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I listen to music.

Pink Turns Blue

“Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, A Sixpence in your Shoe”

The iconic post-punk band Pink Turns Blue has announced that their new album ‘Tainted’ will be released this autumn on a limited edition vinyl, CD or digitally via Orden Records.

Music doesn’t spring out of nothingness; there has to be something that came before this album, something older than this album. Don’t get me wrong; I am not accusing the band Pink Turns Blue of plagiarism. I am saying that this band’s fantastic music is influenced by what they have heard in the past. From the press kit, I read this line: Pink Turns Blue is Mic Jogwer (vocals, guitar), Reubi Walter (bass, keyboards) and Paul Richter (drums). Inspired by Clan of XymoxThe CureJoy DivisionThe Sound and The ChameleonsPink Turns Blue play alternative rock heavily influenced by 80s post-punk and new wave. They didn’t list The Call as one of their influences, but I can hear The Call in the vocals. They also listened to plenty of Hüsker Dü. The name of their band, Pink Turns Blue, comes from the song Pink Turns To Blue found on the Hüsker Dü album Zen Arcade. So, there we have the something old part of the wedding rhyme “Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, A Sixpence in your Shoe.”

The next part of this little ditty and probably the easiest is “something new.” Pink Turns Blue plays original music influenced by what has come before, but they did not allow themselves to get mired down with that new wave sound. 

They play new music, fresh music, a sound and feel that keep me coming back for more because it is just that good.

Something borrowed is redundant because this covers the same ground as something old. Pink Turns Blue has borrowed its sound from the past and sent it back with a slick new paint job.

Something blue.

“How to overcome the grief/pain of lost love, torn between hate, very bad feelings and, at the same time, not being able to let go at all. As there is no understanding why you fall in love with someone in the first place, there is also no reason/understanding why love does end, or your love of life starts to feel attracted to someone else. It all dissolves into nothingness,” says Mic Jogwer.

“Some melodies and moods just call for certain sad themes and touch old wounds that never seem to heal. Normally love stories don’t seem to have a connection to me and my life. But then, when I find a sad melody with some sad chords, it all gets stirred up and comes to life. Maybe love really never ends.”

A Sixpence in your Shoe. What the heck is going on with that zinger? From Knot.com, I learned that the British coin, a sixpence, is a symbol of prosperity. And I do wish Pink Turns Blue prosperity. A rich sound deserves a rich payday. I wish them prosperity in more than a sixpence. I want to wish Pink Turns Blue the wealth that comes from working together on an album of fantastic music and lyrics that enrich the listeners’ lives.

“Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, Something Blue, A Sixpence in your Shoe”

I know that this is a little ditty from a wedding rhyme, and in a way, this is a wedding. It binds us, the listeners, to the band that created the music. To be wed is defined in the dictionary as combining two factors or qualities as one, especially desirable attributes such as: “in this album Pink Turns Blue have wed excellent music with a distinctive vocal style.”

And they lived happily ever after.

As of July 30, the single ‘You Still Mean Too Much To Me’ will be released online, including Apple Music and Spotify. The Pink Turns Blue LP ‘Tainted‘ will be released digitally and in two physical formats – a CD with a 16-page booklet and black vinyl, strictly limited to 500 copies, with an 8-page booklet. Both can be pre-ordered exclusively via the band’s website. 

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You Also Have Eyes

Imagine if you can, Prozak For Lovers without the Bossanova, straight-up lounge music. Now run that through an amplifier with distortion added, just a little bit. Add a voice straight out of Fifty Shades of Greyl. And then you turn the whole thing into a shoegazer/emo rendition.

That is sort of what I imagine I hear on the new album from The Mystery PlanYou Also Have Eyes, but it isn’t anything like that. This album is well-crafted music, the sonic equivalent of Glenlivet. Matured to enhance the taste but not mired down in the past. Well rounded, like an oak cask, the music holds the songs together but is an equally important part of the whole; they are better together.

I have been delaying the release of this blog for days and days because I just wanted to listen. I thought that if I started dissecting and analyzing the album, it would no longer be the fantastic package it is.

First off, I had to get past the opening track, Electric Love, which was no easy task. I got stuck in the groove of Electric Love, with its beautiful bass lines and that haunting, enchanting, electric voice shimmering and sparking that is featured in the track.

