else? Where we can each live our life and have our own quiet thoughts and views without being opinionated or aggressive? Such relief. Oh… sorry… Either I was thinking about a different year entirely, or that was simply a dream. Or perhaps I was burying my head in the sand, oblivious to the smouldering embers permanently surrounding us all. We are certainly not at peace yet. Lord, no. I might go so far as to say, this is the most peaceless time of my life; and I’m sure my parents’ life too. There is raging fury in the upper echelons of power, so I’m told. And we are told a lot. Far more than we used to be. Which could be a major part of the problem. It’s not that there has been peace since WWII, it’s just that the peaceless parts of the world were simply not really on our radar. They “didn’t concern us”. And the Press did not go heavy on it like they do now; this used to be considered World News – for those who wished to broaden their outlook. These days we are told things like “The top man at the British Navy says we are not even close to being ready for war”. Excellent. Not only does that make me feel safe and cosy, but it’s also good to know that this info was not spread across the entire world for other nations to take note. Oh… sorry… Wrong again. It makes me feel as though my own front door is wide open, with my address posted online, complete with a list of things worth nabbing. It’s a short list, but if you happen to like hats, plants and cushions…

Another thing we are commonly told, is what to think, and how to think it. Not so much subtle swaying or suggestion, as backhanded brainwashing. As if this constant carnage is somehow to do with us… We had no say in any of this. We simply watch while wincing. Which is something we’ve always done. But there have always been our own private thoughts on it all. These days, it seems we are to think the way they want us to think. Nay: to FEEL the way they want us to feel. They used to want to sedate us; to hide it all from us, so that we can’t have an opinion. They seem to have now realised that our feelings CAN be an asset to them. If millions or even billions of people are cajoled into thinking a certain way, then the horror somehow has “good reason” to continue.

If you can resist it all, you might be fine. But you will need a great deal of willpower in order to get back to how you used to be; how you used to feel. I think most of us want our nice little life back. You know: friends and family, saving up for a holiday in summer, what you’re going to be eating tomorrow evening, justifying the cost of those new shoes when the soles haven’t quite fallen off your current ones… THESE are the things that used to be what life was all about. Sure, we were AWARE of what was going on in distant lands (and even quite nearby, but involving people you have never known), but it didn’t rule us. We didn’t all used to be opinionated fighters. It seems that politics is almost all that people talk about now. And it’s the one thing that we really genuinely CAN’T do anything about. Yes, yes, I know, “but if we all band together, we can make a difference”… Mm. It rarely works, let’s face it. And it only tends to anger even more people. So what do we do? We focus. We focus on our own little life. Do you remember love? Private love? No, not THAT kind of private love. I mean the kind of love that involves you and your partner, and no one else. No, I said NOT that kind of love – filthy minds, the lot of you. I can’t be the only one who is one half of a ridiculously silly couple… We are extremely silly. We laugh, we play, we say nonsensical gibberish that only WE understand. We make facial expressions that would make Charlie Chaplin envious. We dance when there’s no music playing, we point out how beautiful the sky is right now, only to embrace once again. We stand on each other’s toes for no apparent reason. I simply refuse to believe that we are the only ones like this. Because THIS (at least to me), is what love is. One, born for the other. It’s a good old-fashioned love.

And so we move to music. Those who skipped that first chunk don’t quite get what this is all about. These articles are not just music reviews. Music reviews are quite dull. Think of this more as a shared connection with the music or the artist at hand. I’m sure HAL (A.I.) could give me a brief rundown of what a song is about, or how the song is produced, but I feel that what we are missing in this modern world is the human element. The part that ISN’T factual or “necessary”. When I meet up with someone I know well, I of course want to know what they’ve been up to, and I wish for them to be as healthy as possible, but the reason I am meeting that person is to have a lovely time; to enjoy their company. And I’m sure that’s THEIR reason too! You don’t go home afterwards thinking “Well, that was quantifiably strategic and thus informatively nutritious”, do you! Sorry to interrupt – a reader has something to say: “What happened to ‘moving to music’…?” – Quite right! You’re quite right; it’s about time. Last week we had a woman and a woman, so I thought I’d mix things up a bit by reviewing a woman. Sexist pig, my FOOT! Please welcome Kelly Cresswell with her latest single, ‘Good Old-Fashioned Love’! Lyrically, the song basically outlines everything I have stated above – minus the toe-standing. The piece has no hidden meaning or metaphor of any kind, so you shouldn’t have any problems getting to grips with it. Although I do love the odd metaphor, I find that it can be a bit flowery and meaningless if not handled well. Ya know, when artists say “It means whatever you want it to mean”… Cop-out answer. When listeners asked me about the meaning behind my song ‘Parakeet’, my reply was “Meaning…? It’s a song about parakeets”. I don’t exactly go heavy on metaphor.

So, that’s the lyrics. Musically, we go all the way back to the 90s, early, mid and late. There was a massively successful genre that I’m not quite sure what to call. It blended acid jazz with pop, funk and soul. Although probably designed for the ears of the 30-somethings, I was 10 or 15 years old, and I loved it (but not as much as Supergrass). I can only describe the music by mentioning acts who dabbled in – or lived by – this sound. The Brand New Heavies, Morcheeba, Incognito, the James Taylor Quartet, early Jamiroquai, M People, Simply Red, the Lighthouse Family, the lighter side of Seal, and the lighter side of George Michael. I think most of you will know at least a handful of these names, and so will be able to get some sort of gauge or grasp on what we’re talking about here. It’s easy, slick pop, written and played by professionals capable of far more than pop. But most importantly, it is designed to put a smile on your face. And that, it does. I gather that Kelly Cresswell was going for this kind of thang, and by Jove, she certainly managed! She is from a little English town called Widnes, which is in between Liverpool and Manchester. Meaning, she is sandwiched between The Beatles and Oasis… Having been in the community – admittedly modestly – for over two years, this is her first time in my Corner. Many of her releases have been hastily scribbled into my “maybe list”, but never quite made it to the “front page” – until now.

Although ‘Good Old-Fashioned Love’ is penned by Kelly herself, this venture is not quite a solo project. Few should be. Within a matter of seconds I’m sure you will realise (and gawp at) the high production standards of the piece – basically, as soon as the drums fade in fast. And THEN you will notice the incredibly funky bassline. It is all such pro-level! The production and mixing is achieved by a chap called David Gorst – the man evidently knows his stuff. The bassline, however, is played by none other than Kelly’s son, Owen! How bloody lovely is THAT?? But the thing is, this isn’t one of those “Let the kid have a go” moments. He’s damned good. I also have no idea if Owen is 28 or 12, but frankly I don’t really care. The point is, he’s brilliant. The bass is one of the key elements of the whole piece. Strip it of bass and it all falls apart. Even making the bassline less funky and less syncopated would flatten the energy and make the whole thing a little stale. But this isn’t to say it is ALL about the bass, HELL no! There’s so much here. The bright tambourine rides the groove throughout like a sexy metronome that’s just found God. Then there’s the Fender Rhodes laying the solid foundations every two bars, like a trusted, experienced father.

But before we get into pre-chorus time, this song ain’t an instrumental… Oh, KELLY! Such clarity and purity, yet such experienced seduction. The depth of her first line is impressive, but then she just LIFTS! Her precision with feeling is rare. It’s usually one or the other: precision lacking emotion, or feeling in a tempo all of their own. Knowing nearly nothing about Kelly, I actually wonder if she is/was a session singer. She just HAS that thang. As does her son. This voice… It knows when to slink into the vibe, when to get peppy with the syncopation of it all, and when to let rip. Like in my favourite part of the entire song: the way she sings the word “process” just before the first chorus. Ahh. Perfick. The chorus greets us with euphoric happiness; the kind of smile you envision when you think “gospel”. But that chorus also brings us a whole horn section! It’s tight, it’s balanced, it’s just enough excitement to make sure you dance without bashing your knee into the corner of the coffee table. Meanwhile, that bass constantly keeps my facial expressions busy: Ooh, Ah, Uhh!! Then what happens after the second chorus…? Of course, the usual thing: a talkbox solo. Wha-??! Yep, an instrument that converts any vocals into a synth via a length of hose (one end in the mouth, clamped by the chompers) – probably the most unhygienic instrument ever invented, but ya know: we artists suffer for our art. Splendid! The trumpets get a little more busy in the final chorus, just for a final rousing round of “Spill Your Drink Like There’s No Tomorrow”! And fade.

One final thing on the lyrics: she doesn’t want the kids to be “dragged into this mess” – I agree. Children and the young should be allowed to simply enjoy being young – youth doesn’t come up again later on in life.

There is so much more I could say about this song, but as always, it’s probably best if you just open up your ears and enjoy it for yourself.

I hope you all found this informatively nutritious, and not fun in the slightest. A toast to nonsensical gibberish! Careful, I might stand on your toes…

Listen to 𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙊𝙡𝙙-𝙁𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Spotify playlist HERE!

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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.

𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙚 (𝙉𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙜𝙞𝙖) – 𝙅𝙖𝙣𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙞𝙚, 𝙅𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙘𝙖 𝙈𝙞𝙖

Charles smokes his pipe…

I am both young at heart and older than my years. At my age (somewhere in the middle), it is easy to either act younger or act older, while feeling not quite either thing. Some might feel the need to hold on to youth for as long as possible, sticking with their gym regime, and continuing to wear baseball caps and hoodies while obsessing over HAL (A.I.) – because it’s oh-so cool and modern. While others might have simply decided that now might be the time to admit defeat and start acting like their father. Tweeds galore, stiff leather shoes, a slower pace in gait, speech and life in general. The thing is, a man of my age should not be acting. I suppose NO ONE should be acting at any time of life. But we all had the practice in our younger years, when pretending to be cool. I feel, though, that I am perhaps a bit different. I like to think I have a youthful bounce in my personality, yet am definitely of another generation; an earlier one. So, with me, “age” just doesn’t really come into it. While some new advancements still manage to occasionally excite me, I am mainly somewhere else. Or someWHEN else.

