Tag: indie

something or nothing

Remy Turi has ninety monthly listeners on Spotify. I do not know why it is this low. She has a gifted voice, a talent for composition and can write good lyrics. I came across her latest EP “slow burn”, which she released in June last year, and was enthralled by it.

The EP is very consistent, and the hyper-thematic feel works very well.
Something or nothing stands out for being more interesting compositionally and more upbeat. The contrast between the chorus and the verses is so powerful (I’m impressed that both are interesting, different and good), and it helps make the song more than just the sum of its parts.

“we could we could be golden and silver and bronze”

That’s the first line of the chorus. It is amazing. Remy’s voice sounds immaculate, and her conviction carries across to the listener brilliantly. She sings with desperation for the “we” and how perfect it would be. Not because of anything that could happen, but instead an intrinsic perfection. First, second, nothing, or everything: it doesn’t matter.

“we could be we could be something or nothing at all”

The switch to “or” rather than “and” is interesting here. It adds to the desperation, but there is something more to it, which I cannot seem to put my finger on it. There is almost a double entendre here too. It both means that their situation doesn’t matter, as long as they are together, Remy will be happy, and that if they are not together, it would be a disaster.

“I could I could be reckless or so sensible,
“I could be something, or I could be nothing”

The final two lines add to the desperation and reinforce the idea of how amazing they would be together. Lyrically, they add very little, but they help to carry the power of the chorus and are a positive addition, not a detriment. It would have been nice to see something more substantial here, but it doesn’t matter, as the chorus is incredible.

Changing the final line to “We could be something, or we would be nothing” could help with this. The change is slight, but it keeps the powerful plosives and makes the line a little more interesting. It’s almost a threat

“something or nothing” is a brilliant song. Almost built around the chorus, the comparison to Odysseus’s house, which he built around his bed, seems fair: distinct, special, and the finest you can imagine. Remy blends it into the rest of her song perfectly too. It’s hard to fault.

Based on this, Remy Turi should go somewhere. She is talented in every way needed to be successful, a touch of luck is all that’s left, but with the quality here, she might make her own.

Eventually, Darling

Declan McKenna is probably the single best musician I have ever had the privilege of enjoying. His work is invigorating and fresh, and his range is extraordinary. From masterpieces like Brazil to the more sullen performances like Paracetamol, Declan always maintains his powerful talent for storytelling and social commentary, without being on the nose.

In September of 2020, he released his second album: Zeroes. Powerful ballads like Rapture stole the show, but my stand out track from this was “Eventually, Darling”. Despite only being out for three months of 2020, it was my second most listened to song of 2020.

There’s just something about it. It’s the same magic as Paracetamol but with a little more fill. Perhaps it was the context of how awful and lonesome a year it was, but Eventually, Darling just did it for me. Declan himself even said, “it was the song that sparked the album”. It’s a song about change and loss.

The entire song is full of a lust for past things. The sound, while novel, isn’t the modern, cutting edge stuff that Dec usually delivers. It doesn’t feel like Dec is singing about anyone: he is singing an ode to an era. The last hurrah for a difficult year in a strange decade.

YONAKA-Wouldn’t Wanna Be Ya

Yonaka’s next song was called “Wouldn’t Wanna Be Ya”. It’s a song of rejection of Theresa’s father, according to an interview with NME. He left Theresa’s family when she was young, and she wanted to express her feelings about this in her music: the hatred and the betrayal. She wanted the lines of “Wouldn’t Wannna Be Ya” to be “something anyone can relate to”, but in such a way that they can find strength through the lyrics and learn from them.