Once I got out of the first groove Electric Love, I discovered song after song that contained some of the most tasteful indie-pop I have heard recently. Six tracks later on the song Silver Lining, I found a new light on my radar, Big Supreme (a.k.a. Chris Jones), a rapper from Charlotte who has been on the scene since the 1990s. He got his start by winning rap battles on the local Hip-Hop station for months and months, holding the record for the longest run on that station. The Mystery Plan brought the track, Silver Lining, to life during the pandemic as an ode to looking at the bright side of things. The accompanying live lounge-style video was shot and cut by Jay Thomas in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Moving forward, I discovered track after track of delicious music, vocals, and lyrics. That trend maintained a steady course clean through to the closer,  Weird Things People Do, which I nominate for the song title of the year. It is also a well-chosen culmination of the album.

In conclusion, I will put this album on my list of highlights of 2021. High praise, but it is for an album that reached for and attained great heights. Tasteful without being pretentious. A big sound without being overbearing. Clever without being bombastic.

 In short, I adore You Also Have Eyes, the newest offering from The Mystery Plan.

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THE GREAT LEAP FORWARD

Take one part, Tom Morello and mix in one part Rockpile, then add a touch of U2 and The Clash. Mix thoroughly and heat with a bIG*fLAME. Viola, we have The Great Leap Forward, the tasty solo project of Alan Brown.

Revolt Against An Age of Plenty is packed to the brim with social commentary and the rage against a post-punk/new wave sensibility. This 13-track album opens with the song titled Music To Die To, a track that cries out to be listened to and really hear the lyrics, not just background music, while you do something else. Now, I want to make a playlist of songs that are Music To Die To

Then we have track two, Things That Make Me Happy, a track that jumps out in contrast to track three, Revolt Against An Age of Plenty. I will have to compile another playlist of Things That Make Me Happy. Listening to music is one of many things that make me Things That Make Me Happy, and Revolt Against An Age of Plenty is currently on that shelf.  Well played, Alan Brown, well crafted and aged perfectly.

I want to go through the album track by track, but that would be a lengthy tome and take away some of the pleasure of listening to it yourself and seeing where the album takes you.

It took me back to the peak of the new wave movement in the timeline of music. Heady times with so much good music, music that I still listen to, and Revolt Against An Age of Plenty sounds like it could be right up there. I have listened to this album another time, writing this blog post. Revolt Against An Age of Plenty is becoming a song that I can sing along to over and over and again. It hasn’t bored me or started to sound flat. That didn’t take long; now, the track Words on Fire is a new earworm.

That’s about all I will say about Revolt Against An Age of Plenty; other than telling you that this is a fantastic album, I think I would like a coloured slab of vinyl to hear it on the big stereo. As of July 16, Revolt Against An Age of Plenty will be available through A Turntable Friend Records and across streaming platforms like Spotify and online stores such as Apple Music. The entire album will be released in all formats on July 20 and can already be pre-ordered via Bandcamp.

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… from Prince’s Park to Farsley – Volume I

Summer is here, and I enjoy sitting in my zero gravity chair on the deck with my earbuds which is delivering The Gorstey Lea Street Choir to the musical part of my brain. It then fires off a ton of signals and brain triggers to let the rest of my brain register this as a good thing.

The Gorstey Lea Street Choir are Michael Clapham and Russ Phillips, and they have delivered a smash hit with their new album, … from Prince’s Park to Farsley – Volume I. That Volume I part sent my heart a fluttering. Judging by how good Volume I is, I can’t wait to hear Volume II. Way back in May, I was gushing over how good their teaser songs were, and I commented that I would be marking July 9 on my calendar, the day their album was to be released. Well, it was in my mail on July 9, just like promised, so where was I when I should have been writing this blog. I was listening to … from Prince’s Park to Farsley – Volume I over and over again. I was in hook, line and sinker.

I don’t know how I add anything more to that. I highly recommend this recording, but be warned, you can’t stop at one listen. The music is powerful, the vocals are spot on, and the lyrics speak to everyone. They swing from dark and brooding to bright and excited. Their songs have maturity and reflect the friendship they have enjoyed for over 35 years. The music in this recording is smooth as silk which highlights the many, many hours spent practising.

