Connolly’s Corner

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.

𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙏𝙤 𝙎𝙚𝙚 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙚 – 𝙐𝙣𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙙

Charles winces and wonders…

It’s a funny ole’ world, innit. So much is going on, all the time, everywhere. Some good; mostly not. Yet we’re rarely aware of any of it. Sometimes it’s due to our own ignorance, but usually it’s because we’re kept in the dark. Why is it when someone says “nothing to see here”, there is always something to see there…? Most people take what they’re given. Most people don’t question. With eyes wide open, most people only see. They do not observe and they do not perceive. They do not think. If they argue, it’s because others are arguing. A sheep will stand not comfortably but not uncomfortably. It will simply stand there. It will only bolt if other sheep are moving at speed… So, why? Why do we react so automatically? Is it ease? Is it laziness? Is it trust? Or is it none of these…? Are we actually all thinking the same “that can’t be right”, but are too afraid to open our mouths? Are we perhaps simply scared of querying? Nervous of the potentially worse response? Maybe we just don’t WANT to know. Maybe the whole “ignorance is bliss” thing is safer in our minds. Calmer. We’re all in this together anyway, so maybe if there’s something bad, it’s bad for everyone so I won’t be alone…? That seems a rather strange frame of mind to me. Surely it should be more like the words of The Animals: “We Gotta Get Out Of This Place”, rather than to all go down together…

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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.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙘𝙝 – 𝙂𝙚𝙛𝙖𝙝𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙞𝙨𝙩

Charles goes to church…

For someone so irreligious as I, God and his troves do make quite a number of appearances in my articles. Please do not forsake me oh Lord, for not conforming to your scriptures, but I give thanks for leading me to my own weekly scriptures. Or some such rubbish. Let’s face it, there is something very satisfying and wholesome about this way of speaking. A church remains largely unaltered by the modern world, with the exception of a card reader in place of a donation box. Even the almighty Lord himself is not impervious to contactless payment… On/Off topic, when at the Roman Baths in Bath the other week, I did chuckle at the sign which read “Do not throw coins into the water, please instead use the contactless donation device located to your right” – completely missing the point of throwing coins into fountains and the like. As if to say that places without such modern payment methods would have dedicated evening staff fishing the pennies out of the water, in order to pay for that leaky roof. It gives a different meaning to Sinatra singing about “three coins in the fountain”… I would imagine the same goes for the “Love Locks” on countless bridges and railings all over the world – they are simply donating padlocks to the nation. That must be the reason. Now if only they supplied the key as well, then we’d all be secure. God almighty, I forgot what we were talking about! Oh yes: God Almighty. Aside from the beauty and romance of it all, even non-believers will turn to it for another reason. Desperation. When almost all hope is lost, one cries for help.

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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.

𝙊𝙡𝙙 𝙁𝙖𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙙 – 𝙅𝙪𝙣𝙚 𝙃𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙

Charles is a dedicated follower of old fashioned…

The future. To some of you this might be exciting. However, I suspect to most of you it is bleak and depressing, or at least a big fat question mark. But it’s coming whether you like it or not. I’m one of those excited types walking around in my bouncy trainers/sneakers. Out with the old, in with the new. I’m always obsessed with the latest trends. You’ll always find me in the frontline of whatever protest is currently in session in Central London. My clothes are not too dissimilar to those of Jacob Collier. When it comes to interior design, I like minimal. I like clean-cut. I like white walls. I’m not too keen on colour in the home, and I don’t like clutter. When it comes to exteriors, the sleeker the better. All glass, if possible. Throughout the day I drink herbal tea made only from organic produce. The packaging must be eco-friendly, or I simply won’t buy it. I only really go for electronic music as real instruments bore me and frankly make me shudder at the way things used to be. My daily schedules and routines are managed by A.I., and I am truly looking forward to an A.I. future. I don’t touch meat, alcohol, caffeine or any other drug, as I want to be healthy for my future offspring, and set a good example for them and others around me. In my free time, I like to play video games, when I’m not scrolling through Snapchat and TikTok. And finally, I make a point of shaving at least once a day, because you never can be too careful.