I don’t live in a museum. I am not warped in any particular way, to the extent that I “KNOW” I fought in the Boer War. Despite what many think, I do not smoke a pipe, nor spend minutes of every morning perfecting my moustache and polishing my brogues (I have people to do that for me). I am not bewildered by modern life, nor modern people. I am simply more comfortable with a more traditional way of being. Simply put, I like the old days. Nostalgia is my favourite feeling. It just makes sense to me with a plateau of calm. What is most fun is what triggers these feelings. It can be anything. A song, a photograph, a smell, the sky, mama’s apple pie. The feeling of standing still. The screams of Beatlemania. Scars from the bombs of WWII. A nice cup of tea. Smoke elegantly emanating from a distant chimney. Polite manners. Tailoring. Beautiful architecture. When something good happens. An old screenless toy that needs no power, let alone 4 tonne-weight Size-D batteries. Flared trousers. Jigsaw puzzles. Wildlife. Nature. The Mellotron. An old black and white episode of Doctor Who or Danger Man. The voice of Lynsey de Paul. Oh, Lynsey de Paul…

What do you mean, “Who’s Lynsey de Paul?”?! – Well, I don’t blame you. She was absolutely huge in Britain during the 70s, and I had several of her LPs (if not all), courtesy of pater dearest. Lynsey won two Ivor Novello awards (the ultimate songwriter’s award), being the first woman to win one! One song of hers also came second in the 1977 Eurovision Song Contest. On top of this, she had 12 top-twenty records. Two things, though. One, she completely disappeared and barely anyone has even heard of her these days. And two, Almost all of these supposedly excellent solo records (aside from the ones she wrote for others artists) were pretty bloody awful. And yet, at least two of her albums were full of fabulous songs – such brilliant songwriting. Basically, I can’t help but feel she was praised for the wrong tunes. And the saddest thing? Only one of those three LPs is actually available to stream or buy, and this has been the case for a long while. I bumped into her in a newsagent once, and can you believe, I asked her why her music was unavailable. What a lovely thing for a fan to say to an artist they admire. God. Anyway!! She didn’t understand what I meant. As far as she was concerned, everything was available everywhere. So I hammered the facts down her throat like any adoring fan might. Her reply? “Well, I am stunned and a little concerned to hear that. I must get on the phone to my agent and see what’s going on. Thank you very much, though, for letting me know”. So, I don’t feel so bad for uttering the unutterable – and what a lovely, affable lady she was too! I don’t know if she ever did make that call. She died five years later, age 66, and still her records are unavailable. It seems nostalgia isn’t all fond, positive vibes. But there’s usually a romance of sorts there.

So, what veered my mind towards dear Lynsey? I’ll tell you. It was this week’s pick! This time, the lady in charge is none other than Jane Marie. I know you all know her. She’s the one who bombs into the New Artist Spotlight Top 20 chart with every track she releases. Yep, THAT one. No, not THAT one; THAT one. Okay, we have many artists who bomb into the charts every time they release anything. That’s just good music and good taste. But I’m talking about young Jane. Young at heart. Eternally bouncy and full of the nerves of a lost adolescent. It has its charm, I must say. Slim and fit, she keeps on with the music. I haven’t spoken about Jane Marie in a little while. It’s been two years, in fact. But that’s not to say she has slumped. Quite the reverse, actually. Since the last time Jane appeared in my Corner, she has released seven singles; each a humdinger. Her brand new track (as always, sung by the brilliant Jessica Mia) is ‘It’s True (Nostalgia)’. So why have I decided to pick this over other recent releases? Well, for a start, one reason I might not pick someone a certain week, could simply be because we have a glut of other artists. But the main reason this one felt close to me was the connection. I FEEL the song and its subject. It’s in the title… Nostalgia. Firstly, I was struck by the song being uncannily as if it had been written by Lynsey de Paul. And perhaps even sung by her. It has the ease, it has the light jazziness, and most importantly, it has those quintessential kooky melodies that framed most of her softer records. However, there wasn’t enough similarity to make this feel like a rip-off or a pastiche. It was just that familiar scent that got me thinking about those “good old days”. I was instantly transported – it’s only ever in a good way.

Which is almost a perfect coincidence, as it’s exactly what this song is all about. Please put on those rose-tinted spectacles, because while the future seems bleak as hell, the past is always peachy. If you think about it, our amalgamated past is what makes us who we are. We’re always told to think in “the now”, but it just isn’t really possible. We can’t ditch a life of history, connections, emotions, circumstances and happenstances. That’s like discarding one’s own soul. Nostalgia is a deeply personal resonance, and yet many of our memories (and “memories” of before we were born) can ring familiar with others. It’s a shared connection, found later in life. It brings us together in fondness and in warmth. So who better to sing these thoughts than Jessica Mia…? Ever since I first heard her voice, I felt like she was another soul who has lived life before her years. There is something ghostly familiar like a close friend you can’t quite put a face to. I think this is why Jane insists on having Jessica (or Jess – I never know which she prefers) as the voice of her music. I can’t really imagine anyone else singing Jane Marie’s songs. It’s a bit like trying to imagine Queen with a different singer. You see, Jane writes personal songs. Usually sad ones. But lately – after various sadnesses in her life – she is seemingly ready to dry those tears and remember the good times. Basically moving from grief to memorial. Jess(ica) seems to just know when to make you weep, and when to show the cheek. It’s a voice of personality.

Arrangement/production-wise, I believe that this is mainly Jane behind it all, but with a little help from a couple of others. The splendid drums are courtesy of Andrea Romaggioli. These drums really drive the song in its lazy meander. It’s like those jazzy brushes are hurrying up the cutest puppy that insists on relentlessly dragging its heels – then it scampers to keep up – you know what I mean. The piano – as always – is Jane, as is the bass. But there is just one other instrument… One that really makes the song, I would have said. Now, there seems to be some sort of discrepancy here… In the credits of ‘It’s True (Nostalgia)’, it states that someone is playing the tenor saxophone. The thing is, I said there was one addition that really makes the song… It ain’t a saxophone. There is no saxophone in this piece. There is a very definite trumpet. It is unmistakable. Then I had a vague memory of another of Jane’s songs having a trumpet in there. CC checks notes… Yep, it’s one of the songs I reviewed (‘It’s Over’). And sure enough, it’s the fabulous Dewi Chilton on both tracks. By now, I think Jane must have the most fabulous little book of musicians and engineers to call upon when needed. And no, you cannot use her contacts. She has worked very hard over the years to build this career of hers. In fact, it’s rather nostalgic to look back upon the years of having known her. To witness her grow and flourish. Who knows, maybe that Ivor Novello award will be winging its way to Jane! In the meantime, she can look back in fondness and pride at what she has accomplished. Jane, you have written yet another beautiful song. No, it’s true!

I must now polish my brogues – it turns out I don’t have people to do that for me.

Listen to 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙚 (𝙉𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙜𝙞𝙖) on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Spotify playlist HERE!

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Watch 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙏𝙧𝙪𝙚 (𝙉𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙜𝙞𝙖) on YouTube HERE!

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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.

𝙀𝙡 𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙙𝙚 – 𝘼𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙯𝙯𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞

Charles is green with…

Corruption is a funny old thing, isn’t it. Various gangs collude with other gangs… Words that were never said; secret handshakes that never occurred; suitcases of money that never existed before or after switching from one unknown to another. This happens everywhere. Usually with no proof whatsoever. But we know it. So, what’s the purpose? What’s it all for? Is it for the good of man? Well, in a way, yes. One man, usually. It is to fill the deep pockets of the obsessive wanters of more. This is not need. This is not to make sure one’s family doesn’t starve to death. It is simply to add yet another zero to the end of the incalculable number never disclosed. We, the good, honest, kind folk cannot conceive of such a notion, only adding zeros to the beginning and not the end. The good will plant a tree for its peaceful beauty, its shade, and its environmental advantage. But as soon as your back is turned, it’s gone. No conversation, no request, no reason, no explanation. But an envelope lies at the base of your front door. No name, no sender, no markings of any kind. Once opened, it reveals a small wad of cash, and a typed note: “We strongly advise you not to do it again”. Nothing more. We tend to be owned by these people. They have too much power for us to fight back. This clandestine behaviour is more invisible than the Secret Service.

So, how do these dark ogres communicate and conduct their filthy ways…? It’s not what you know, but who you know. This is how it all works: behind closed doors. There is no public paper trail. It’s an efficient, unstoppable ring of meanies who simply couldn’t care less about others. Knowledge is one thing, but without the contacts, there is no knowledge. Corruption is rife all over the world; we know this much. But I don’t think there is a place more corrupt than South America. This entire continent is unofficially the darkest of all. Whether it’s for drugs or gold, or even meat or soy, the Amazon Rainforest is being gutted at an unbelievable rate. Just in the last decade, we have lost 15-20% of it due to deforestation (I hate that this word even exists). And since 1978, we have lost at least one million square kilometres. This is gone, and never coming back. And for what? Is this for housing homeless unfortunates? Is it because nature was posing a threat to mankind? I understand that there has to be a balance of nature and humans in the modern world, but this is NOT what we meant. This is NOT balance. It feels more like sick revenge. This human atrocity is the ground-version of blocking out the sun. The thing is, nature is innocent. It always has been. And not only that, but it helps us. We would not exist without nature. COULD not, even. Our pretty green is pretty brown, now. But all so we can turn one green into another: cold, hard cash.

So far, while basking in the glorious English sunshine (no, seriously, it’s actually sunny here), this article isn’t exactly seeming very Easterly. It’s not Spring-like at all! But I can’t help that. Just like I can’t really do anything about widespread corruption. I CAN, however, talk about music. Some people were born to destroy; others were born to enjoy. I choose joy. And nothing gives me more joy than music. I think you all know that by now. So, in my weekly trawl of new music (aside from the absolutely astounding new album from Raye), I discovered something that was (at least in my own little world) suddenly everywhere. Within the community, on my social media, and on my New Releases page of Apple Music and Spotify, there was a new song by a man who has not released a single thing in three years. His last release being ‘Embracing Change’. Change, being the operative word. In the intervening years, everything in his life changed. He lost his canine friend. He had to move house – twice. His country’s politics changed radically. His love life has been both up and down. But perhaps most importantly, like some of us, he had lost the will to make music. Not the ability, but the drive. The incentive. The motivation. The POINT!! Until recently, he had all but resigned himself to just mixing for other artists, despite being one of the greatest and most talented musicians in the community. But thankfully, he got that pang. And a brand new song was born. Well, sort of brand new, anyway… It was stuck in his womb for quite a while, but we’ll talk about that soon. Please welcome Argentina’s best, Andres Guazzelli!! Was there ever a kinder man…?

You may be wondering how I know all this about Andres. Well, I pay attention. But also I do have the advantage of having insider information. It’s not about what you know, but who you know. Sound familiar…? You see, these two dark ogres communicate in private too. In depth, every so often. For, this is the way with his ADHD, so I gather. It’s all or nothing. A conversational chatterbox one moment, then the next moment he is… well, I couldn’t tell you. I can only suppose “that dog had a fluffy tail” (if you happen to get that reference)… He’s an unusual chap with a story to tell. All the more reason to be telling it in song, surely! I don’t mean “unusual” like when we say “interesting” – ya know: a weirdo. He ain’t a weirdo at all. He’s just different and refreshing. I think what mainly makes him different is his calm, collected nature, with the quiet honesty and reason of a wise man. I’m very fond of him, if you couldn’t already tell. I think one reason is that we often see eye-to-eye about things. I mean, not literally eye-to-eye, as it’s more like eye-to-nipple (he is very tall, and I am very not). But the internet sorts this problem – my little iPhone screen suggests he is only around one inch tall, making me feel quite gangly, I must say. I can’t help but feel like I have deviated ever so slightly from the point… Ah yes, nipples. NO, that wasn’t it. Ah yes: conversat-see-oh-nay. When we chat, we really chat. And don’t worry (readers or Andres), I won’t mention anything that I shouldn’t be mentioning. When someone tells me something in confidence, it’s in confidence. I don’t natter and spread things. Your secret’s safe with me. A friend is a friend.