This does create an issue for me though, as its directness is the point of the song. It is made to show the vile and despicable thing that’s not even worthy of the title of “man”. The directness is the cure of the song: Theresa wants her father to know what she thinks and wants to shock him with her bluntness. The song starts off with a bass-guitar reminiscent of “Drongo”, but, unlike “Drongo”, as there is a lot more going on around it. It is noisy and almost chaotic. Each bar establishes itself and then is disrupted and unsettled by the introduction of cymbals. This acts as a mockery of her father as she not only shows how he repeatedly disrupts the rhythm of her family, but also compares him to an unthinking piece of metal. Theresa starts singing about the distance between her family and her father. To be honest, the lyrics are pretty bland. They lack interesting imagery and any subtlety. It needs to be this way though, because that’s what the topic demands. I’m not going to analyse them, because they don’t merit it. In short, they work and do their job right. I’m sure that Theresa’s father will have got the message, despite how much of a moron he seems to be. It sounds pretty good and Theresa sings with conviction, but it’s by no means one of their best songs. If it works for you, go on and enjoy it, but if it doesn’t, you’re not missing out on much.

YONAKA-Ignorance

When I first listened to Ignorance, I really didn’t like it. I still didn’t like it when I started writing the original version of this review, but as I was sitting there listening to it, critiquing the occasionally cliche lyrics and the lazy, remarkably boring remake I realized that it is, actually, a pretty good song. It rises nicely to a decent crescendo but it does not have a persistent wow factor. The silences in the choruses are very finely created-not too long to be obvious and not too short to be unnoticeable-and a definite highlight. The bridge was adventurous, and the refrains within it are a good touch, but they lack muster because of the tone of voice which Theresa takes on. The echoes in the refrains both of the instruments and Theresa are perfectly crafted. They work amazingly with the song and help make it feel fuller and more polished.


The song describes either a post or during break-up lover, explaining to her former significant other her feelings about her relationship and life in general. The opening verse describes a series of un-lover-like actions, which have bruised her and broken her soul throughout their relationship. The opening line shows how she feels drained of life and energy, as her heart only drips, rather than outpouring blood. It’s a powerful opening metaphor to begin the song, and it sets up the rest perfectly. The big set-up and disappointing punch-line is the core thematic identity of this song. This structure shows how disappointed she is in herself for putting “trust in this”. The last line of the final verse shows how she feels that he hasn’t understood her nature and beliefs despite their relationship. This leads to the first refrain. Theresa repeats “Ignorance is not bliss to me” four times. This is her reason for the break-up: the fact that she felt so hurt and unhappy ignoring all of the pain caused. Ignorance of the bliss-removing-pain doesn’t restore the bliss. The final repeat omits the “to me”, showing her realisation that her disapproval of it is common to all and that she is not just an exception. The second verse describes the dysfunctional nature of their relationship. At the end of the second line, there is a riff, which perfectly sums up their relationship: discordant and wrong, but so good in the context. The second half of the verse describes Theresa’s wish to flee from the painful relationship. This leads to our first chorus. The first line is repeated. The chorus is so amazing because of Theresa’s amazing vocalizing. She sings that she has realized how bad her relationship is and that she now feels like a fool for having put up with it for so long. She feels so stupid, like such a disappointment because she let herself suffer for so long. The third verse seems to be on a different tack. She is describing things that aren’t inherently negative but aren’t good. Considering the elation she should feel at seeing her lover, the empty tone shows how she feels like something is lacking. The religious imagery in the last two lines equates her awakening and realisation to being born again, which shows how strongly she has reversed her ideas. This leads into a repeat of the refrain ad the chorus and then a bridge. The hold on the end of the chorus is great. The bridge is great too. The vocals sound great in their harshness and the layers are so well done and are toned so well together. It is still somewhat lacking though, and I find that maybe it should have been longer or hold more significant lyrics. The lyrics further describe the incompatibility of the pair. It just doesn’t add enough to the song in terms of meaning and I would knock it harder if it didn’t sound so good. The transition between the bridge and the final chorus is amazing. It is the best part of the song by a long way. It kills all the momentum of the song and instantly builds it back up in one single bar, more powerful than before. The stepped riffs are so exciting and invigorating, and there is no better way to lead into the end of your song. The song finishes in a chorus and then an outro, which fizzles out at the end very nicely, still maintaining the shaky echo which is a permanent fixture in the song.