 THE GORSTEY LEA STREET CHOIR has knocked my socks off. This album was guided by a production dream team involving GAVIN MONAGHAN (Robert Plant, Editors, Squeeze), GEORGE SHILLING (Blur, Primal Scream, Teenage Fanclub) and Ride’s MARK GARDENER, with CHOQUE HOSEIN (Black Star Liner) electronically re-envisioning four of these tracks.

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#the Gorstey lea street choir

Bandcamp https://500broadcast.bandcamp.com/album/from-princes-park-to-farsley-volume-i 
Album order https://bit.ly/337xS55
‘That Chitty Bang Majik’ https://youtu.be/1zJNX7YE8B0 
‘Bluebird. Hollywood… Domino’ https://youtu.be/2LDscdfKDPU
Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/thegorsteyleastreetchoir/bluebird-hollywood-domino/s-j3jhmWOLhRV

GAVIN MURPHY SONGS

GAVIN MURPHY SONGS is the title of an artist blurb that showed up in my email mail folder. That got me thinking, and what I thunk is that this Gavin Murphy fella must be a singer, ’cause that is what people mostly do with songs. So, what does Gavin Murphy sound like when he sings Gavin Murphy songs? I had to find out.

So, what I done did is listen to Gavin Murphy Songs. Or did I listen to Gavin Murphy’s songs? Maybe I listen to Gavin Murphy singing Gavin Murphy songs on Gavin Murphy Songs. Now, I done confused meself. Don’t matter much ’cause I’s just a goin to tell y’all what I heard.

That Gavin Murphy fella is a fine singer. And Gavin Murphy’s Songs ain’t half bad either. So I listened agin to see if I could use a gin pole to raise that above half bad. It worked; I git it closer than a 10-foot pole, so I heard it agin and agin. It got more and more pleasin’ to my ears. Soundin’ good ’nuff so ah jus’ have to tell y’all about it.

I will pause here to let my linguistic interpretation move from early Arkansas to present-day Edmonton.

Gavin Murphy sings chill pop music that would feel right on a Sunday morning with a cup of joe and the morning news. He is a jongleur who interprets life from his point of view and within his time on this spinning globe that we call home. And Gavin Murphy is a solid ten for this two-song single and the accompanying video.

We have easy listening radio stations, and I can see Gavin Murphy Songs fitting easily into that MO. Easy listening calms our restless souls, and that is what Gavin Murphy Songs does. I’ll let Gavin Murphy tell you about his music in his own words.

“My new single ‘Alive’ is about embracing the positives in life. To witness the sunrise at dawn is a beautiful, heartwarming experience. Appreciating the simple pleasures in life and reflecting upon good memories can help us through difficult times,” says Gavin Murphy.

“On the other hand, ‘The Sound of Heartbreak’ is a rite of passage that nobody escapes. You suffer from it; you inflict it – don’t kid yourself otherwise, it will keep happening until you learn from it and finally make peace with the scars”.

‘Alive’ and ‘The Sound of Heartbreak’ are out now, available across streaming platforms and online stores, including SpotifyApple Music and Bandcamp. There is a video for The Sound of Heartbreak as well; check it out at

Bandcamp https://gavinmurphysongs.bandcamp.com/track/alive 

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/4CrIwWod2Eqc7V6zalcL8L 

‘The Sound of Heartbreak’ https://youtu.be/CNH7ZGWJ5Vs 

Spotify https://open.spotify.com/album/46ovrZMmIADzNP2ipNVuEq 

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Gibson

I had to add the guitar that Gavin Murphy played, shown above, and the guitar that I play shown below. They are cousins.

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Rose+Crown Video

Shortly after releasing her debut 2-track single ‘Rose + Crown’ via California-based Mourning Sun Records, AMMO presents the video for the title track premiered via Post-Punk.com. Directed by AMMO herself, co-filmed by Christopher Slater, this hypnotic clip is enveloped in soft red-hued psychedelic gauze, with masked apparitions, along with AMMO’s captivating visage.

https://youtu.be/lMEA4fwNIG0

‘Rose + Crown’ is out now, available across online stores and streaming platforms, including SpotifyBandcamp and otherwise available at https://orcd.co/rose-crown.