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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.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 – 𝘾𝙚𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙤𝙣, 𝙎𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙇𝙚𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙨𝙤𝙣

Charles is mad for it…

What’s been the biggest news in Britain in the last week? Ukraine trucking on like troopers? Hamas doing what terrorists do best? Perhaps it’s the ever-growing bullet-pointed list of national destruction updated daily by Keir Starmer? Maybe the Paralympics…? No no; unlike the Olympics, the Paralympics rarely gets any news coverage. Well, it must be that Germany is – as the news outlets are less than subtly attempting to lead us to believe – about to “go all Nazi on yo ass”…! How about Trump, Harris, Harris, Trump, Trump, Harris? Mm. Meh. Nope. It wasn’t any of these. I’ll give you a clue. It was music related. “Oh no, has some mega rock legend died, and I didn’t know about it??” – nope, no one major has died. “Oh phew. Oh, you don’t mean…” – I do. While this has been world news (amazingly), Britain has seemingly had a delirious little fling with the relatively recent past. If you had read the English Press this past week, you might be forgiven for thinking that each and every one of the 68 million people in Britain was foaming at the mouth with the news of Oasis reuniting for a few gigs. This comes after many quotes from Noel Gallagher in recent years, stating he would never EVER get back with his brother and the band. The news also comes the very year after his £20 million divorce… Hmmm… Not suspicious at all. How is he possibly expected to survive on the remnants of his meagre fortune (apparently a mere £30 million left)…? Well, to Liam’s delight, Noel caved and reluctantly chose to accept the idea of Oasis making a purported total of around £50 million from these 2025 shows. We can’t have poor little Noel barefoot in the street, busking in Leicester Square. I’m not sure anyone would notice him: there’s always someone there playing Wonderwall.

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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.

𝙊𝙫𝙚𝙧 – 𝙈𝙖𝙡 𝙁𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙤̂𝙢𝙚

Charles shuts out the distractions…

You know what I can’t stand about the world, particularly these days…? Almost everything. I read a newspaper, open the door to the internet, walk down the street, and almost everything appalls me. Or at least makes me sigh. People are particularly awful, with their lack of manners, lack of care, and lack of just about anything that should separate us from wild animals. People are pigs, buildings are ugly, the economy is shot, politics is a joke, and it feels like all those masks we religiously wore have not been removed, but simply been placed higher up above the nose. People are seemingly blind to it all. Blind to their own piggishness, but also blind to the horror that surrounds them. Sure, there are pockets of niceness hither and thither, but one has to hunt, or by chance stumble on something so pure and simple and good, that it genuinely excites us, due to its rarity. Because of this, I find myself sheltering. Like old people do, oh so naturally, as each decade gallops with increasing speed. But I am not old. I shouldn’t be doing this. I shouldn’t have to do this. You might be thinking this is a depressing way to start what could have been a perfectly pleasant weekly read, but I rarely get the chance to rant. The New Artist Spotlight is a nice place. A good place. A friendly village through which we wander on a daily basis. We greet people we know well, and we nod and smile to the people we don’t. You will of course get the odd selfish little devil who wants to spoil it for everyone, but they’re shot on sight. Or at least dealt with in a manner conforming with the modern way. This might involve being overly polite and asking them to be reasonable, but with the inevitable failure of the “softly-softly” approach, they eventually find themselves walking the plank. We’re not vicious, we are just protecting the good guys while fighting the pirates. Behind the scenes, we moderators have to deal with far more than you might imagine, behind closed doors.

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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.

𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝘿𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝘾𝙖𝙧𝙚 – 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙡𝙞𝙢𝙥

Charles hunts for the missing info…

I am a thin man. I used to be slim, but now I am decidedly thin. To the point where I lack the strength to lift even so much as a pencil case. Okay, it’s not quite that bad, but I am pretty bloody useless at the moment. My usual wandering mind wonders about whether there is any purpose in us measuring our BMI (body mass index), because a man of fat will probably weigh about the same as a man of muscle… I am neither. I wondered then if it might be mood based (!), but it’s not. Obviously. I sit. All day long. Doing magical musical things. Which is nice, but I just sit. Hence why I am finally starting to do something about it. Starting to. Bit by bit, I will not sit, in order to be somewhat fit. Noyce. I have one concern though. Being fit means changing shape. So while in time I might be fit, my clothes might not fit. So I must make sure I don’t become Schwarzenegger too soon. Admittedly, this is unlikely. But I don’t want to have to get an entire new wardrobe. There is a limit to altering clothes. Although I must say, my alteration chap is rather fast, so if he were able to succeed, I don’t think I’d have to wait too long. What I mean to say is, my tailor’s swift.

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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.

𝙋𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙘 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙆𝙞𝙩𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙣 (𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣) – 𝙁𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙅𝙤𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙖, 𝙏𝙤𝙣𝙮 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙩𝙚

Charles cooks up a hot mess…

Panic at the disco. Panic on the dancefloor. Panic in the streets. Panic. It’s such an urgent word. It conjures wide eyes, flailing arms and a general overtone of chaos. Not to mention a great deal of high-pitched squealing. So what better place for it than a room that frequently breathes fire. Yup, the kitchen. Let me start by telling you that I am not a cook. I cannot really cook. Let me rephrase that. I DON’T really cook. My lovely girlfriend handles that side of things so effortlessly, thank the lord. I realise this is rather old fashioned these days, but it doesn’t harm anyone and it’s just the way it is. All natural like. I’ve been told I would probably be a good cook; this is based on absolutely nothing. And yet, I am inclined to agree. It very well could be the case. But I don’t do it. I might, in time. But not yet. Mañana, mañana. Occasionally I will make the odd omelette or butter the odd piece of toast, but I am basically a culinary novice. A culinary mute. Let me give you an example of the other week…

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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.