The re-recording is worse. A lot worse. In fact, I think it’s bad. They changed the name and added a bland beat on a kit drum. Theresa sounds better in parts of it, but the bridge is butchered, the silence after the first verse is ruined and it sounds like half a beat is missing on the Spotify version, before the chorus after the bridge. I think that my main problem with it is that the quiet bits of Ignorance are loud in Awake. The occasional rest and silence are powerful and added so much to the song. The opening verse and the transition from the bridge are probably the only good bits, in my opinion. The latter of which is even better than the original somehow. They stretched it out a bit, doubling its length, and they made it heavier by separating some of the notes of the chords a tiny bit. I don’t think that they should have re-recorded it though-at least in the way they did. At least when King No-One did it, they called it as it was-an alternate version-and changed some lyrics. This was just lazy and I’m disappointed. The rest of their new album is so good, it’s such a shame to tarnish it like this. Don’t listen to Awake, listen to Ignorance.

YONAKA Introduction

YONAKA is a British born alt-rock band from Brighton, who started producing singles back in 2016. Their music is somewhat similar to Paramore, in its constantly changing sound and style. The variety in their first EP is amazing and it must be the best debut EP ever. Theresa Jarvis’s voice has such great range and malleability, and this has created their large following of 700,000 listeners on Spotify-leagues ahead of King No-One.

Scream Whole by Methyl Ethel

I only recently started listening to Methyl Ethel, but in these few months, I have really started to love them! Their sound is unique and is pretty up there for me. They may be more popular than a lot of the bands I will review, but, as they lack a record label and their sound is quite novel, I don’t think anyone will have an issue with this review. The unique nature of their sound is tangible from the first note. They use complex diction and vivid twists and turns in their music to create these songs which can only be described as works of art. The meaning of this art is subjective and cryptic and Jake Webb, whose brainchild this is, has even taken an “art is what you make of it” stance.

So, that first bar. It’s amazingly weird. It just sounds slightly disconcerting. It sounds incomplete and sets up the theme of the song. It almost sounds like there is a clavichord behind them melody. The drums and guitar join in and then, when the singing starts, all the music drops out except a few quiet notes at the end of each bar. The opening verse describes the effect of the damage to a relationship on Jake. He says that he feels foolish and regrets his mistakes. His tries to remove his pain with liquor, but he cannot. The loss of inhibition makes him wonder about the end of their relationship. He is trying to hide his feelings about wanting to undo it, but he cannot. This chorus acts as a powerful volta, as shown by the re-introduction of the melody. The lyrics show us how he feels unable to correct his mistakes and how he is confused about the result of his errors. He doesn’t feel complete without this former relationship and he is struggling to live without it. His emotions have built up and all he can do as a release is to scream. The second verse again hints at how he is hiding the nature and magnitude of his feelings. He feels like removing his emotions is not a viable solution, but he cannot solve things properly as the relationship is so firmly over. This creates frustration, which is only further shown in his questioning of the world about its intrinsic unfairness. His choking on them shows that he cannot swallow them-an idiomatic phrase relating to accepting and dealing with things- and is being hindered by the lingering unwanted presence of them. He needs to convince himself that they are unimportant, but he cannot. His frustration is again shown here, but this time it is at himself rather than the world. This leads into the chorus, which is repeated, much to the same effect. This leads into four bars of humming. The instruments clash even more here and it shows his pain and anger and this all-consuming emotion of lacking someone. This instruments all drop out and Jake is now whispering. There is still the keyboard though, playing the same chords as in the first verse. This quietness is emphatic of his sincerity as he begins the outro, which consists of him just repeating these three same lines. The first of these lines shows her importance as all of his actual body lacks her. He also shows that they are both parts of them as a whole, and that whole, complete entity is more than just a fleeting wish, but instead a lasting dream. The first line does actually vary slightly, showing his frustration and mental degeneration. There is a short instrumental which further shows that this frustration and degradation, as he cannot even talk about it. After this, the refrain returns, with backing tracks which say “one more time”. It works so well with the repeated lines and creates this idea that all the emotion and frustration we have seen is nothing compared to the limitless vastness of it. Jake is limited by his art here and he cannot express the extent of his feelings. The song finishes with an electronic hum and a “woosh” that fades in and then out after the hum drops out. It shows us a glimpse of the emptiness he feels without this relationship and is a very subtle, but tremendously powerful note to end on.