Video https://youtu.be/lMEA4fwNIG0   
Bandcamp https://musicbyammo.bandcamp.com/album/rose-crown
Pre-save / Pre-order https://orcd.co/rose-crown
Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/musicbyammo/rose-and-crown/s-zFO3WYY22TV
‘Total Recall’ 
https://youtu.be/86Vf2ksBweQ
Spotify https://open.spotify.com/artist/1ACr4NjPUStbHIPsj68wha

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Into Paradise and Blue in Heaven

Sometimes music has to take a long and winding road before it reaches us. I am listening down that road today, starting at an album called Under The Water by the Irish indie band Into Paradise. Unfortunately, Into Paradise didn’t float them above the water. The next release for the band was Churchtown, and it managed to make some ripples in the press, and it was more commercially successful for the band. I have to admit that Churchtown  was more appealing to me than Under The Water, but they were both excellent listens. Churchtown has the ethos of that era, which is good because they have cited that Joy Division was an influence for them. Also mentioned were Echo & the Bunnymen as another of their influencers. That makes some pretty good pedigree to start a band.

Now that we know more about the band Into Paradise, we can move on to the next round on my listening list today. Blue in Heaven was an Irish musical adventure active in the 80s. They burst out of Ireland with other outfits of that era such as Simple MindsU2 and the Waterboys. They released two full-length albums on Island Records: All the Gods Men (1985) and Explicit Material (1986). They also released several singles and EPs. Last FM has their catalogue for your listening pleasure. I enjoyed listening to their music, and although it has been 35 or so years since these bands were active, the music still sounds fresh to me. I am a magnet for anything post-punk/new wave, so both Into Paradise and Blue in Heaven resonate with me, good music from both bands.

We now transition to why I spent a fair chunk of time talking to you about these two particular bands. David Long was the face of the 1980s band Into Paradise, and Shane O’Neill was front and center in the band Blue In Heaven, and these two gentlemen have gotten together and collaborated on some new material. That is news worth talking about.

Hailing from the same part of Dublin, Long and O’Neill had known each other since they were 6 or 7. They started their musical lives with a trio called amuse that featured David Long on bass and vocals, Shane on guitar, and Dave Clarke (Warren Zevon, now Hothouse Flowers) on drums. After splitting and doing their separate thing, around 1996, they recorded an album as an outfit called Supernaut.

With my penchant for post-punk/new wave, their new songs hit me like a flying mallet. At the start of the first song on this EP, the jangling guitar sent electricity bursting through my whole body. My oh my, this is the start of a good thing—three good things to be accurate. Far From HomeShake Me, I’m Magic and Hand Of Love.The bass line in Shake Me, I’m Magic is incredible. I won’t type out all the lyrics, but there is one line from the song Far From Home that spoke loud and clear to me,

Sometimes hard to remember all I’ve seen,

Sometimes feels like a dream

I’m not a young man any longer, and sometimes it is hard to remember all I’ve seen and sometimes it can feel like walking through a dream where the line that separates reality from the dream fuzzy and shifting back and forth.

“We wanted to make an album that could and should be listened to all the way through. It was an equal collaboration. Shane and myself have known each other so long that there was never a problem editing each other if something didn’t fit with the song. We had no time restrictions, or release dates to go by, so we took our time with this album and thought about every aspect of it, song titles, running order, album cover, album name, and what songs to leave on and leave off. The instrumentals are very important to the album’s story.,” says Dave Long.

“We were always the kind of musicians who couldn’t play other people’s songs properly, barely able to play some of our own songs. We’ve always loved music but didn’t always get some of the community surrounding it. I was trying to use my memories of working with Hannett to help create atmospherics and space behind the guitars and drums (he used to stop the tape and joke it was mixed if the echo was interesting). Dave wanted an early style of guitar I used to play, less bar chords, more angular ringing notes,” says Shane O’Neill.

As of July 16, the ‘Far From Home‘ maxi-single will be available across online platforms such as SpotifyApple Music and Bandcamp. The ‘Moll & Zeis’ album will be released everywhere digitally in September.

