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.

𝙉𝙤𝙧𝙬𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧 – 𝙏𝙤𝙙𝙙 & 𝙆𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣

Charles stares at the sun…

The wait is over. It finally happened. We hoped, we prayed. We were ready for disappointment. But we always quietly had our fingers crossed. What it is is, Summer. England is not known for sun. Not to foreigners. It is known for miserable rain (as opposed to lighthearted upbeat rain), despite not really having that much rain these days. Well, of course I speak only of London, for that is all I know. I’m sure up north is as grim as ever. But then again, maybe I’m doing what the foreigners do. Assuming, due to what people say. Maybe I’m wrong. Let’s check. Today in London it’s sunny and 26 degrees. Huh! Turns out it’s exactly the same up north! So there ya go. Completely wrong, due to my assumption, based on very little. What’s that sound…? Sounds like a chuckle… It seems to be coming from the southern states of the Ewe Ess of Aye. Now look, I know 26 degrees is not a great deal to you lot – positively chilly, no doubt! But we in mainland Europe don’t live on the edge of a desert (or even indeed in the middle of one). Besides, it did reach 30 over the weekend in London. Which was enough to make me feel very heavy indeed. But good lord, I enjoyed it. We Britonians never know what we’re going to get. Could be chilly and wet and windy. Could be dangerously high temperatures with sun so strong it looks more like Arizona than Hyde Park. Grass bleached to dust. But despite all the worry and concern over climate change, we English always hope to get burnt fast. It is terribly childish and incredibly unsophisticated (not to mention downright stupid), I will admit. But it is the English way. Quick! Sun’s out! Flip-flops at the ready! Let that proud belly hang, flop and wobble to the beat of one’s own personal step. I’m too sexy for my shirt, too sexy for my shirt, too sexy it hurts. I mean, it HURTS! It is painful to look at. But, this is the nature of these people. To get toasted, and not give a tan about what others will have to look at. One might say they are blinded by the sun… I’m not really selling the place, am I… The good thing is, God invented sunglasses. And if you get ones dark enough (you know, those ones more suitable for viewing a rare solar eclipse) you won’t have to see all this ghastly stuff. Then you can concentrate on your OWN tan (and on not walking into lampposts or passing cars – no matter how amusing this might be to the other bellies).

(more…)

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.

𝙉𝙤 𝙋𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨 – 𝙍𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝘼𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣

Charles thinks of others this Christmas…

So! I thought I’d break with tradition. Which is very unlike me. Next Tuesday is Christmas Eve, and I will not be posting any reviews over the festive period. This gives me time to enjoy the festivities. But more importantly, it gives YOU time to do the same. I don’t want to spoil that for anyone by giving you the chore of reading whatever I might have chosen to natter about. What this means is, this is my last review of 2024. So far, this is no break from tradition. I always pause for a week or two over this season – remember, I’ve been doing these reviews since 2020…! Every year I make a point of writing a fun festive review just before Christmas. Here’s where the break with tradition comes in to play. There will be no holly, no tinsel, no elves, no glitter, no glamour, no baubles, no Santa, no reds, no whites, and no pinks. But plenty of blues. You see, the meaning of Christmas has changed over the years. It has become strangely sterile and commercial. We hunker down to a cosy time with the family, if possible. It was never supposed to be a time of gluttony and of excess. It was supposed to be a time of celebration in being grateful for what we have. A time to think about those less fortunate. Those who cannot revel in said festivities. Those going through the toughest of times. As the Christmas carol goes: In the Bleak Midwinter…

(more…)

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.

𝙉𝙤 𝙋𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝘼𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙙 – 𝙆𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙨𝙠𝙞

Charles is the cat with one eye open…

Let’s clear this up, once and for all. Last week’s review. I received a barrage of messages, comments and posts about it, from the people who didn’t quite understand. I was informed that I had linked to the wrong song multiple times. That no matter how much they searched, they couldn’t find the song “Polar Foil”… On the flip-side, I had people telling me how much they liked the song… Lord knows how they heard it… Despite most of these confused people realising it was posted on April 1st, it still didn’t quite click for some. Every single part of the article was made up. There is no such song as Polar Foil. There is no such Amazon product as Polar Foil. There is no block of ice that melts in the form of a cold hourglass. Both Polar Foil and Lila Proof are anagrams of April Fool. And Lila’s single released next month was called Yam because it’s an anagram of May (next month’s month). The cat’s out of the bag. Some of you may think it a shame that I have now “explained the joke”. I know one artist who REALLY can’t stand that. But I thought it necessary for those who felt perhaps uncomfortably incomplete, or “left out of the loop”. The thing is, this was entirely my own imagination. A vivid imagination that is so natural to me that I almost started believing it. In fact, there were times when I truly forgot, and went to my phone to listen to ”again” to the track – quickly remembering (rather embarrassingly) that it never existed. I gather many of you were also a little let down as you really wanted to listen to it. It sounded like it might have been amazing, I admit. The thing is, you can still do this. Close your eyes and do what I did. Imagine. Make the piece of music in your head, based on what you’ve read. Imagination is an incredible thing. And I do believe that if your mind is free from worry, and if you allow yourself, imagination is literally limitless. It’s a conscious dream.