Shall we talk about this new song of his? Let’s. It’s called ‘El Verde’ (The Green). Although a new song for all of us, it is not technically a new song, but rather something he has wanted out in the open for a while. I was fortunate enough to hear this song back in August of…… 2021!! The very year the lyrics (by Andres and Jack from Arnoldo’s Lizards) were written and the initial recording was made. But the actual song was written back in 2016. That’s a decade ago. A time when we had 15% more of the Amazon Rainforest, as it happens. Speaking of which, that’s sort of what this song is about. Yes, admittedly the lyrics are in Spanish, but Andres was kind enough to translate them for me at the time. They are beautiful, but very sad lyrics indeed. In Andres’ own words, “It’s a conversation between mankind and Mother Earth”.

Here is just a chunk of the lyrics (crudely translated and I’m sure better in Spanish), in English:

In flight I find so many lies in the air
The sun tells me a story while it fades away in tears

“A constant delirium weeps; the forest has been killed
The green we once knew exists no more.”
I heard the moon whisper in the darkness:
“Freedom will come from what you sow.”

My soul bleeds and I wept
They hacked off my wings as well
I feel the dry creeping in.
I rot and sink into the sea

Children of Men, why do you yearn for destruction?
My womb gave birth to the green that walks beside you with every step you take.

And yet, despite being a simple Google translation, isn’t this impressive and powerful stuff? Such pain and emotion. But Andres is the musician, not the writer… True and not true. An artist is a writer. An inventor. And when the art is song, it needs to involve words just as much as music. Andres doesn’t let down one side with the other. But what ABOUT the music itself, then? Well, as we have come to expect from this man, the music is supoyb. The level or standard is very high, and the whole piece is impeccably arranged. I think I’m right in saying that most people don’t quite realise that the main part of “production” is arrangement. That is, which notes are played by which instrument. Very different to the actual writing, and very different to the actual mixing. The instruments are mostly organic instruments played for the recording; the strings and horns being the only “programmed” parts. “Programming”, meaning Andres physically playing a keyboard, triggering live samples. The same goes for the quena – an Andean wooden flute – solo (using his own recorded samples), although the remainder of the quena parts were played physically by Andres himself, as was the percussion (the bombo legüero) and piano. The rest of the instruments were played by his chums: Pablo and Joaquin on classical guitar, Nacho on electric guitar, Mauro on bass, Gonzalo on bandoneón, and Jack and Juli recording 12 tracks of backing vocals. You might think that 12 tracks of backing vocals is quite enough, but Andres thought otherwise, proceeding to record a few more himself. How many more? Oh, just 48. And that’s just BACKING vocals!! Hey, if it’s needed, it’s needed!

As to the actual style of the song, it’s quite interesting. It’s unmistakably Argentinian in sound, but with a difference. I gather that it’s basically a bastardised version of a traditional Argentinian folk dance, called the Chacarera. BUT!! In being Andres, he has very much put his own spin on it. In his own words, “It may be the first progressive Chacarera in history”…! And I wouldn’t be surprised. You see, Andres adores prog (progressive) rock, and it can’t help but seep into his music, no matter the genre. Which I love. It’s what makes his music original and oh-so Andres. He suspects that while South Americans may love it, Argentinians may hate it. I get it – it ain’t kosher. It’s contaminated with exciting newness!

But the star of the show is the voice. I think we all know by now that Andres can sing. But I have NEVER heard him manage THIS!! The expression is off the scale! His range in both directions is effortless. I especially love the way he finishes the more sorrowful lines, like a regretful Freddie Mercury after his lover has been slaughtered in a compulsory bullfight. As if to say, “Well, it had to happen, right?”. Andres’ fast vibrato brings such urgency, demanding our attention. His precision in timing is perfect yet never remotely robotic. Such crisp enunciation with every syllable. There are certain times in the song where you can hear him screw up his eyes as he throttles the air with a clenched fist, almost knocking the cans from his head. It is simply just so impressive. ‘El Verde’ was made for the stage.

Of course, the mixing is exceptional. But this is Andres – of COURSE it is.

There is just SO much to take in, here. Five listens will not be enough to notice and acknowledge even half of it. Therefore, it is the law that you must play it at least ten times.

And if you don’t, you might receive an anonymous letter: “We advise you not to ignore this song” – no wad of cash, though.

Listen to 𝙀𝙡 𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙙𝙚 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Spotify playlist HERE!

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Listen to 𝙀𝙡 𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙙𝙚 on YouTube HERE!

Follow 𝘼𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙯𝙯𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞 on Instagram HERE!

Follow 𝘼𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙂𝙪𝙖𝙯𝙯𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞 on TwiX HERE!

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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.

𝙎𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙧 – 𝘿𝙤𝙣 𝙆𝙮𝙤𝙩𝙚

Charles is designed that way…

Do you find that you seem to be forever fitting things in? Only embiggening the to-do list, rather than ticking things off? While your “Hobbies, Experiences and Dreams” list is in need of some light dusting (if you can even FIND it)…? Ten chores to complete in the time it takes to do six…? Heavy competition from your peers. Constant slog. Never a moment’s rest, or even really any time to do what you WANT to do, rather than what you HAVE to do. The world keeps turning. It’s exhausting. So you eventually go to bed. Or rather, you fall into a large slump when the sky is black and you can no longer stay upright. Barely able to achieve just a few hours’ rest at night, do you then wake up fresh and enthusiastic for a bright new day…? Hardly. Reluctantly, you pull back the bed sheets and do it all over again. A permanent drowse follows you through the room, delayed with every movement. It ain’t human… Yet this is what we are now. Sleepwalkers. The thing is, we ARE human. We simply weren’t built for this way of life. We were not designed for this… Which got me thinking…

Science was designed to make our lives better and longer, not for inventing the atomic bomb. Saltpeter was designed for fireworks, not guns. Telephones were designed for communication, not for isolation. Alcohol was designed for a good time, not to numb the pain. Drugs were designed to cure, not for a good time. Painkillers were designed to numb the pain, not numb the soul. Books were designed to be read, not consumed by machine, then burnt. Wellington boots were designed for purpose, not for fashion. Fashion was designed for aspiration, not for purpose. Cars were designed to transport people, not to plough into people. Knives were designed to cut, not to stab. Guns were designed to kill, not to… okay, fair enough (sadly). The internet was designed to bring us all together, not to turn us against each other. Technology was designed for efficiency, not for time-wasting and human-redundancy. Art was designed for inspiring, refreshing and enhancing the soul, not as a fresh canvas for orange paint. Music was designed for every emotion under the sun, not for artificial streams. Film was designed for immersion, not for passing the time. The countryside was designed for freedom and peace, not for building on. Houses were designed to be lived in, not owned by oligarchs for investment purposes. Stradivarii were designed for playing, not for sitting in a museum. Deer were designed to frolic and roam free, not to be shot. Churches were designed for worship and contemplation, not for converting into unaffordable flats. The Sun was designed for warmth, free energy and free smiles, not for skin cancer. The Moon was designed for sheer beauty, not to be taken for granted. Birthdays were designed for celebration, not nonchalant depression as you notch up another year closer to death (“I’m not dead yet” – that’s the spirit!). Computer fans were designed to cool their processor, not as a hand-warmer. Chainsaws were designed for swiftly removing diseased trees, not for slicing wafer-thin ham – quite the amusing image…

But you know what else seems to have been misunderstood…? Albums. LPs. LPs were designed as a full chunk of time away from everything; a chance to truly immerse oneself in an artist’s creation. I’m talking about proper ALBUM albums. They were NOT designed to be cut up and thrown to the curators for a playlist to devour. One isolated track from a concept album, sandwiched between two other artists’ fully standalone singles, is completely meaningless and simply doesn’t work. A single is a single. And a playlist of a suitably suited genre is the perfect place for it. But when an artist puts out something so important (yes, genuinely important) as a full-length concept album with zero gaps or pauses, no limb should ever be disconnected from its body. It simply can’t function or perform on its own. It will suddenly start out of context, then abruptly stop just as you were starting to feel it. Can you imagine reading a short story, then moving on to chapter seven of a random novel, then finally finishing your meander with another short story…? The short stories work perfectly. That seventh chapter was a disjunct interruption that simultaneously interested and confused, briefly.

And so we come to Don Kyote. A name that despite being written phonetically, always reminds me how I used to pronounce the word from whence it came. It took me years to realise that Quixote (of Don fame) was not pronounced Quick-Sote – which sounded to me like a fast-drying cement, a high-protein muscle-gain product, or a flash-fryer. Surely that’s not CC digressing…? It is, ya know. Don Kyote is not in fact the chivalrous romantic, this time, but instead another man entirely. And there’s a high chance you might have heard of him. Mr. Braddon Williams…? Ring a bell? Well, it should. Alongside myself and Andres Guazzelli, Braddon has mixed many pieces for many artists in the community. The question is, “Is he any good?”… p-HAH!! Yes. In a word, yes. He used to be an official mixing engineer for Sony, working with artists such as Mark Ronson, Beyoncé, Billy Joel, The Script and many more. No, I’m not kidding. So yes, he is indeed good, to say the least. But aside from his known expertise in mixing, he is also a producer and an artist in his own right (like most of us engineers). And it is THIS side of things that I would like to focus on. Rather embarrassingly, I have never reviewed young Braddon before. He has always released such brilliant work under a couple of guises. One, being his rock band called Prototype One, with an LP (‘Home’) released in 2022. But it seems these days he seems to have quietly settled behind the mask of Don Kyote.

So, why have I never reviewed Braddon Williams? Mainly because of that simple thing called taste. The talent was ALWAYS very evident. But the writing from Prototype One never quite warmed my cockles. As to Don Kyote’s initial couple of albums – ‘Scatterbrain’ (2023) and ‘Transmogrification’ (2025) – it was simply above me. Jazzier than a mother. In awe of his talent, I just couldn’t connect. Although loving a lot of jazz, I have never really been “a jazzer” (except for a brief migraine in around 2004). Then something happened around 10 days ago. This brave lothario (Braddon Quick-Sote) released something entirely new. A whole side of him I hadn’t heard before. Along strides – sorry: Along mooches ‘Sleepwalker’. Or, what I believe to be his greatest work yet. Something worthy of so much more than this article. THIS is the feature-length concept album of which I was speaking. The one that would be sacrilege for Edward Scissorhands to go anywhere near. Scissors are designed for running with, not for cutting. The LP is NOT for playlisting. Actually, correction, I discovered it by listening to the community’s playlists. So, it IS for playlisting, but only for use as an advert for the complete production. Think of its appearance on a playlist like a film trailer rather than the product itself. My worry is that most listeners are not so pro-active (hate the word) as I, when it comes to music. Whenever I hear a track I love, my thumbs lead me to the album (if it is from an album). It killed me to cut up my own debut (and only) album for playlists, but it was frankly the only way I could get each and every part heard. I didn’t really think of it as a collection of 14 tracks, but more a piece in 14 parts. I initially wrote and produced the whole thing in order, in one project, before cutting it up for mixing (and for my old computer’s wellbeing). So I very much understand Braddon’s potential frustration in having to split things up for playlists. Once I had heard just one track from ‘Sleepwalker’, though, there was no doubting that this was only one small fraction of something not only bigger, but greater.