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Caulbearers

Manchester-based Caulbearers present ‘Solid Supposed featuring Somerset-based vocalist Ruth Blake, with haunting vocals and multi-layered delivery, perfectly resonating with the dream-like, otherworldly theme of the lyrics. The vocals bathed in distortion and delay, accompanied by Caulbearers signature horns, strings and live breakbeats.

The stunning B-side to their single ‘Burst Through The Borders’, a different version of this song was released on the ‘More Lie Deep’ EP (2011), In this rendition, frontman Damien Mahoney‘s vocals are switched out for Blake’s. This is part of an ongoing collaboration between the two artists, Mahoney also having produced her recently-released  single ‘Brave Ships’ single.

Influenced by modern, urban existence and celebrating the sacred in the everyday and the supposedly mundane, the song’s lyrics for ‘Burst Through The Borders’ were inspired by dreaming of a beautiful revolution occurring in the markets, pubs, boardrooms, hospitals and schools of our towns and cities. The fantastic cover artwork was created by James Roper

Shot almost entirely on mobile phones during the Covid 19 epidemic and under various states of lockdown restrictions in 2020, the accompanying video depicts eerily empty scenes of Manchester, the Blackburn countryside and the Norfolk coastline. This collaboration between Mahoney and editor / animator James Stirzaker is rooted in a long history of working with the band, including artwork for the ‘Over Comes A Cloud’ single (December 2020). As in the song, the natural world with its mysteries, wisdom and wonder, is the main protagonist.

“I wanted to capture all these locations at such a unique time when everything felt so different, to help tell the story of a song that imagines great transformations of our societies, spaces, cultures and of ourselves,” says Damian Mahoney.

“As a species, we have so many difficult challenges to find solutions for, that it can feel overwhelming to know where and how to start. I wanted to write something that had total faith in the possibility of change, in the ability to transcend the complexities of our modern lives with simplicity. The song imagines this energy of love flooding through the world and transforming the institutions and purposes of our societies and our lives. By its nature, it dismantles the barriers that cause hardship for so many and the borders that separate us from each other.”

Mixed by Seadna Mcphail (Badly Drawn Boy, Jah Wobble, Everything Everything, I Am Kloot, Happy Mondays) and mastered by Jim Spencer (New Order, Johnny Marr, Charlatans, Factory Floor) at Eve Mastering in Manchester, this track features numerous renowned musicians – drummer Howard Jacobs (808 State, Beth Gibbons, Homelife, Toolshed), guitarist Anton Hunter (Beats and Pieces Big Band, Article XI), cellist Stefan Skrimshire, bassist Nicholas Malin, and acoustic guitar by Andrew Mucha. Acclaimed composer and polyrhythmic pioneer Edward Chilvers also contributes piano.  

Caulbearers was formed in 2007 with contributors from around the UK and Europe. A DIY ethic has coursed through the band’s work from releases, design and production to the recording process. This hybrid ensemble blends diverse musical styles, fusing them together live and in the studio, weaving nu jazz and folk with elements of hip-hop, funk, dub, soul and afrobeat.

‘Burst Through The Borders’ is available across digital platforms, including Apple MusicSpotify and Bandcamp.

CREDITS
Written, produced & edited by Damien Mahoney
Rhythm and guitar tracks recorded at Airtight Studios in Manchester
Vocal & instrument recording by Damien Mahoney at his Padded Cell studio
Mixed by Seadna Mcphail
Mastered by Jim Spencer at Eve Mastering in Greater Manchester
Video directed by James Stirzaker & Damien Mahoney
Filmed by Elizabeth Murphy, Damien Mahoney, James Stirzaker, Elia Santini, Richard Smith and Amii Priestley
Video editing & post-production by James Stirzaker
Single cover artwork by James Roper
Photos by Jan Schoof. Collages by James Stirzaker


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The Academy of Sun

I love it when some new music comes along, and it gobsmacks me right square in my face. Well, that happened to me this week. The artist in question goes by the moniker The Academy of Sun; quiet a mouthful ain’t it! They are a psychedelic post-punk quartet anchored around Nick Hudson on piano, synths, Hammond organ, harmonium, vocals, percussion, synths. Along with the rock-solid accompaniment of Kianna Blue on bass and synths. Guy Brice treats us to his guitar playing, and Ash Babb keeps it rock steady on percussion. This 7″ release from Heaven’s Lathe follows the sonic holiday of their 2020 album The Quiet Earth, which I highly recommend you to give a listen.