The lyrics are clever, the music is amazing and it sounds like so much more than just a normal indie song. It is a work of real art and I actually feel comfortable calling Methyl Ethel a group of geniuses. Every note had a purpose, every ad-lib an effect beyond creating the music. They created an emotional piece, brimming with sadness in a rhythmic major key. Even the key is perfectly chosen, as it is a key suitable for open declarations of love, according to Christian Schubart. It is just a masterpiece. Go listen to it here.

The Next Two Weeks

I have a bit of a busy week ahead of me and this means that there is no chance of me being able to do a full review and do it properly. So, over the next two weeks, I will be reviewing at least two of Methyl Ethel’s songs. I’m sorry about this, but I’d rather do less well than more badly or worse still, none at all.

King No-One (Part One)

King No-one is an alt-pop rock band. Like Tuscan Sun, they hail from England. They are more popular than Tuscan Sun though, with 110000 monthly listeners on Spotify and they deserve more. Their music is phenomenal. I’m going to be reviewing their stuff from when they started distributing their music on proper music platforms. They spent a few years using youtube, but I think it’s best we start at their first song on Spotify.

Philosophical

Their first album was called Philosophical. It had two tracks in it, on called “Gold” and the other eponymously named “Philosophical”.

“Philosophical” starts off alternating between some finger clicking and some sub-shaking beats. When their lead singer, Zach Lount, starts singing, he tells the story of a girlfriend who is not putting her all into him. Strongly sibilant lines show us she may be malicious or hurtful, and this fits in with how she is reluctant to come close to him. The antithetical language and imagery continue this as he describes himself as not “looking for a lover”, but also describes her as the one. Furthermore, “moving picture”s are often associated with optical illusions showing how she may be tricking him in some way. Zach feels this and it appears to be keeping him up at night. Despite this, Zach’s love is shown by how he loses track of the world when together and the ecstasy felt when they touch. Then, he describes how she seems to fall for him, and how she has a great turmoil inside of her-“a raging sea”.  There is an additional change in that Zach appears to be in wonder of her speaking, as she “steals the air”. The pre-chorus repeats and the chorus repeats twice. The pre-chorus is changed slightly though to show how Zach is feeling more comfortable with her. However, she has lost the ability to sleep as Zach once did in the first verse. This shows her turmoil and worry. Then there are the final two lines, which describe how they sate each other physically and how their love is now calm and purer.

“Gold” starts with some guitar chords and a light keyboard bassline.  The song’s power comes from the drop of its super heavy hard hitting topline, that is revealed in the chorus. It perfectly compliments the sincerity and heartfelt voices of the whole band as they all muffle each other out in the penultimate chorus.  Unlike philosophical, where the lyrics were intended to create emotion, the emotion comes from how their song. This is not my favourite song of theirs, but the skill and care put into the music really show here!

Halo and Stay Close

Halo and Stay Close were their next two albums and they were more a part of their journey than a part of their music portfolio. That’s not to say that they do not sound great (they really do), but the message is not shown well enough, a problem they struggled with in the first album. They even borrow imagery from their first album (like “raging sea”, “spinning” out of control and the treachery of the lover). Stay Close is a much better album than Halo. The two songs in it are “Stay Close” and “Say My Name”. I love both! The first is a lot more pop, but it really works. Zach really does wonders when he drags out syllables. When the instrumental tracks drop and there’s talking instead of singing, the power shown in the crescendo is incredible. “Say My Name” uses discordant deep riffs to creates the same power. The initial quietness is also a change from “Stay Close”, and both work well, but I do prefer the instant kick. “Halo” is great too, and has some great lyrics like “Taste me, don’t mix with vanilla” in it. I’m not that big a fan of it though. I kind of find it forgettable: the lyrics don’t resonate with me and it lacks the magic of the King No-One sound.