𝙍𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩 – 𝙗𝙞𝙜𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙙𝙗𝙚𝙣, 𝙇𝙤𝙜𝙖𝙣, 𝙒𝙖𝙮𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙆𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙨

Charles holds back…

I should probably keep this brief. I probably won’t, but I probably should. The world is a loud place these days. In the words of Harry Nilsson, “Everybody’s Talkin’”. All the time. People have learnt to speak their mind. All the bloody time. Sometimes this is wise, sometimes very much not. And rarely ever are they asked to be so forthcoming with their thoughts, views and ponderings. But sometimes we do genuinely ask people to open up. In the words of Coldplay, “Let’s talk”. In the words of C. Duncan, “Talk Talk Talk”. They might, they might not. All depends, really. On whether they trust you, and whether they actually want to talk. But as I said, modern people are wired a different way. Wired to speak their mind. To open up and say what’s really on their mind. As if we are all dying to know. Typically though, the talkative types tend to have the least to say, while the quieter ones are usually far more interesting. Which I suppose must make me dull as dishwater. I think I am probably known for saying rather a lot. For opening up and being truthful. But while I don’t ever lie, it might not have occurred to you that I don’t (and won’t) speak about EVERYthing. Some things are best kept to oneself. I would give you an example, but of course that would rather oppose my point.

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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.

𝙋𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙨 (𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙍𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙭) – 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝘾𝙤𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙮, 𝙎𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙮 𝘿𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨

Charles resolves the new with egotism (of a kind)…

A fresh start to a fresh year. It is unsealed and the vacuum is broken. Decaying as we speak. But let us not think of decay with a ticking clock. The year is long, and – in the words of The Carpenters – “We’ve only just begun”. It seems so out of fashion these days to make new year resolutions, partly because we are so well trained at thinking in this way throughout the year, that a brand new year suggests we simply continue as we have been. We are simply infallible and frankly a bit perfect these days. Well, aren’t we? Not really, no. But take for example, health. Health seems to be such a major point of interest (and obsession) these days. Gone are the days of “giving up smoking” for new year. This particular resolution used to continue for at least a decade until you would eventually just stop with these broken promises; give up giving up. You knew it would never happen. But nowadays it’s all so different. The majority of us doesn’t smoke and has a balanced diet – or is at least somewhat conscious of what one consumes, and the “cancer sticks” stopped long ago. We are oh-so aware of our mental state and general wellbeing throughout the year, that a new year has little goodness to bring. Could you GET any gooder? If one were to habitually achieve 100% on a regular test, how could one improve? 101% is impossible. Maybe improve your handwriting? It’s thin pickings, really… The problem is that we’re all just so bloody perfect these days!! We’re all so kind and caring. All so helpful. All so humble. All so self-effacing. Could THIS be the problem…? It very much COULD be. Is this not maybe the opportunity to try to be a little more selfish? Maybe not selfish, but to be proud of oneself? To show the world how good YOU are, rather than to praise others? Just for a change, how about a bit of “me-time”? I think it’s wise. You’ve spent the entire year making others feel good, being helpful, kind and considerate. Do NOT stop this! But don’t forget about yourself. Sometimes being selfish can be a good thing.

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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.

𝙋𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙚 – 𝘾𝙃𝙑𝙍𝙇𝙄 𝘽𝙇𝙑𝘾𝙆

Charles wastes your time out of vengeance…

Would you like some amusement? Would you like to laugh at me and my stupid life? Then let’s begin. I think perhaps a lot of people think I have an idyllic life, free from responsibilities (like children – or blobs), mortgage payments, debt, drug addiction, alcoholism, danger, natural disasters, war and pets. But this “idyllic life” of mine is more an idyllic lie. Correction, all of the above is true, but it is not tantamount to paradise. Sure, my job is pretty much my dream job. Sure, I live on the top floor of a lovely house built in 1890, in a lovely leafy area of London. Sure, I live with my girlfriend, and our relationship is just peachy, to say the least. But there are things that make life simply exhausting. The kind of things that would make a stronger, braver (stupider?) man punch a hole in the wall. The kind of things that MOST of us have to deal with.

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