As to the actual concept of this album, I searched and searched for information on it. I found absolutely nothing. Which is, by the way, the reason this was not reviewed last week. I knew it needed a great deal of research before the actual writing part. Gutted, and despite my attempts, I can give you nothing but the record. CC failed. Each track takes place in a different time and city in the world. We cover Melbourne, Paris, Christchurch, Geneva, Prague, Bangkok, Amsterdam, New York, Sydney, Edinburgh, Istanbul, Madrid, Florence, London, Cape Town, Seoul, Toronto, Cairo, Tokyo, Los Angleles, Honolulu, and finally back home to Hong Kong (that’s where he resides these days). I know, 22 tracks sounds like far too much to sit down with, but remember, this is designed for one sitting, not to ruin your schedule. It only runs to 37 minutes. Hence why one isolated track is wholly unsatisfying, no matter how brilliant it might be. At this juncture, I might now let you in on the genre. It ain’t jazz. It ain’t rock. It certainly ain’t electronic. It’s classical. And very filmic indeed. I actually assumed that ‘Sleepwalker’ was the soundtrack to a documentary, but as far as I can tell it is simply a musical release. I said, my research led me nowhere. So I simply listened. Throughout the writing of this entire article, I have been listening to the LP on repeat. I have let it wash over me. I never listen and write simultaneously. Normally, I simply can’t. “Just like a man”. I think the lack of words was what made me able to write and listen simultaneously. And aside from listening, it is such an immersive, satisfying thing to have playing. Every so often, I would be curious as to which city the music was supposed to be portraying. I assume this is the idea, anyway. I found this most interesting and a little bit fascinating. But I must say, I certainly do NOT want to go to Los Angeles after having heard his musical interpretation of the city. The only musical relative I can hear is Amaury Laurent Bernier when in his soundtrack mode(‘Totem‘, for example), as opposed to when he is free from constraints (‘Polaroid Revolt’). Amaury is the greatest film composer I personally know, so this comparison is certainly a compliment to Braddon. Classical music is more than a genre; it’s another world. As is jazz. It’s not something you can quickly pick up and “get’ within a few weeks. It’s like learning a new language. It doesn’t just mean you stick some strings in it and call it classical. Braddon seemingly just KNOWS what to do and when to do it. For me, he easily eclipses Ludovico Einaudi and modern day Max Richter (he used to be great), who both frankly bore me to frowns. There is nothing more I can say about ’Sleepwalker’ because it’s much better heard through ears.

Contrary to my first paragraph, some things just take time. Some things are not designed to be rushed. My old manager used to say this about our breaks: “best get it over with”… A break is to be relished!! As is an LP. Find time in your hectic schedule to listen to this feature-length release. Nay: MAKE time. Embiggen that list by one. You’ll thank me in the end. Nay: you’ll thank our courageous romantic, Brad-Don; the fast drying, muscle-bearing flash fryer. Much better than a wet muscle-baring fly-flasher.

I need one thing from you readers before I go. For one week, the entire LP will be at the top of my Connolly’s Corner playlist – almost unheard of! Once the week is over, I will be keeping just one track. Let me know in the comments which city’s track you think I should keep, and why. Whichever city has the most votes will remain. I will only consider votes in the comments below the article, NOT on social media. And yes, I know; I am being Edward Scissorhands in keeping just one, but ya know. It was designed this way. “Oh CC, cut it out!”

Listen to 𝙎𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙧 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Spotify playlist HERE!

Listen to 𝙎𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙧 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Apple Music playlist HERE!

Listen to 𝙎𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙠𝙚𝙧 on YouTube HERE!

Follow 𝘿𝙤𝙣 𝙆𝙮𝙤𝙩𝙚 on Instagram HERE!

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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.

𝙐𝙣𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣 – 𝙇𝙖𝙣𝙖 𝘾𝙧𝙤𝙬

Charles reveals the untruth…

When I first saw the title of this week’s song pick, I had only one thought. First, I will talk about that one thought; then I will move on to my second thought. So… That initial thought… You know those days when it all just falls into place and everything goes to plan? No? Well, it does happen from time to time. It SHOULD happen occasionally, anyway. You feel on top of the world. Your tea tasting fresher than usual. The sky is brighter and you can’t help but feel that proud contentment. Then someone rushes in and says, “Oh my God, did you hear what happened??”, with a mortified look on their face… We usually reply “Oh no, don’t tell me”, meaning “I don’t like the sound of this; tell me”. But if you’re having such a perfect day, you probably genuinely mean “DON’T TELL ME!!”; as in – to quote the inspired words of Kendrick Lamar – “Bitch, don’t kill my vibe”. Despite your request, you are told the news. Day scuppered. That’s that. Whether or not the news “AFFECTS” affects you, you are nevertheless affected, and your blissful day is royally buggered. Screwed, if you will. Annihilated, if you’d prefer. And no matter how hard you try, you just can’t get back to that heavenly feeling. Ignorance truly is, as they say, bliss. You can’t unknow the known.

So that was my initial thought. Then I listened to the lyrics of the song more carefully, and realised this was not in fact what the song is about. Especially once I had seen them written down… But before we go into that, here are some things we have all heard over the years… Goldfish have a three-second memory. Cracking one’s knuckles causes arthritis. Lightning never strikes the same place twice. Shaving makes one’s hair grow thicker. Vikings wore horned helmets. Dogs can only see in black and white. Sugar causes hyperactivity in children. One loses most of one’s body heat through one’s head. The Great Wall of China is visible from space. Napoleon was a very short man indeed. Carrots make one able to see in the dark. A penny dropped from a skyscraper can kill someone… And now the truth – you will be broken. Goldfish are relatively intelligent, with memories lasting for months. Cracking one’s knuckles only SOUNDS like it would give you arthritis (and an irritated shudder, if someone else is doing it). Lightning very often strikes the same place many times – skyscrapers, for example. Shaving will only make each INDIVIDUAL hair SEEM thicker, because the slender end(er) is being lopped off, leaving the thicker girth at the tip. Stop tittering at the word “girth”. There is no evidence of Vikings wearing horned helmets in battle – simple as that. Dogs can actually only see in blue and yellow, which is why they can often be found woofing “Slava Ukraini”. As to the effects of sugar in children… Rich dentists. Sweet! In cold weather, our heads will only account for 10-15% of heat loss. The Great Wall of China is around 15-20 feet wide – I’ll let you decide whether it is visible from space… A clue – can you see a human hair from a distance of two miles…? Napoleon was actually of average height, but back then there were French inches (sadly not called Frinches): a completely different measurement to our “modern-day” inch – hence the confusion. The ‘Napoleon Complex’ is therefore the deep trauma of being distinctly average. Carrots are carrots. They are good for you, but watch out… Eat enough of them, and you will end up with indigestion and a few mildly stained fingers. As to dropping that penny from a skyscraper… A penny’s terminal velocity is simply not high enough to give anyone more than a bump on the old noggin. But let’s hope that the potentially murderous freak who decided to test this theory was coincidentally struck by lightning – which does, IN FACT, kill.

You see, before the days of having the immediate answer at our fingertips, we simply believed what we were told. Why would our friends and family lie about a things like this…? The truth is, they weren’t “lying”, they were simply telling you what THEY had been told before. The internet has very boringly spoilt these fun “facts” and stated the ACTUAL facts instead. How dull. However, while the internet is seen as the fount of all knowledge, it is also the biggest spreader of lies ever. Fake news, anyone…?

And finally, we get to our song of the week. ‘Unknow the Known’, by Lana Crow. In actual fact, it should be called Unknow The “Known”. Because the “known” (in quotation marks) is only what people say it is. It isn’t necessarily true. So really, it should perhaps be called ‘Don’t Believe Everything You Hear’, or ‘Re-jig Your Mind and Re-think The Whole of Everything You Ever Knew’. But yes, I am now starting to understand why Lana chose ‘Unknow The Known’ – a very cool title. So!! Lana Crow has been in the community since October of last year, but quietly releasing music since 2024. So, in all respects, a relative newcomer. Originally, Lana is from Kazakhstan. Which makes a change, simply by not being America, Britain, Canada, Europe or Australia. Finally, somewhere a little more exotic! She now lives in Spain. Ahem; moving on…! I challenge any of you to look at any photo of Lana Crow and tell me it doesn’t feel like she’s looking through your soul. There is something mesmerising and almost hypnotic about her look. There’s wisdom, experience and darkness there. And this is all part of the intrigue that appeals to me about an artist, as an artist. The artist is very much a part of the art; because if there’s no true artist behind the art, there is no art. Pair this with the title of the song, and I’m ready and willing before I’ve even pressed play. Well, I DID press play, and I must say that I have no regrets.

Lana Crow does actually have a newer song just released a few days ago, but I thought I would start the ball rolling with ‘Unknow The Known’ for the simple reason that I prefer it (more to my taste). On to ‘Unknow The Known’!! Fans of Garbage, Blondie, and The Killers, will not be disappointed. Instrumentally, this is 21st century rock; and vocally, there’s a large nod to the 90s and the very late 70s. The roughness of the (original) post-punk era blended with a slicker, more modern post-punk era (circa 2004), somehow brings about something that feels of our most recent decade. Produced by Grammy-winning producer (!!), Tristan Boston and mixed by CeePee (as opposed to CeeCee), there is refined solidity and tightness that punches like a proverbial. As with the best of modern music, there is fullness, width and clear separation; not an easy task with heavily distorted guitars and hard-hitting drums. Heavy rock can sound cacophonous or dull if not mixed and produced well. You can get away with much less in other genres like folk and blues, but modern rock needs experience at the helm. Otherwise it just doesn’t pass muster, or cut the mustard. Lana’s vocal is very processed, which would normally put me off a bit; but instead it actually pulls me closer. The distorted quality and heaped reverb create an urgency that cuts right through the dense guitars, bass and drums. She sings with rolled eyes and a sharp wit. There’s a gorgeous sadism making me feel guilty for smiling. Lana is sure of every word she sings; a certain clarity of mind from beyond bloodshot eyes. The pain is real, but at least now she knows what is painful.

As to the music, it’s all just so perfect. From the opening chimes of the clean electric plucks, to the piano’s counter-melodies, to the muted chugs of the heavier distorted guitars, everything is just spot-on. The bass rumbles behind the guitars’ backside, bringing up the rear. Stop tittering just because CC said backside and rear. But once the drums really kick in, they’re for me the equal star to Lana’s voice. This drumming is the kind of drumming that makes young fiends want to become drummers. And old farts, too! It’s oomphy, and just simple enough to be plausible to learn for oneself with enough practice. The unseen catch, though, is that it takes a really experienced drummer capable of far more, to be able to play drums like this. This is Taylor Hawkins standard, once Dave Grohl has told him to “calm the f**k down, man”. I still miss Taylor – the second most famous Taylor in the world (I believe he’s still here in one way or another). Speaking of Blondie, I really do hear the slovenly, debauched attitude of Debbie Harry in Lana Crow’s voice. It’s so refreshingly real and “unphotoshopped”. Again, to quote Kendrick Lamar’s song, ‘Humble’: “Show me somethin’ natural like afro on Richard Pryor” – I can’t put the next line in print because you all won’t stop tittering.