The A-side of this recording, ‘It Is Finished When It’s Destroyed,’ comes at us as a two for the price of one recording. It makes a grand entrance with smooth as silk synths and builds on that into soaring vocals that segues into staccato percussion and harmonious vocals. The second section sees Hudson’s keening vocal riding over the percussion of floor toms and more synths. Mixed by acclaimed US producer Randall Dunn (Sunn O))), Danny Elfman, Earth, Mandy OST), the attention to detail and the tasteful placement of sounds make it all work together for one heck of a good song. The flipside ‘Ghost Foxes‘ opens with the rat-a-tat of drums and rapid-fire singing from Nick Hudson that left me tired just listening to. These two tracks present The Academy of Sun as a band going places.

“The first The Academy Of Sun track I’ve written since finishing writing ‘The Quiet Earth’ in 2018, this is an aquaplaning freight train of psychedelia and snarl – with the second part endlessly modulating over a skittery, syncopated drum pattern and Mariana Trench-plumbing synths. Whether it is lyrically directed at the heinous cabal of xenophobic disaster capitalists currently holed up in UK parliament remains to be seen (it is),” says Nick Hudson.

“‘Ghost Foxes’ was written for ‘The Quiet Earth,’ but never felt “right” until we were asked to create this release. A satire on esotericism, boasting yet another Herzog quote and some mesmerizing guitar tones from our plank-wielder, Guy Brice, ‘Ghost Foxes’ was always riotous to play live, and will be again.”

On Friday, July 2 at 6 PM BST, Heaven’s Lathe will be releasing this on a 7″ lathe-cut vinyl through Heaven’s Lathe on Bandcamp.

This black hand-numbered 7″ high-quality stereo lathe-cut vinyl features an engraved Heavens Lathe logo, a 230gsm sleeve, black inner sleeve and PVC protective sleeve. Ships within a white poly-lined inner paper sleeve and a ‘lathe cut’ care card include digital download. Otherwise, these tracks will be available digitally in mid-August.

CREDITS

Written by Nick Hudson, arranged by The Academy Of Sun:

Nick Hudson, Guy Brice, Kianna Blue, Ash Babb

Vocals & synths recorded by Nick Hudson at The Lament Configuration.

Bass recorded by Kianna Blue at Alfie Towers.

A side guitars/drums recorded by Joseph Thorpe at Brighton Electric.

B side drums recorded by Paul Pascoe at Church Road Studios, Hove.

A side mixed by Randall Dunn at Circular Ruin Studios NYC.

B side mixed by Paul Pascoe at Church Road Studios Hove.

Mastered by Randall Dunn at Circular Ruin Studios NYC.

Artwork & layout by Ash Babb, Cover painting by Nick Hudson.

All lathe cutting and engineering are by Michael Lawrence.

Design by Lauren Winton (Bladud Flies!)

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The Hardest Battle

I got taken to school today, and I fully deserved it. I had been offered the opportunity to write a blog posting about a new release from a chap named Colin Moulding, yes, the Colin Moulding from XTC. A quick look at the PR and a brief perusal of his latest release prompted my premature conclusion that I didn’t want to do a blog about three songs.

My decision had nothing to do with the quality of Colin Mouldings’ music. It’s just that I don’t particularly enjoy doing blogs for singles, and then after covering three singles from the artist, they release an EP with four songs. Whoopie, I could have just done the EP and saved paper.

I informed Shauna, the talent agent who feeds me new music, that I would like to wait till Colin Moulding released an album. And this is when the reeducation of Norman began to correct his miseducation in regards to XTC. A tip of the proverbial hat to Lauryn Hill, and a huge wave of gratitude to Shauna at Shameless Promotion PR for tuning me in to the fact that this release is in deed a big deal that I really should take another look at. Which I did.

The first baby step that I took was to listen to the back catalogue of XTC. I owned one slab of vinyl by them, Drums and Wires. The only reason I had that album is because I liked one song on the record, Making Plans For Nigel.