(more…)

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.

𝙉𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙍𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙣’ .2 – 𝘼𝙡𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙤 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙚𝙜𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙞, 𝙎𝙤𝙪𝙡 𝙃𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨

Charles shows good sportsmanship.

A couple of days ago, there was a game of football. Or soccer, if you prefer. One team wearing white, the other, blue. I rooted for white. Sometimes, things just don’t go to plan. They did however for the blues. I am not a football fan, but this was one of the few times when an Englishman is allowed to be patriotic. It is seen as okay. The way to be. The thing to do. The hopes were high, but eventually, after much sweaty tension, the feeling was low. A big shame. But someone has to win, and someone has to, well, come second. It has always been the way. 22 men fought like brave soldiers; courageous yet civil and respectful. My only real CONCERN about England coming in ‘second place’, was the possible aftermath. English football fans have something of a reputation for acting, shall we say, a little less gentlemanly than they maybe should. Which is why I am of the opinion that “if you can’t beat ‘em, join em’”. Not the fans, but the winners. Let’s all come together and celebrate a joyous occasion. Not as joyous as one would have hoped, of course, but let’s simply take part in the festivities and good vibes, rather than turning the good vibes to bad. Let us enjoy and revel in the good times we’ve had over the weeks, and just understand that the result of a game of football must not be taken as a personal attack, but simply an outcome that had to go either way.

(more…)

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.

𝙉𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙨 – 𝘽𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙇𝙤𝙬𝙧𝙮

Charles gives you the genuine article…

You’re probably assuming I am going to blether on about dreams, gradually segueing into nightmares. But I will do no such thing. Not even going to touch on the subject.

(more…)

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.

𝙉𝙤𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮’𝙨 𝙇𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 – 𝘼𝙫𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙖

Charles is in a similar boat…

Who remembers a British band from the 90s called Republica? Those who do, what’s the song that springs to mind…? Is it “Ready to Go”? Here’s the chorus: “It’s a crack, I’m back, yeah I’m standing on the rooftops shouting out. Baby, I’m ready to go”. That’s me right now. I’m standing on the rooftops shouting out. Baby, I’m ready to go! Yep, it’s that time of the week where I please some and bore others. Woo-hoo! I’m ready to go. Not ready to leave, you understand. Ach, and some of you got your hopes up. Well, tough. Baby, I’m ready to stay. But despite my hoarse vocal cords from that echoing decibelage, I’m wondering if I’m being acknowledged, or even noticed… Every week I write about this or that, and sometimes even the other. But I wonder, if I were to copy and paste a great big chunk of the Oxford English Dictionary instead, how many would actually notice…? Would the comments still read “good song good review keep up the good work cant wait for the next one emoticon emoticon”? Possibly. Probably. Definitely. The internet’s a funny place, after all. I won’t be copying a chunk of the Oxford English Dictionary, though, as I’m not a fan of alphabet soup. These pieces go out to potentially every single living person on this Earth. The same goes for our music… Every single person can read these peculiar articles of mine for free. Every single person can listen to our music for free. Yet, most do not. I can’t understand why. Is it all terrible? Is it really all that bad?? Of course not. The real reason is that nobody knows. But the more important reason is that nobody cares. Why WOULD you?? Some random bloke on the internet writes about music and other random junk. Some unknown artist releases yet another song. Pah.

(more…)

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.

𝙉𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙏𝙤 𝘿𝙖𝙮 – 𝙎𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙮 𝘿𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨

Charles catches the sun and puts it in his pocket…

The sun is a wondrous thing. It shines bright from behind the blue. It both creates and eradicates shadow, turning dark into light, and light into darker. Leaves and yolk-filled petals bask, as we burn and cower. Said scented blooms will turn in synchronisation with its beam, always to be head-to-head with the god of the sky. Those of us who do wish to confront its rays will do so with a youthful pride. Head held high, arms glistening with salty beads. What is it about these golden rays that makes us smile? A simple thing of brightness and warmth. Can it be as simple as that? Could it be the Vitamin D that our bodies make, much like a human equivalent of photosynthesis…? It is more powerful than chemistry, surely. We have learnt of solar power relatively recently, but have felt it within ourselves for millennia. This is where nature competes and wins every time. Everyone benefits. Well, almost everyone. Farmers with their droughts, skin cancer sufferers, people whose land regularly deals with forest fires, even little freckle-faced Billy who can’t go out to play because of his sensitive skin… There are negatives. Oh and then there’s the big old climate change stuff… But on the whole, The sun is a wondrous thing.

(more…)

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.

𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝙉𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙡 – 𝙀𝙣𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙎𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙣

Charles pinches himself…

Isn’t it funny, the way we are these days. The things we do, and the way we do them. Yet I believe most of us don’t think about it. At all. Let’s look at how an average person starts an average day. Were you awoken by an alarm clock? It almost certainly was your phone – and yet no one rang you. In getting up on a cold morning, the house is cold. But it isn’t. On account of the automatic heating that switches on at your desired time. Do we then grind the coffee beans in order to wake up? Why bother when at the press of a button it can all be done for you! A “pod” is all that is required. Or maybe you have that on a timer too? Perhaps the machine even senses you being awake and starts the whole process while you’re busy attempting to open your eyes… While sipping black goodness, you read the news. In a newspaper? It’s doubtful. Your screen will be scrolled as you squint more and more like Lennon every day. Then you have to start the laborious task of replying to letters from the previous day’s post – or today’s post, if you’re that efficient. But in fact, you have to tap the “mail” icon and reply to emails instead. That little (or large) rectangle rarely leaves your hands from the moment you leave your cosy bed. Now comes ACTUAL work. Got to dress yourself in “work gear” and drive to the office – if you remembered to fill the tank. Or maybe your company is fine with you wearing jeans and a tartan shirt. Did you remember to charge the car? Perhaps you don’t really need to “go” to work at all. Just pop on a top of some sort, don’t bother with the bottoms, and start up the laptop. With a fresh flagon of coffee, you’re basically “at work”. Seeing and chatting with your colleagues and your clients in an instant. No traffic, no rush, no abysmal weather. Or rather, it is all avoided. No tie, no trousers. What bliss! It’s all so funny how things change so smoothly without you really noticing. Fluid autonomy. This, is the new normal.

(more…)

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.

𝙉𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙜𝙖𝙩𝙚 – 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙁𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧

Charles is dressed for the occasion…

Being a Londoner has had various effects on me. One of those is confidence. Not arrogance in the slightest, but the confidence to be me. The confidence to not really care what others think of me, while still retaining enough modesty and manners to respect them. The other day I went shopping with my girlfriend. Clothes shopping. Something I detest – how typically “man” of me. Navigation is key, here. There’s the Tube (London Underground) to navigate, with its many lines, branches and hot platforms. Eventually, we came up for air at the recently modernised Tottenham Court Road Station – ugly. Here we were, standing on the corner of Oxford Street. God: Oxford Street; I have not been here in years. And so we sauntered. It has changed a lot. I assumed that it would be a nightmare, but surprisingly it was actually rather exhilarating and fascinating. I felt like a tourist, marvelling at everything and everyone! We navigated in and out of various shops, stopped for a bite to eat in Soho Square, then continued navigating. Despite being busy, it was never too much. I never felt panicky or claustrophobic. It was simply enjoyable. “But Charles, what has this to do with confidence?” – good question…

(more…)

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.

𝙈𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙊𝙛 𝙂𝙝𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙨 – 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙀𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚

Charles is not himself…

Ghosts do not exist. They just don’t. At least, I don’t think they do. No, they don’t. For the last hour I have been chatting with my twin brother about the idea, as I sit on my desk chair, and he sits most comfortably on my sofa. We have come to the conclusion that they don’t exist. Magic also, is not real. Only illusion and trickery. Wait a second. I don’t have a twin brother. I don’t even have a brother. Then who have I been talking to? And where the hell has he gone? Okay, he is not here anymore. Maybe he popped out for a bit of air. But no, wait. WHO is he? Who WAS he? And why is the sofa now facing the wall? Time for a cup of tea, to calm my nerves. Got to heave this sofa back to its former position first. JEEZ, it’s heavy. Right. Tea. Kettle on. Cup from cupboard, teabag from other cupboard. Where’s the cup?! Let’s try again. Right, CUP from cupboard. Ugh, forgot to plug in the kettle. Wait, I never unplug the kettle. Wait, it’s boiling! Where’s the damned CUP?? Okay, forget this. No tea. Back to the living room. Must turn that sofa. Wait, I turned the sofa! Oh thank God, my twin is back. That’s a relief. He turns the sofa, so I don’t have to. Now HE wants tea. Well HE can battle with the cup this time. He seems to be making a lot of noise in there; let’s have a look. Twin gone. Wait, I DON’T HAVE A TWIN!! Tea made, though. Well at least that’s something. Oh what a relief, my mother is here. Now I know SHE exists. She’ll calm me down. There’s something not quite right, though. She seems to be walking backwards, towards the window. I feel a little uncomfortable – her voice is much deeper than usual. The window falls from its frame. She is being sucked outwards into a chaotic hurricane. All she can say is “is this tea for me?”. The tea is really the last thing on my mind, right now… The whole flat (apartment, for you Americans) starts to disintegrate and rumble from below. I am alone. Flames start to grow from the cracks in the floor. Embers are shot upwards like mini fireworks. As I cower and curl up into a ball, wishing for my twin to comfort me – existing or not – a deep, dark and devilish music surrounds me. Enticing me with a fiery hand. I feel the urge to grab these boney fingers and succumb to my only chance, whatever that may be.

(more…)