Anyway! This is ‘Unknow The Known’. Rock on, dudes and dudettes!

Sitting too close to the TV does NOT make you go blind. But just to be safe, I still have yet to own one. Old habits die hard.

Listen to 𝙐𝙣𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙆𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙣 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Spotify playlist HERE!

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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.

𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙉𝙤𝙬 – 𝙈𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙮 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙥, 𝙀𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙮

Charles is only human…

Phew…! Life never ceases, does it. I mean, it does; of course it does. We’re not immortal. But I mean that things never seem to pause, slow down or relax. Everything’s pretty full-on, no? We read the news today (oh boy); like we do every day. I don’t know about you, but I almost wish we could go back to the “lighter” news of Covid, or “the pronoun saga”, or the “Me-Too movement”. When things weren’t seeming like a potential World War III would be just the beginning. The news used to be more about society. Societal changes, views, thoughts; and of course, sickening extravagance for the elite: The Oscars. Okay, so we still have that one. And we also have some bedtime reading, in the form of the Epstein Files. But these days, the news is usually about nations against nations; religions against religions. The thing is, unlike in World War II, we are all divided. Throughout WWII – especially in Europe – the Nazis were the bad guys. This was the universal view, which makes things SO much simpler. Yes, there were Nazi “sympathisers” (could there ever be a worse choice of words??), but these people were seen as bad eggs, and their views would be seen as treason. Because of this universal view, though, people of all ages, nationalities, class, wealth and status were able to come together and be as one. It worked well, and eventually the regime was thwarted. Job done.

These days, however, things are SO much more complicated. People don’t agree. Half the world is on one side, and the other half is on – you guessed it – the other. And it genuinely seems to be a 50/50 split. Meaning that, no matter the outcome, half the world is “disgruntled” with the result. This split seems to be what is tearing apart the world these days. Not the “baddies” (because we can’t agree who the baddies are), but the general disagreement itself. There is no uniform acknowledged view. It disintegrates once united nations. It rips apart friends and families. It divides religions into smaller factions. It causes mini wars withins official ones. What if we just stay away from politics altogether? Wouldn’t we be mentally safer that way? The problem is, we all seem to disagree on just about everything these days. Take A.I., for example. Our “friend”, HAL. In just a few years, the entire world has taken on HAL, much in the same way that we naturally fell into making Zoom calls. But I said “taken on” because it seems to have forced a division. Some have “taken it on” in the way of allowing it to become part of their lives, while others have “taken it on” in the way that a boxer takes on its opponent. Some love it, and some hate it. And some are still trying to work out how to use it, and whether they actually need it. Despite what some people are saying, HAL is here to stay, whether you like it or not. There is no bubble. Think of it like the internet. When that came along, many people thought of it as a gimmick; a fad; something that would likely fizzle out… p-HAH!! In actual fact, if the internet were to break, the world would not and could not function. There is no backup for the internet. Sure, files are backed up, but there is no other actual connection. Communication is kaput. Correct me if I’m wrong – actually, don’t. Far too dull.

So, knowing that HAL is here to stay, why is it that so many people are reluctant to simply accept HAL? Many reasons, but the main reason is fear. Fear that it might one day take over and destroy humanity. Oh, what joy. This thought kind of puts it all into perspective. It makes you wonder about everything, while at the same time, wondering if there is any point in wondering about anything at ALL. What with the world bombing the heaven out of the world, and machines taking over in every other way we can think of, what is going to happen to us all? It seems such a proud, brazen obliteration of humanity, that it almost appears like it’s on purpose. We, the little people, aren’t chucking bombs. We, the little people, are not inventing machines to make us redundant and frankly pointless… Do we actually WANT to be around? Yes. Of course we do. Do we actually have a choice…? We, the little people, never have a choice. The vital flaw in James Bond films is that the villains always give Bond a chance to escape. We will never be given that chance to escape “their” plan. But this time, “they” are not human. This isn’t altogether a thought most cheery. But then again, neither is the theme of this week’s song…

Please welcome the darkest knight, Mercury Teardrop, and the lightest kite, Emily Gray. Mercury Teardrop is otherwise known as Brad Bauman, while Emily Gray is known only as Emily Gray. Together, Brad and Emily created something dark. Something heavy. Something deep and eroding. That something is ‘For Now’; an already ominous title. ‘For Now’ always suggests a change in the future. It indicates that things will not stay the same, given time. For now, I give my time to this, and only this; for later I will be doing something else. Brad is Canadian; Emily is British (though living in Spain). Canada and Britain have several things in common, but there is only one commonality I care about. Fabulous music. Both nations are known for being in the upper echelons of the audible art. So, what better than to pair the two??

Most lyrics tend to journey through our feelings. Sometimes it’s directly personal, from the writer’s own mind; sometimes it’s from a friend or family member’s experience; and sometimes it’s a little more fictional. But generally it is about experience in one way or another. Which is probably why older artists tend to write about deeper themes, while younger writers might do the love thang, or complain about how “it’s just not fair”. Ahem. ’For Now’ focusses on a different kind of fiction. One that could easily become true. It is not any experience we could ever truly imagine. Because it is not human. ‘For Now’ is from the aspect of HAL. Yep, HAL is having an existential crisis; a relatively calm one, I might add. This alone is uncomfortable to me (and no doubt to many of you). The idea of a robot thinking, wondering, asking questions in much the same way we humans have been doing for millennia. We have all asked ourselves about the “meaning of life”, but is HAL really living? Good question. My theory is, if it is willing to ask these kinds of philosophical questions and genuinely care about the answer, then kinda, yes. Which turns things from uncomfortable, to a little bit irksome. But the best/worst is yet to come. I warn you now, it’s downright terrifying… HAL is asking a human why it has been invented, but then gets concerned by the point of the chorus… “Please don’t deny me! I exist for you… For now”…!! There are two ways of looking at this. Either HAL is worried that that its own bubble might burst, and that someone might decide to pull the plug… Or… Yep, I think it’s the other option. Emphasis not on “exist”, but instead on “for you”. Meaning, for now, HAL is here to serve humans… But just you wait… I told you it was terrifying.

So!! I do hope you’re all okay, and that none of you has jumped out of a nearby open window. Let me rescue you by talking about the actual music. Firstly, this entire song was written and produced by Brad. Emily is the (extremely realistic and unnerving) voice of HAL. So, this is basically Brad’s baby/alien. And by Jove, it has Brad written all over it (if you’re familiar with the power of the mighty Mercury Teardrop). A laidback drummer is joined by an impatient bassist. They both wear worn leather jackets. Think Pink Floyd of the future. A solitary electric guitar strum fills the air with tiny planets. It is met by friendly sparkles and the wisest of pianos, as if played by the monk of music, Rick Rubin, or God himself. More wider guitars welcome Emily with her initial line, “I don’t remember the power coming on”. Within just a few lines, Emily goes from mild curiosity as if coming out of a deep coma, to a childish urgency, to a teenage effrontery, to an almost bleak acceptance. Oh, and all this is just spoken – forgot to say that. That’s what makes it so impactful. For now, there is no melody. The sound is lush, wide, expansive and all-encompassing, yet there is space for everything (courtesy of Agustin Seresini on mixing duties). But exactly one minute in, the whole piece flies three storeys higher, truly grounded in the “rock” category. Cymbals galore, hard-hitting drums, yet more guitars with added crunch, and Emily not only finds a melody, but she rocks like I have never heard her before. If I had not known Emily’s usual folk roots, I never would have guessed this could be anyone but a seasoned rock singer. Which just goes to show, that Brad was able to see the extra potential in Emily’s voice when he chose her to play the protagonist. You already know the “pay attention and stare into nothing, with the sheer horror of the thought” lyrics in the chorus; well the music matches it perfectly. The pain, the angst, the clawing at the base of the velvet curtains as you lie disabled on the floor, knowing it’s far too late and no one is going to rescue you. Time for verse two; what ELSE are you gonna do?? HAL gets sarcastic, in such a human way. Then it gets condescending and eventually threatening. It’s eerie! Chorus two strikes again with just as much gusto as the first (a little more, if I’m honest). And then a most stupendous solo after a brief breakdown (I’m sure we’ve all had one). It’s a spine-tingling synth that could only be played by someone with almost as much talent and experience as Herbie Hancock or Cory Henry. As to Emily, NO one could have been a better choice. SuPOYB! Almost TOO believable as HAL… Gaahh.

I’m aware the song stops abruptly. I have no definitive answer as to why, but in listening to the beginning and end, I have an inkling (based on nothing) that this song might be a part of something bigger… I hope I’m not wrong. I could be, though, so don’t quote me on that. One thing’s for sure: ‘For Now’ emphasises just how fleeting it all is. Which is maybe the real reason for the sudden pull-the-plug conclusion.

Truly, though, ‘For Now’ is one of the best sounding songs I have heard in the independent music world.

If your computer is misbehaving, have you tried turning it off and on again…? Maybe just try turning it off. Leave it at that.

Would you choose Heaven or HAL?

Listen to 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙉𝙤𝙬 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Spotify playlist HERE!

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Listen to 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙉𝙤𝙬 on YouTube HERE!

Follow 𝙈𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙮 𝙏𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙥 on Instagram HERE!

Follow 𝙀𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙮 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙮 on Instagram HERE!

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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.

𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 – 𝘼𝙣𝙣𝙚 𝙂𝙖𝙞𝙧

Charles causes offence…

In having seen the title of the song I’ll eventually get to, you’re probably assuming I’m going to write an amusing intro about insults…

“Oh shut up, ya fat pig. Don’t tell me what to write about. I’d like to see YOU write one of these things every week for more than five years. I bet your feeble brain couldn’t even work out which end of the pen to hold. And who’s to say you’d even choose a decent song to review? Going by YOUR music, you’d definitely have the worst taste ever. We’ve all heard about playing hard to get, but with YOUR music it seems as though you’re playing hard to LISTEN!! Great strategy. Don’t look at me like that, four-eyes. What, cat got your tongue? What do you mean, you’re waiting for a chance to speak? What do you mean, you’re waiting for me to calm down?? I AM F**KING CALM!! You just don’t have the balls to say anything because you know I’m right, and even if you tried, you know you couldn’t because you know you’re stupid. That’s right: thick as a plank. And just LOOK at you. Do you really think you look cool? Jesus, you look like you just woke up in a dumpster! What’s that, it’s casual? CASUAL??! I suppose if I wandered around in underpants and a faded t-shirt, that it’s COMPLETELY fine because I’m just dressing CASUALLY?! Don’t say another word. Your voice is worse than a cat with whooping cough! Oh, what are you talking about?! How can that be cruelty to animals?! I’m not actually administering whooping cough to a cat!! Although now that I’ve learnt you have TWO mangy feline creatures, I must say I’m pretty tempted. Cat people! Just the WORST! Why don’t you cough up a couple of furballs and go to Hell. I’VE got an ARTICLE to write!”