I started my education by listening with Apple Essentials, but I quickly moved on from that to a brief visit at White MusicXTC‘s debut album. It was closer to punk than the XTC that I knew from Drums and Wires but a good recording in that vein of music. Next up was  English Settlement, a lovely transition album moving the band away from their post-punk/new wave era into a more refined but more complex musical direction. I found English Settlement very interesting, with intelligent lyrics and well-placed music to accompany those songs. I also found that as I sampled a few of their other albums, I continued to gravitate back towards the English Settlement. Perhaps a Freudian slip since I live in an English settlement.

Meanwhile, the exercise of trying to understand where Colin Moulding was coming from jarred a few musical memories loose in my thick skull. Senses Working Overtime, a great song that hasn’t lost any of its power and sensibility. The tune Dear God was almost a mantra in a previous life that I lived. It then became blasphemy and then became a song with a high place in my song hierarchy. Curious about how life is and the music that we attach to moments that we live through. I won’t bore you with more on this train of thought; there are great books about it if you want to learn more about earworms and the science of music memory.

Guitar Zero The New Musician and the Science of Learning by Gary Marcus was a fun and inspiring read.

The World in Six Songs by Daniel Levitin 

This Is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession, also by Daniel Levitin, is an excellent book.

Musicophilia by Oliver Sacks is more academic but very informative.

Fast forward from Skylarking in 1986 to July 2, 2021, when XTC legend Colin Moulding releases ‘The Hardest Battle’ on CD via Burning Shed.

CD Order https://burningshed.com/store/colin-moulding_store/colin-moulding_the-hardest-battle_cd

This release gives us a glimpse into the creative process of one of the UK’s finest songwriters. The Hardest Battle provides us with a bridge from the popular music of XTC to the music that Colin Moulding crafts for us on this EP. ‘The Hardest Battle‘ is the first new material from Colin Moulding in many years.

Colin Moulding tells us: “To be nobody but yourself – in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you like everybody else – means to fight the hardest battle any human being can fight”… I saw these lines in a book I picked up in a secondhand bookshop and thought…maybe there’s a song there …I think it’s by the poet EE Cummins,”

“And there it was. All I had to do was come up with some music to marry to this notion. I do think most people aren’t themselves really or become themselves eventually. And that struggle isn’t easy. I recorded this pretty much in isolation, as most people have been this past year or so. One crazy year for all of us. Perhaps ‘The Hardest Battle‘ we humans have faced externally, as well as the one we fight internally every day.”

“About ‘Say It,’ I just felt this track deserved a better fate than it got, really. I wrote it for the XTC album that never was. But it ended up on a promo disk amongst XTC’s ‘Last Days of Rome’ This version feels much more akin to my original song mindset compared to the expedient I agreed to at the time,” says Colin Moulding.

Regarding ‘The Hardest Battle (First Exploratory Demo),’ Colin Moulding adds, “I think demos are much more of a demonstration to one’s self than for other people. You have to find out what works and what doesn’t. Therefore, you shoot from the hip and just fire it out and see what sticks. Larkin always said that he didn’t know what his poems were about initially until he got some way into them;- that’s what this is;- I’m just ‘Larkin’ around until it presents itself. Then the crossword puzzle can begin.”

After learning my lesson on just how good XTC was as a band and how each member contributed, I also found out that I liked XTC for more than Making Plans For Nigel. Bottom line, a huge thank you to Shauna at Shameless Promotions PR for taking the time to give me a lesson on a band that I had overlooked. I probably passed hundreds of copies of XTC‘s albums through my hands when I worked at Record Collectors Paradise, and I never took the time to stop and listen. I have found that taking the time to listen can be a hard battle as well. I recommend taking the time to stop and listen to Colin Moulding and The Hardest Battle. I know that hitting repeat will not be the hardest battle, and buying the CD is not a hard battle either, so do your ears a favour and take the time to stop and listen to this great music.

Officially out on July 2, ‘The Hardest Battle’ can be ordered on CD single exclusively via Burning Shed at:

https://burningshed.com/store/colin-moulding_store/colin-moulding_the-hardest-battle_cd.

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In conclusion here is some eye candy.