Alcatraz

Oooooh, Alcatraz! Where do I begin? I just love it so. The “shaa” at the start is crisp and perfect. The guitar strumming for the bassline is consistently exceptional. And the lyrics do the sound justice. Zach sings about how he was an idiot not to have approached a girl. The “crime” was so bad, his heart has been locked up in the prison of Alcatraz, and still has five years left on his sentence. It’s a comical stance to take about such a heartfelt matter, but I love it. The way Zach screams “Alcatraaaaaaz” in the chorus in unrivalled in all of music. It’s honestly breath-taking, both physically and emotionally: tried to hold the note as he does and you’ll be panting like a dog at the end of it! Listen to it once, get the lyrics up and scream those words for hours on end (but then come back and read the rest of this….)!

So, what do the words mean? It’s about how he regrets not having approached this girl, and either he is regretting his mistake so much that he cannot even allow himself to love anymore or he has missed his chance with this girl and he won’t be able to be with her and thus his heart is locked away, untouchable. He blames himself but does not understand his punishment of having to wait to recover. He also needs time to heal and be able to go out and love again and the prison is as much for his protection as it is to punish him. However, this fortress guarding his heart is hurting him too. His heart is atrophying and he needs to undo his mistake- a task compared to bringing down the stars. Nevertheless, he still remembers his pains and “scars” from his past failure. The difference is this time he’s willing to open up and show them to his saviour. He also shows that he has learnt from his mistakes and has repented for them. Nostalgia is also mentioned in the chorus, saying how he longs to have not suffered as he has. He has also learnt that a relationship can never be perfect and that a perfect one is a mythical entity, existing only in fairy tales. He has learnt to ignore these people and to not compare himself to them and is now happier in his own skin. He then goes on the say that he has recovered and is now able to manoeuvre around the pitfalls filled with pain the missed chance has dug. All of this is strung together by a powerful voice and a group of some incredible musicians. I cannot imagine it was easy to absolutely perfect the hold on Alcatraz. The breaths after he drives that much power into a single word shows how much strain he is putting on his body to smash it, to get that emotion across. Alcatraz is a work of art! It should be on everyone’s desert island disc list.

Antichrist

So, after such an incredible peak, this small alt-rock band from York disappeared right? No. Very no. They kept it up and kept going. Antichrist was their next song and it again is awesome. On the band’s page, they say:

“This was characterised in the single ‘Antichrist’ which declares that regardless of our colour, gender, sexuality or our financial status; we are all born equal.”

And I can see this. The lyrics are clearly about the openness the writer believes in and wishes the world would accept. He feels that it is wrong to have to use the term “Antichrist” to describe himself and others like him, just because they are sexually open and proud of it. This is the same for “self-confessional” which shows he feels a negative view from society as confessions are linked with sin and wrong-doing. He also shows that he believes what he is doing is right as he describes himself as “a Lazarus boy”, (Lazarus is a Christian term meaning “helped by god”). This is not the first comparison between Zach and deities as he sings “To me, I’m a god”. This adds meaning to the Lazarus line as it shows he has helped others in his self-professed role as a god, but also himself. This shows how he has been excluded because of his often flamboyant and forward nature. Its power is only emphasized by his past struggles with dyslexia. He has, however, come to terms with it and has made it a positive part of him, which he is so proud of that he mentions it in his Instagram bio. Before the final chorus, there are three lines. The first two are identical. In them, he sings about tackling “the heavens”. The heavens are just a continuation of the continuous religious metaphor Zach has been using. It is a metaphor for taking on those who are higher up and dictate the rules for others while being exempt from them. Zach confirmed this in his interview with Louder than War. The last line of the three is the line Zach held. As with Alcatraz, he stretched his voice out for a whole bar to hold “again”. He screams about being able to finally be “born again” into his true self, unhindered by the rules of the wealthier and more powerful.