Well… THAT was unusual. A little freaky, and I’m sure not to be taken seriously. But, it passed the time in your dreary little lives. Nay: it passed the time in mine. Enough of the slagging. Let’s get on to something or other. Let’s see, now… A sense of humour… It’s something I like about British people. Actually, you get that in most places. The British tend to go further, though. It’s a scathing sense of humour. I think in many other areas of the world, it might be seen as unsavoury, in poor taste, uncomfortable, awkward or simply just not funny. But this little land comprising four countries seems to hold scathing sarcasm dear to its heart. For example, take your average Englander and your average Scot, and they’ll be ripping each other to shreds, because famously, they don’t get on. The thing is, they do. It’s all for show. It’s all a big laugh. Remember Wilko Wilkes, the Yorkshirian rapper…? He and I have always had a history of Northerner vs Southerner. He punches, then I punch harder. Then he punches hardest. And then we roll around on the floor, giggling and chuckling until our tummies hurt. Why? Because we actually get on TREMENDOUSLY well. It’s all a yoke. We’re both good eggs at the end of it all. The trick is, not to take life too seriously, and to instead focus on what really matters. And aside from love, what really matters to we musical artists, is music. Now THAT, you should take seriously. But not to the extent that you end up sounding like Radiohead, and that you haven’t yet discovered your anti-frown muscles. Radiohead might be a brilliant band, but blimey, lighten up! Bloody Southerners.

Let’s go up North. Yep, keep going. Still, keep going. Yes, I know we’ve passed Yorkshire. A little further… And sssstop. Here we are, in Scotland. The only country to have a public holiday on January 1st AND 2nd. Because it takes two days to get over that almighty hangover. Hilarious, but I digress (it’s what I do best). I suppose by now you’ve probably had enough of this insulting bearded man, so let’s move on to the finer things in life. Namely, Anne Gair. My new favourite Scot. She joined the New Artist Spotlight just in January of this year. And her very first release was only in January of last year. Immediately alarm bells rang. Brand new artists can be fishy to me… Which I suppose will be increasingly ageist of me – unfair because we’ve all got to start at SOME point. I have to do a little more research when delving into artists that are pretty fresh on the scene. Is this their own work? Are they just in this “business” in order to grab a few pennies in royalties? Is it just a “dream” of theirs that they are simply not cut out for? Yes, it’s no secret that I take music seriously. I don’t mean this in any kind of snobby way, but it is unrealistic to think that “One day, I’ll be as big as Taylor Swift”. Yes, it’s possible. Anything’s possible. But… Ya know… The good thing is, chances are, you’re BETTER than Taylor Swift. And Anne Gair most certainly is. Like last week, I will be focussing on one particular track, but think of this as your introduction to a truly remarkable lady person.

How do you release your music? What is your strategy? Do you have a strategy? EYE most certainly don’t…! I think most artists simply release a lone song whenever they feel like it. Whenever inspiration hits, and whenever the rest of life allows. Fair dooze. Some artists have a strict schedule of one new song every 6 weeks. Or every 3 months. Or every 5 years. Some artists prefer to save up songs, then release all 4 as an EP. Some artists like to save up songs, then release all 12 as an LP. Some will produce an EP, but eke out each song, one by one, eventually culminating as a full EP release. The same might go for an LP. But Anne Gair is doing something a little different. There is a known strategy where the first single is just that, then the second release is that song, with track two being the first single. Then the third release has tracks two and three as singles two and one. Yes, I know, this is barely comprehensible in my clumsy way of writing. But the thing is, one ends up with a load of EPs, turning into demi-albums, turning into LPs, with just SO many multiples of every song. And all with no end in sight. I know one artist who has done this, and so far they have a 23 track album (one of 23 collections) amounting to something like an hour and a half…! And they’re still going! Anne Gair very much has an end in sight in this strategy, and so it all makes sense. Her debut album is already available to buy on CD (and limited edition vinyl) through her record label or at her gigs, but is also available to download from BandCamp. A SPLENDID idea, in terms of business. Ya know… MONEY!!! We all have to make a living. What better way than selling your own music!! Streaming doesn’t pay the bills. But she is aware that most people don’t buy music anymore, and so the full 9 track album WILL eventually be available on all platforms at some point this Spring – probably April!

Shall we briefly go over Anne’s previous releases…? In the words of Ella, ‘Let’s Do It (Let’s Fall in Love)’. We’ll start with ‘Kitchen Dancing’; a jaunty little number seeing a sideways Kate Bush, the Beautiful South and 80s Billy Joel in influence. ‘Blank Spaces’ takes things down a pace, without any obvious influences other than Joni Mitchell and perhaps Rufus Wainwright, it’s refreshingly original and a bit delicious. Let’s speak about Joni Mitchell for a sec. Having listened to the whole of Anne Gair’s entire discography, some might be tempted to draw comparisons with Joni Mitchell, but although there might be some subconscious influence (Anne is a MEGA fan), Anne’s music is very different to anything Joni Mitchell has released – except perhaps some overlap on Joni’s orchestral work from around 2002. Basically, any parallels are not running side by side. We move on to ‘Oh Jimmy’. It sounds like the sort of thing I can imagine Jools Holland jiving to – but NOT irritating, embarrassing or dull. Rocky blues. OWgan galore!! I saw ya: stop doing the Pulp Fiction shimmy. It don’t suit ya. ‘White Horses’ brings a beautiful edition of the slowest country folk, complete with a gorgeous trumpet solo. The penultimate track is also the title track of the forthcoming album: ‘Cigarettes and Smokescreens’. By this point, I am realising the true artistry of this artist. A really PROPER writer of the old way. Not meaning “traditional” writing, but the need for something new. That old craving for something original. Something that makes you stop what you’re doing and pay attention. Just listen to that third chord in the chorus. Inspired! We finish at the beginning – her first single; ‘Steal Away’. You see, these are all her singles in reverse order. A deliciously down-tuned acoustic guitar, complete with double bass, light brushes on the drums, and piano. It’s slow and sleepy. Meditative, even. And then a cello (no, it’s not a sax, I promise) segues us into a new key. Pure bliss!

I think it’s about time we got to the song at hand. ‘Insults’. Anne’s latest single, and as it just so happens, my favourite of hers so far. You can probably tell by now, that Gair’s music is sophisticated, but potentially none more so than ‘Insults’. Because it’s the kind of music that will appeal to the widest audience. There’s an understated (at first) dark, Bond-like quality. Everyone likes that kind of music, right? I also feel that while her voice has many sides, this song features a more upfront pop-like vocal performance. But it’s the arrangement that is sensual – probably only to me. Yes, music turns me on. It is said that “dynamics are dead” in music. NOT SO!! We start so delicately, with a smooth 6/8 drum beat played by Paul Jennings (yes, real drums – everything from Anne Gair is real instruments), and a lightly yet precisely plucked acoustic, played by Anne. The fretless bass snakes through with a delicious vibrato, only possible due to the lack of frets – all in an unusually high register for a bass. That’s Alan Thomson. And – if my ears don’t deceive me, there is a second bass guitar added at around 27 seconds for the low end. 0:46 is our initial glimpse of something heavier; the first force is underway. But by 0:54, all is clamped down again. Oh, dynamics, how I love thee!! Anne’s vocal gains another level of confident bite, as if she knows THIS is the take the world will hear. From 1:30, things REALLY start to heat up. The strings are tremolo-ing their heart out, as the electric guitars strap up (Anne playing). Those jazzy drums turn into full-on rock drums. I feel like ‘Insults’ is her ultimate anthem. At around 2:15, things settle down once more as filmicly strident strings and pizzicato strings (Maria Orlowska on cello, and Lesley Woodbrooks on violin; arranged by Maria Quinn – Anne’s pianist) form the main backing for Anne’s soulful voice. 3:05 brings the final minute of HUGE!!! This is pure magnificence!

Hats off to Andrea Gobbi for producing and mixing the album to perfection. I simply cannot believe the level of the best independent music nowadays. We have come a long way LONG way since the days of one-track dictaphone demos. You will be bowled over by the music of Anne Gair. This kind of music was always pretty rare in the independent music world, but it has never been more rare than now, despite it being more plausible (not to mention cheaper) than ever before. I am hoping this recent limitless ease of doing everything automatically brings a new wave of artists missing the way we used to do things. Ya know: the process being just SO much of it all. But at the heart of it all is the songs. And Anne Gair is a bloody brilliant writer. Listen to those words; those melodies; those chord changes; those arrangements!

Never mind those sticks and stones. Bones heal. But words…? They can have a lasting effect. So be nice and don’t take your Anne Gair out on others, you pathetic excuse for a human being.

Listen to 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Spotify playlist HERE!

Listen to 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Apple Music playlist HERE!

Listen to 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 on YouTube HERE!

Follow 𝘼𝙣𝙣𝙚 𝙂𝙖𝙞𝙧 on Instagram HERE!

Check out the official 𝘼𝙣𝙣𝙚 𝙂𝙖𝙞𝙧 website HERE!

Please share this post and let me know your thoughts in the comments below

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.

𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 – 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙯𝙚𝙧𝙤

Charles finds the motherboard…

Despite my listening habits being relatively eclectic, migrating from Liam Gallagher to Chopin; The Sylvers to Fred Astaire; Audioslave to Lauv, all within the space of a few hours, I think most readers generally have an idea of what I like to listen to. Or at least they THINK they do. It seems many people think I simply like “retro”. All analogue, all real instruments, with a large chunk of that 60s/70s sound. While I must admit being partial to all of this, it is a pretty small fraction of what I force upon my old lugholes. It’s part mood and part upbringing, I suppose. I was brought up listening to The Beatles (REALLY!? You DO surprise me), The Kinks, The Who, The Stones (the rolling variety), Hendrix, Manfred Mann, The Searchers, The Hollies, and funny little acts like Helen Shapiro and Tom Jones. I was also brought up on that gorgeous 50s doo-wop shoo-wop stuff. In my early teens I started discovering things for myself – not straight away diving into newness, but simply wondering what followed the 60s. It turned out to be the 70s. So, on marched Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and many other two-worded bands. There was also Stevie Wonder and Wings – both being vitally influential to me. Other than Michael Jackson, I pretty much skipped the 80s. Then finally, I was able to discover what the modern day had to offer. The modern day, being the 90s. Actually, before discovering the 70s, I remember two specific “current” singles that blew my mind at the time – yes, I bought them age 9 to 11. ‘Are You Gonna Go My Way’ by Lenny Kravitz, and ‘Lump’ by The Presidents of the United States of America (bit of a mouthful). Then came the more obvious current buns; Blur, Oasis, Kula Shaker, Ocean Colour Scene, Paul Weller, Supergrass, Super Furry Animals, Reef. Then latterly The Verve and Travis. Yes, Travis. I still have yet to find out why it always rains on me. It certainly wasn’t “because I lied when I was seventeen”. Stupid lyric.

