Track of the Day: Quarter Life Crisis - James Craise

On 'Quarter Life Crisis', James Craise's soulful vocals deliver lyrics that are raw and honest. Lines like "Dreading Sunday, knowing that it's Monday / When I wake, it's more than I can take" are universally relatable, and succeed in being comforting rather than pessimistic. Though this is mostly due to Craise's impressively powerful vocal range, the track has a strong, flowing structure that adds further depth to the lyrics. A delicate piano is the dominating instrument, while strings and unison vocals add an effective intensity and richness to the song.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Stacey Brothers' Big Band Steely Dan Project: The Royal Scammers at Ronnie Scott’s, London – 20/01/2024

Image
  The Royal Scammers are a Steely Dan tribute band formed of Jeremy and Paul Stacey, and their 14-piece big band. I only came across these wonderful musicians a few weeks ago when I saw they were playing a six-night run at Ronnie Scott’s jazz club, and managed to snag a last-minute ticket for the final night. As a massive Steely Dan fan who hasn’t seen the band since their last UK show in 2019, and with no upcoming dates on the horizon, I figured a highly regarded tribute band playing at London’s most prestigious jazz club was the next best thing.   Shortly after arriving at Ronnie Scott’s and being led to a front row table (where I was so close to the stage, I was practically touching the keyboard), the Royal Scammers arrived on stage and kicked off the set with a fabulously glossy rendition of ‘Peg’. While the unique vocal tone of Donald Fagen is unmatched, The Royal Scammers lead vocalist Andy Caine showcased a powerful vocal that fully delivered on the far-reaching range required f
Read more...

Hidden Treasures: Ball & Chain - Bus Stop

Image
Bus Stop were a North Carolina-based, pop/rock band, formed in 1990 by vocalist Evan Olson and lead guitarist Britt "Snuzz" Uzzell. Completing the line-up were bassist Chuck Folds and drummer Eddie Walker, though the band is also notable for the involvement of Chuck's brother Ben, who contributed piano to a number of tracks over the course of their four LPs. I first came across Bus Stop after hearing a brief snippet of their music on a TV show. The clip was literally a ten-second instrumental intro section, but it was punchy and energetic, and I was immediately hooked. The track in question - 'What You Do' - and the album from which it appears - 2000's Japanese compilation release, Ball & Chain - offered me a solid introduction to the band's music. The most endearing aspect of Ball & Chain , is how stylistically diverse it is. There is no one sound that dominates, with a tracklist spontaneously spanning multiple genres throughout its 23 songs.
Read more...

Track of the Day: More Than This - Roxy Music

Image
More Than This  was the first single to be released from Roxy Music's final studio album, Avalon , in 1982.  Not only is it one of my favourite Roxy tracks, I also think it's the song which best represents the band's transition into the smooth and more polished sound which was so present in their later work.  Bryan Ferry's vocals blend effortlessly through verse and chorus, with lines which contribute to the atmospheric feel of the track - "Like a dream in the night / Who can say where we're going...Why the sea on the tide / Has no way of turning".  Just as impressive is the instrumental outro, which, led by lush synths and layers of guitar, more than makes up for the absence of vocals in the final few minutes of the song.
Read more...