This song has a powerful, overtly positive message and great sound to go with it. Even if you do not like the message, it is still such a great song to sing along to, with a strong beat and a wonderful melody. Again, go listen to it! If you like the message, the video brings more of the same. It compares the rules, set by those who are watching and not partaking in the activities they set the rules for,  to historical oppressors. While under their gaze, the world is black and white, and lifeless. It’s mechanical, and the filmography sticks to a strict rule of thirds. However, there are brief glimpses of colour where the band releases their energy and can express themselves. the frames of colour always have a person in the centre as well, showing that the band believes that free expression is good for the people and fighting for it is fighting for those people.

Two Islands

“Two Islands” was their next single. It’s a song Zach has said is about having his heart broken, as revealed in a live performance in November of 2018. Zach asked the audience for “some quiet please” and said, “this song is about having my heart broken” (according to genius user Meistroooo). The song starts off quiet, with guitar strumming as the melody and bassline. They sound hypnotic and soothing, instantly revealing the different, more mellow sound, which they were going for. The melody rises and falls in these first few bars. When Zach starts singing, he’s sad and quiet, conveying a really powerful sincerity we haven’t seen before now from him. This is backed up in the video by the extreme use of chiaroscuro. Zach starts off by showing us that his lover used to be very dear to him and that they have since broken up. The second line tells us about all the hopes and dreams she has inspired in him, to reach for the stars. He questions their actions as a couple saying that following past things and carrying out an old way of life is ridiculous. Despite their current distance, he still thinks about her and wants her to think about him again. The pre-chorus describes the valley between them, as they are in two different high places, separated not only by this valley but also by the sea between their “two islands”. The hold on islands is incredible again. They always get it just right! The chorus starts with an imperative to feel him breathe, showing the extent of his desire for her. He wants to spend a night with her under the stars. Violet has a strong link to self-expression and individualism. The violet coloured mist is thus obscuring the stars showing how his desire to kiss who he likes may be getting in the way of a happy monogamous relationship. Then Zach, perhaps rather vainly, mentions how well crafted his music is and how he feels underappreciated for it. I would agree that KNO is underappreciated, but I really cannot get behind him saying it. Verse two describes how he is still stunned at his former lover. He feels happy when he thinks of the two of them together. His “fool’s paradise” is them both being enthralled by each other’s brilliance, but he feels he is lacking in this department. He shows his awe for her, describing her lights as warm, showing that he is by contrast cold. Zach still thinks he feels her image lingering on his skin and on his tongue: he’s elevated when with her. The problem is he knew how it made him feel, not how it felt. He just wants to experience it again and to feel that haunting dream. The chorus sequence repeats and leads into a bridge. It links the chorus to a mutated version of the first verse. It shows how her unchanged stance on their relationship has led him to realise that their relationship was already breaking down. He says that they had it all, so much so that they embodied great land structures. He realised that this strength caused their eventual downfall as they couldn’t maintain the expectations set for each other in the honeymoon period of their love. He admits that it’s over and that they are over. The hold of the last note beyond Zach finishing the note is symbolic of him holding on to their relationship, despite it being over.

“Two Islands” is one of their more emotional songs, more sincere and less obscuringly powerful. It’s another great song from them!

I’m really sorry I had to split this into two parts. I ran out of time and I thought that it would be better to get what I had done out there, than to let it linger. Part Two will be out by Tuesday next week.

Tuscan Sun

My first good choice in music!