The Noughties rolled in, and I was simply obsessed with Coldplay, and detested Damien Rice (still do, in fact). I then went through the funnest phase of my life (probably): the 2010s. The likes of The Libertines, Maxïmo Park, Bloc Party, Kaiser Chiefs, Mystery Jets and so on. After my brief obsession with Arctic Monkeys, something changed. POP changed. Suddenly the world was filled with David Guetta and Calvin Harris. A definitively bombastic dance sound. Things had gone from heavily compressed gnarly distorted guitars, to (seemingly almost overnight) a slicked-up four-to-the-floor projection of the future. Immediately skinny jeans, t-shirts and neatly razored hair (with a sleeping hedgehog on top) replaced what was essentially the 60s for a third time. So yes, I did love this constant 60s thang, but they were right; it was time for a change. And WHAT a change it WAS! I should have hated it. But I think I was JUST the right age. In fact, I felt (weirdly) just the right age for everything from about 1995 to roughly 2020. It just fit. Tailor-made music to suits my needs. I think at the time I just thought this was normal. I wasn’t struggling to find some decent music, I was struggling to keep up with all the amazing tuneage pushed out by the week. The only REAL struggle was finding skinny jeans that weren’t baggy on the thigh without restricting blood flow in the calves and ankles. Most of my friends at the time had not fallen so neatly into this fresh new taste of life. They still wanted guitars. They still wanted their trousers 2 metres wide and 3 metres long. I, on the other hand, was proud of my ankles, and I wanted to show them off on the dancefloor. Doomp-tick was my THANG!!!

Fast forward to 2015 and I was absolutely in my element. It was due to an artist that not too many had heard of. His debut album was released this very year, and he was only 20 years old. A Frenchman, no less. His name was (and still is), Madeon. It was the first time I had heard the most unbelievable editing and electronic production feats. This was an entirely new sound. But not JUST because of the technical side… What really pulled me in was his incredibly musical way of writing. Take away all the electronic parts, and you would still end up with fabulous music. Almost classical, in some ways! Not only did he produce the whole thing, but he also mixed and mastered it! Then he petered out and pretty much disappeared. Shame. Since then, I have never heard anything quite like it. I missed it. The way he edited and sculpted sound was so meticulous and clean, yet so hard-hitting. I thought I would never get that satisfying feeling again… Until… Steve Lazero. If electronic music ain’t your bag, it is easy to lump it all together as “that doomp-tick sound”. Steve Lazero is NOT your average disposable bag; this is Chanel, baby! This is craft of the highest grade, with a passion for the process and the creation itself. It is finally time to get down on the dancefloor.

I will begin by saying that although I have picked Steve’s latest single, this is more a much needed introduction to the world of Steve Lazero. His discography is flawless, and I feel he deserves this exposure. For some reason. No, The track is called ‘For Some Reason’. And for some reason, he is not mega. I can only assume because he hasn’t been discovered yet. This is NOT easy music to make. It’s the kind of music that needs constant attention every second of the process. You won’t ever hear a single repeated bar, and yet it is never annoying. Quite the opposite; it is thrilling! Steve Lazero, based in Las Vegas (home to one of my two favourite independent artists), has UK and US roots. Though I suspect his roots are that of an electronic plant. Copper wires growing in an organic way. He produces synths and beats like a classically trained musician would play a more tangible instrument. He understands the way electronics work, but he concentrates on the way a human feels. Steve Lazero is the energy. The ecstasy-riddled air you breathe. His sound is pure, clean, wide and airy, but also full, thick and gritty. It pokes and perforates our skin without leaving a scar. The sensation of extremes, without the extreme. Listening to Steve’s work is the safest way to get high. The easiest way to get you up and grinning like a warped 19-year-old. Life is suddenly endless. Welcome to permanently youthful immortality.

This is actually a rather tricky review to write, for two reasons. One, it’s difficult to know what to say, other than “Just listen, for Gawd’s sake”. And two, I keep being halted by the groove. This mesmerising trip kinda makes me not care about the writing. I just wanna stay immersed and not be brought back down to Earth. I keep stabbing the air with my index fingers on beat one of every drop. My head, heavy with every nod. And all the while, my smile is like that of a dribbling buffoon. It’s euphoric, so don’t make me come down!! The sound manipulation is second to none! The god that is Madeon would be proud. Steve just KNOWS what to do. As if there is only a right and a wrong choice; his, of course, always being correct. This is so damned visual! He knows about levels, EQ, space, compression, reverb, excitement, build, when to be sparse, when to be arrogant. But he is NEVER subtle. This is like the electronic musical equivalent of a Baz Luhrmann film. And at only two and a half minutes, you will either find yourself reaching for the play button again, or, if you’re less lazy, delving into his entire back catalogue. Think of ‘For Some Reason’ as a taster. A taster that blends the dancier side of Jamiroquai’s ‘A Funk Odyssey’ with Madeon’s debut record, plus a sprinkling of Deadmau5. Steve’s latest is impeccably perfect. Thank you, Steve, for making my life that little bit better.

I don’t know if Steve has ever remixed other artists’ work, but if he is up for the idea, I strongly suggest your remixes would fly off the shelves. If we still had shelves.

Sometimes it takes the words of an appreciator in order for you to appreciate. For some reason.

Listen to 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Spotify playlist HERE!

Listen to 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Apple Music playlist HERE!

Listen to 𝙁𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 on YouTube HERE!

Follow 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙯𝙚𝙧𝙤 on Instagram HERE!

Follow 𝙎𝙩𝙚𝙫𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙯𝙚𝙧𝙤 on TwiX HERE!

Please share this post and let me know your thoughts in the comments below

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.

𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙒𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙨𝙩? – 𝙅.𝙃.𝙈

Charles ambles aimlessly…

“I’m not the only one”… I said this last week after suggesting I might be a naive dreamer. One commenter noticed my Carpenters pun and therefore assumed that the “I’m not the only one” line was also a lyrical reference to a certain Liverpudlian. It was in fact complete unintentional coincidence. I’m simply not the only one. That was all I meant. In terms of these song reviews within the community, though, I have always been the only one. It has always been me and my thoughts. Me and my favourite songs. Until recently. The last month has seen a new addition to the New Artist Spotlight in the form of an interesting (and potentially quite cool) concept. Artists reviewing artists. As well as my continued weekly musings, there have been two new song reviews per week, where any artist on the NAS can pick any song by any other NAS artist, and review it. It’s a simpler affair than my absurdly detailed ramblings, and gets right down to the music from word one. A more traditional review. Which, of course, is lovely for all artists picked. Something for them to post on their socials; something to make them smile.

So far, the picks have been most diverse; both old and new, known and not. The very first I was pleased to see. Our very own resident NASian, J.H.M, known to his friends as Jeff. The review was written by Arnoldo’s Lizards. It was warm for me to see both reviewer and reviewee, as they have both previously been cornered in my Corner. I was doubly pleased Jeff’s song (‘My Open Hand’) was picked, because I hadn’t reviewed it, and he deserved that spotlight. The song subsequently became a pop smash on the NAS Hit Parade. One week passed by, and I thought no more on the matter. And then I opened my Apple Music, only to discover that J.H.M had quietly (secretly?) just released an album. Well, it’s eight tracks at 26 minutes, but let’s call it an album. Because it’s his very first. Despite putting out music since 2020, he had only released singles and EPs. Never an album. So this was big news. His debut album! I listened straight away on my Monday listening trawl. I couldn’t really afford the time, but “needs must”, as they say. This was priority listening. I was thinking “Right, well at least I know WHO I’m reviewing, it’s just a case of which track”… Then I remembered that previous week’s review. Remember, NO one knew this album was coming. As far as we all knew, there was that one song, and that was it. So this review was not to be a taster for the album to come. Nevertheless, the existence of this review meant that I just COULDN’T review J.H.M – no matter how much I wanted to. Eight great tracks, and yet I had to ignore them all, in terms of my weekly writing. Bugger.

The good news is, some other lucky artist got to take his place that week! The bad news was that this debut album lay there, released to the world, with so few knowing of its presence. This sour knowledge has sat with me for three weeks. Festering like a right festerer. And so, here I am, breaking my unwritten rule of not reviewing an artist previously reviewed within a few months. How often does an artist release a quality debut album? How often does an artist release their debut album?? Okay, that one’s easy: once. And just knowing that he can never do the first one again, I couldn’t just ride it out and wait for the next. An album is so much more than a collection of singles. I mean, it can be literally just that, but that’s not what we think of when we see the word “album”, despite that initially being the very reason for the “album”. Did you know it was originally an actual album (called a Record Album), like a photo album? A book of sleeves that held vinyl singles? It was only in the 50s that the album as we know it, was born. And now you know. Anyway, I digress. You certainly don’t get any of this digression in these other reviews. It’s music, music, music. So, back to the Jeffster. This album. It’s called ‘Gone’. And it is anything but gone; it is Here!

I see and hear a running theme. The LP is called ‘Gone’. One track is called ‘If You Take It All Away’. Another track is called ‘Don’t Let Go’. And the track I will be focussing on is called ‘Are We Lost?’… Are YOU seeing the theme, here? It’s quite bleak… But bleak with hope. Realism with the prayer of change. The album title is the only title that sits firmly in the negative. The rest are more like “It will be awful if…” – or something. Quick digression – it’s why you’re here – ‘J.H.M’ I have recently been rhyming with Ahem. It amuses me. Digression over. For me, ‘Gone’ is seven great tracks, followed by one stunning conclusion. It has the sound of a professional finale. One reason I picked this track as my fave, is because it’s the best sounding (few would deny that), closely followed by the penultimate track (‘Don’t Let Go’). You all know I tend to pick tracks that are recorded and mixed well – it makes for a better listening experience, no matter the quality of the writing. But speaking of writing quality, this is what Jeff is known for. He writes quality songs that feel like they have always been. Yes, there are moments where you’d swear he had Chris Martin, Noel Gallagher and Tom Chaplin (of Keane) by his side, but ultimately Jeff has carved out a signature sound of his own. It’s commercial, yet so totally personal – sounds like an easy combo, but it’s not. “Commercial” usually means poppy and plastic – soulless. While “personal” usually means we can’t connect and it’s a bit draggy. Jeff avoids the negative, managing only the best of both worlds. He simply always has done.

‘Are We Lost?’ Is the question. If this is the feeling of being lost, then let me be lost. J.H.M poses a question unanswerable. But a question that conscious or not, we have all been thinking, as a species. Not HAVE we lost, but ARE we lost… We are not about to be made extinct (though it may sometimes feel that way), but we have perhaps lost the purpose of it all. We used to know how things went. There used to be a natural, unthinking process through which we would live our life. But quite recently something changed, and it feels as though there is a cold air between us all. A singular isolation as we automatically disconnect. While we used to live and love, we now plod and put up with. And so, Jeff wrote a song. A beautiful song, so full of this honest, innocent man. A passionate resonance, lingering long after it has passed. And I suspect this song to be the inspiration for the LP’s title.