When I found these guys, they had less than 100 monthly listeners on their Spotify. Their top song now has more than 50000. Their sound used to be pretty light-or at least not heavy. Up until their third single, “Bad Intentions”, was the last of their songs like this so far. Their next song was called “FEELS LIKE DYING” and it was still a tune, just not quite what I was expecting. It’s not my favourite song of theirs, but I still really like it.

I’m Still Searching

Tuscan Sun then released an album called “I’m still searching”. “FEELS LIKE DYING” was re-released as a part of that album and to be honest, I was a bit confused when the album came out. The first track in it, “Sucks”, seems out of place, featuring basically two lyrics and some heavy artificial noises. The second track in it is their re-release, which again didn’t really fit in, but was closer. Their next three tracks in it are a bit happier and work better together. They are by no means the same though. “Don’t Take Drugs” has a harder bass-line with artistic use of T-Pain auto-tune, whereas “Please Don’t Leave” is more sincere and heartfelt. “Distorted Love” is the star of the show. It’s my favourite song in this album. Sweet and short at only 2:17, every second is well placed.

Modern Art

“Modern Art” was their first single. It starts off well with crisp, neatly quantized beats for the bass. The beat fades in and out through the song to create great climaxes for the chorus. The drums kick in with the post-chorus vocalizing. When the lyrics kick in the drums drop, leaving a muffled bass and some great vocals and some lyrics of mixing quality. “I feel it in my balls” isn’t quite the same amount of sincerity as displayed in the rest of the lyrics such as “Tell me if I’m trying too hard” and “Let me be the one to tell you I’ve been here before”, but I still feel like I get the message about a lover who isn’t forthcoming enough, or perhaps even is a liar, and leaves him questioning their love and what she says and the direction of their relationship, despite his love for her. He knows where it will go, because he’s been in a similar relationship before and this sadness at their relationship is better portrayed in the incredible stripped version. He puts the blame on himself, not her, because of this. This is exemplified by the emphasis created by the bass line changes and addition of the drums, and it is great! It was a really promising start.

Blame

“Blame” was released next. It is by far their most successful song at 55000 listens on Spotify and more on SoundCloud. It is really amazing and again tells the story of the same lover as in modern art who is putting in less than he is. However, this time, Max takes no “Blame” for this distance, instead promising to offload the blame from her onto him. This seems to be out of love, but I can’t help but get the feeling that if he hadn’t been used to being the one to blame in the relationship, as he alludes to in “Modern Art”, he wouldn’t be offering to do this. The uplifting melody in the chorus contrasting to the sadness, which is so visible in the hoarseness of his voice, is very powerful. It creates this feeling that he is happy about his love, just not hers. This hoarseness is maintained throughout the whole song and it makes it emotional and personal. It could be hoarseness from crying, from shouting or from a cold, but you can make of it what you want, and it does add a lot of meaning to me. The music itself is good. The keyboard, guitar and drum kits all create a great build to the chorus, fading in then dropping right before the chorus begins. The end of the chorus is rounded off by the great ad-lib which really shows how Tuscan Sun’s heart is being thrown into this.

Bad Intentions

Bad Intentions is my favourite song of theirs. It starts off with a quiet tone and a well-constructed bass-line, with a great flourish in the middle of one of the lines of the pre-chorus. The chorus is well layered, with a well-timed and executed topline and some great beats flowing in and out and the climax as the refrain of “I’ll let it go” in the pre-chorus with the rising intensity of the drum kit is amazing. I don’t want to say that much about it, because nothing I say will do it justice. Just go listen to it!

My favourite three are undoubtedly “Bad Intentions”, the stripped version of “Modern Art” and “Distorted Love”. Really do give the guys a listen. They deserve all the support you can give!

Update

I messaged the Tuscan Sun instagram and they revealed that “Modern Art” and “Blame” are bith about the same relationship. The say it is about “two individuals who have agreed to throw the past aside and focus on the new experimentations of their relationship, however there’s some unbeleivable truths from each individual.” I would say that this mostly fits in with my interpretations of it, but also changes it a bit. I’ll let you be the judge of how it affects it!