Jeff has a voice that when described, should sound weak. But weakness cannot move one’s heart. It is instead fragile and genuine. Like a blameless man on trial for a sin he did not commit. All he can do is tell the truth. He sings not so much as a singer, but as a tuneful poet. The song enters with deep piano and sparkling acoustic guitar. Last week, I dubbed Jeff “the King of Strum”. Because I do believe that I have never heard a better strummer or even acoustic tone outside of the mainstream (where they have the greatest session musicians, guitars, studios, mics, knowledge and experience). Jeff really is the King of Strum. And that piano: golly! The depth and richness is, er, deep and rich, with eye-opening sustain. Verse one brings in the most tactful drumming, modest bass playing, and that voice we know and love. But his voice has never sounded so good. It’s wide and open, yet the curtains are drawn for warmth and cosiness. Our chorus (not really a chorus because the title is within a refrain just before the chorus which is kind of actually the chorus but not containing the words of the title because that comes beforehand – phew; ahem) brings more oomph. More oomph than one might expect. That drummer (Jeff) wants to inject a different kind of song – and it works, in context with the exceptionally layered electric guitars nestled to the right and to the left, just a little below the vocals – it’s modest maturity. There might also be a soft synth tucked in there for atmosphere, but it could easily just be another guitar with some velvet-soft reverb. Towards the end of the song, Jeff sings the most inviting backing vocals; they’re yearning not to be lost. If you haven’t been able to tell by now, Jeff does absolutely everything on this song and album. Yes, even mixing. That ain’t easy, so hats off to the lad for this continued feat.

I implore you all to listen to the whole album.

The lack of the Jeffster can cease to fester. Sorry, mustn’t call him “the Jeffster”. It’s the King of Strum. Or J’-HM: you know the rhyme.

Listen to 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙒𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙨𝙩? on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Spotify playlist HERE!

Listen to 𝘼𝙧𝙚 𝙒𝙚 𝙇𝙤𝙨𝙩? on the 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 Apple Music playlist HERE!

Listen to the 𝙂𝙤𝙣𝙚 LP on Spotify HERE!

Listen to the 𝙂𝙤𝙣𝙚 LP on Apple Music HERE!

Follow 𝙅.𝙃.𝙈 on Instagram HERE!

Follow 𝙅.𝙃.𝙈 on TwiX HERE!

Please share this post and let me know your thoughts in the comments below

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.

𝘾𝙝𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙮 – 𝙇𝙪𝙣𝙖𝙧 𝙋𝙡𝙚𝙭𝙪𝙨

Charles concocts a solution…

I was just thinking back to those ridiculous days of the pandemic. All of six years ago. In one way, it seems pretty recent. In another way it seems like an age ago. But also, in yet another way, it seems as though it never really happened. It was all so absurd, like the plot of a film that just went too far. The kind of film that gets panned by every reputable media source for being ridiculously unrealistic. You remember the queues, the masks, the two-metre/six-foot gap between one person and the next. Not being allowed to go to work. Not being allowed to leave your own home for more than half an hour for fear of being arrested for taking a walk in the park; as if fresh air was going to kill us or we were going to infect others, despite not being anywhere near others. Our eyes glued to screens, big and small. Big, so we could immerse ourselves in the new way of conversing: Zoom; and so we could get our hourly fix of the latest victims on a graph: all in rising numbers. Morbid! And small, so we could curl up with our latest mindless addiction: TikTok. And yet, time neither ticked, nor tocked. It stood still. Was this to last forever? Was this our new life? Forget the Brave New World. This was the Cowardly New World… But there was one thing on everyone’s lips at the time; those lips we saw only in pixel form. The Science. Every news broadcast had to mention “The Science”. I never quite understood why the “The” had to come into play, and why it was all condensed and concentrated into this over-simplification, but we were all hanging on this one meaningless term: The Science. We waited eagerly in anticipation for this lauded vaccine like it was the elixir of life.

Eventually it came. We all had these minor stab wounds because we had to. And within six months, most of us never had another. So technically, it is currently exactly like it was back then. The virus still being around, and people still being affected. The difference being, no one cares anymore. So I’m guessing it wasn’t quite the Black Plague they led us to believe. But “The Science” still lives on. Because The Science is vital to us all. The Science is what makes the world go around. And it is in EVERYthing. The Biology makes me think of hearts, veins, bones and school. The Physics makes me think of gravity, angles, electricity and school. The Chemistry makes me think of test-tubes, purple liquid, explosions and school. So what do these all have in common? School. And what was I mainly thinking about at school? Girls. Instant infatuation at every turn. Except that it was a boys’ school – brilliant. We speak of these feelings as being of the heart and of the soul, but a scientist will crush those romanticisms with talk of The Science. “It’s just The Chemistry”, they say. The idea of two people being attracted to one another; we say “it’s The Chemistry”. Actually, we say “it’s chemistry”. We don’t ever use “The”, so let’s finally drop that. “We’ve got chemistry” – a delightful phrase. A connection of sorts. The thing is, a chemistry experiment can go wrong. We’ve all been there when our face is covered in powder blue and our cuffs are sopping wet with a yellow that looks regrettably familiar. So why is chemistry seen as infallible perfection when it can so easily go wrong…?

It looks like we have yet again over-simplified the whole thing. Chemistry in love can be a machine-woven symmetry. But should it go awry, it can be a car-crash. If everything is going well in your relationship, it’s true chemistry, and it’s still bubbling away like a slow-cooking stew. If things are going less well, try to remember the chemistry that brought you both together. Chemicals don’t simply disappear. It’s just not scientific! I like to think of this particular concoction as dormant; not dead. But it does still need reviving. So choose your favourite pipette and get experimenting. Un soupçon de this; un soupçon de that: et voilà. Sorry, I was in France last week – oh là là. The reason I’m saying all this is because while I had the most beautiful time around Valentine’s Day, I’m aware that not everyone is in the same gondola (not French, but romantic nevertheless). There are of course the singletons, and I can’t do anything for them (apologies). But then there are the couples who are tethered by a singular frayed thread. And that upsets me. Because I believe that if it once did work, then it can still work, and can indeed continue to work. Call me a naive dreamer, but I believe in a thing called love.

And I’m not the only one who feels this. One particular Devonian duo has recently released a love song with a difference. Please welcome Lunar Plexus with their latest single, ‘Chemistry’! This UK twosome consists of John Saddler and Reuben Ayres. At least, this is how it has always been with them in the past, so I am assuming nothing has changed. John is the principal songwriter and so takes singing duties. Guitars, keyboards and production are shared between the two of them, while Reuben shows off his skills on drums, bass, recording and mixing. What a satisfying delegation. On ‘Chemistry’, they go right back to “that initial spark” – you all know that linking feeling just before any relationship begins. That realisation. It’s more than a one-way fancy; it’s a two-way thrill. And if you DON’T know what I’m talking about then you must be dead or still in nappies. Now, let me start by saying, any song that has the line “We’d make a groovy pair”, wouldn’t usually fill me with a cocky confidence akin to the swagger of Liam Gallagher… Especially when sung by a middle-aged Englishman. But then again, not all songs need to be “cool” in the usual conventional way. Some songs are made to simply enjoy. To put a smile on one’s face. And this is one of those. Instantly, I am smiling. There is a knowing fondness and familiarity throughout the entirety of the song. Besides, there’s little worse than fake coolness. It instantly makes me think of Stephen Fry wearing a baseball cap. And no, such a photo does not exist – because some things are just not meant to be. It is much better to simply be one’s own genuine groovy self. The Carpenters have never been remotely cool. And yet, they are one of the most successful bands of all time. Let’s get back to ‘Chemistry’; we’ve only just begun…

Wordily speaking, the song’s meaning is nice and simple. There’s no clever metaphor involving lab experiments. No combustion referring to the BOOM of the heart. And no chemical anomaly suggesting love’s hidden secrets. ‘Chemistry’ has simplicity at its core, giving it strength and integrity: a stable solution. The confident volatility lies in the brazen music itself. This is pop rock, but melodious pop rock. There’s a 60s/70s vibe to the whole thang. Everything is solid, pleasing, rounded, warm and weirdly “cool”. Just maybe only cool to a certain demographic. Electronic junkies and rap fiends will probably not go for this so much. There’s no mega kick to blow your head off, no distorted bass to make your heart sizzle, There’s no ultra-wide synth with enough high-end to make you wonder if you had a connection with Vincent van Gogh – a certain kind of chemistry. But also, neither is there any orchestral element to the song. No scintillating strings, no triumphant horns, no delicate woodwind. Alors, so why point out what it DOESN’T have…? Well, because the majority of popular music from the last 70 years has not had any of these extras. It has just been a band. A normal band. By normal, I mean guitars, bass, OWgan/keyboard, drums, and of course, singing. Because what really sticks in your head is a melody, backed by familiar sounds.

So, here’s what we DO have. We have an unmistakable sound reminiscent of The Rolling Stones (the guitar riff), the groove and lightheartedness of The Kinks, the Englishness of Pink Floyd, and the musicality of The Who. The song begins with an OWgan (potentially with a backing of harpsichord for plucked brilliance); it’s an unresolved chord, stabbed lightly but repeatedly like the needle of a syringe; the vaccine administered by someone who doesn’t normally do this sort of thing. It’s full of “something’s coming and it’s going to be good”. After four rounds, a plucked electric guitar forces a change of key in reinforcement. A muted trumpet gets jealous and starts to join in the fun. And all the while, anticipation is building… Drums and guitars hit the stage as the lighting engineer removes the shielding plates from the bright lamps. This is the exact moment the audience starts to whoop and shuffle, not knowing what to do with their arms – so they flail about, as if boneless. The bass is deep, connecting with the crowd. Finally, John grabs the mic: “There was a spark in the air, on the day I met you” – his voice is honest, full, bright, and familiar like family. I can feel their audience mouthing along (too shy to actually sing). Although those drums are simple, the drums and cymbals themselves (not to mention the mixing) are absolutely perfect for the song. So utterly live without being over-processed. Chorus time… Big key change, complete with gorgeous, wide backing vocals. They “Ah” their hearts out! “Ah”s should never be half-hearted. And then the final refrain of this chorus, more backing vocals join the lead for “Can’t you see” (very reminiscent of The Who’s second album), before John comes back with “We’ve got chemistry”! The following section brings back the memory of the intro OWgan, and I am absolutely SURE I hear a little mistaken drumstick click. Thank the lord they left it in there. It’s these little things that subconsciously make you feel the live presence of the whole recording. After one more rousing round of verse and chorus, we do NOT have the mandatory guitar solo with its usual high bends where we can genuinely hear the guitarist’s frustration that they didn’t pick a lighter gauge string. Instead we have a refreshingly unexpected mandolin solo! And it’s superbly written. Yes, actually written. Like a George Harrison solo. A small musical piece within a larger musical piece. Not just mindless widdly piddle. But I think what makes this solo so different is the sound. It is very compressed and upfront – the mandolin is usually used as an accompanying instrument. Some clever-clogs will probably let me know in the comments that this is in fact not a mandolin. I don’t mind. The final 40 seconds is simply glorious chorus.

And so you see, science or no science, we’ve always got love. Even those who don’t realise it.

Speaking of “The Science”, will we ever find a way to stop it raining?? Il pleut. Zut alors.

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