From the dark country drama and sultry intrigue of last year’s single Oil!, Scott Swain casts his imagination into even more deceptive corners with its successor Like Nothing Else. The song is a gentle yet brooding encounter; warm and seductive yet with darkness in its lining which as much blossoms into a provocatively mesmeric enticement as the melodic warmth within, .
Making use of the downtime from his bands How to Dress a Monster and Fire at Night to explore his personal writing and songs, Swain unveiled his solo project last year and released the irresistible single Oil!, a song showing hints of inspirations ranging from Elliot Smith and Mark Lanagan to cult cinema. As its predecessor, which was inspired by There Will be Blood, his new track was written about a movie, Event Horizon the spark for Like Nothing Else.
The opening caress of acoustic guitar is an earthy yet celestial lure, Swain’s warm vocals adding to the song’s elevating flight of melody and temptation. With rhythms laying shadows in close quarter to the radiance embracing vocal and lyrical reflection, the song swiftly becomes an easy transfixing of ears and imagination. Simmering with creative and suggestive theatre, the track slowly but openly builds in emotion and intensity from there, its journey into an understated but rousing crescendo a gripping realisation before a final kiss of melodic and harmonic sighing lies poetically on the senses as the song drifts away.
Throughout its evolution, Like Nothing Else is pure captivation and confirmation that Swain’s solo side is heading towards major attention.
Like Nothing Else is released 28th April.
Upcoming Live Dates:
23/04/2017 Craft Beer Company, Brixton, London.
26/04/2017 The Cellar, The Finborough, Earls Court, London.
08/05/2017 Spice of Life, Soho, London.
18/05/2017 The Bricklayers Arms, Hitchin.
28/05/2017 Opium Bar, Edinburgh.
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Pete RingMaster 19/04/2017
Copyright RingMaster: MyFreeCopyright
My Complexion follows, swiftly sharing its own infectious gait and nature as LL courts ears and thoughts with her evocative words and enticing voice. Its unique spice adds a delicious tang to her melodic prowess, essences emulated in the blend of jaunty guitar and jazzy bass alongside. An eruption of fiercely fragrant guitar only adds to the temptation, a one off moment not to be repeated but lingering as long as the song’s general spring and beam.
Lost At Sea follows, acoustic guitar stroking ears as Mullin’s again vocally shares his reflections being subsequently surrounded by simmering and increasingly bold flames of strings courted by celestial keys. The song laps at the senses, suggestive light shimmering on its surface before the darker hues of Colour Of Pain compellingly slip through ears. With a bluesy edge to its melodic lure and shadow hugged emotion, the outstanding track is a haunted bewitchment, melancholy and sorrow its engaging suit as Mullins reveals yet another side to his ever broadening solo journey.
It is a stunning start quickly matched by Medi-Monster, a slightly livelier affair in energy with brooding shadows to its wiry melodies. Vocals are a wonderfully dispirited incitement, magnetic and mournfully introspective but luring full participation with the song’s almost disturbingly catchy chorus. It is impossible not to get physically and emotionally involved with either of the first pair of proposals or with the albums title track which follows. Its rhythmic shuffle has a touch of Fatboy Slim to it making a kinetic canvas for the dark folk serenade of voice and melody. A blend of contrasting textures, the track seduces hips and thoughts with ease even if not quite matching up to the lofty heights of its predecessors.
Not Afraid follows and quickly eclipses its predecessor as a thick wall of dramatic rhythmic and sonic energy hits ears. The song soon relaxes as Thayer’s vocals begin sharing melodic sighs and expression though the bass continues to bring dark shadows while prowling the calmer waters, lurking and waiting to join the frequent expulsions of that initial energy with erupt. It is gripping stuff reminding of British artist Johnny Wore Black, and with great unpredictability to its twists and dark hues to its emotion easily takes best song honours upon the EP.
A Blue Flame is the project of Leicester based songwriter, Richard Stone and What We’ve Become Is All That Now Remains the successor to debut album Someone Else’s Dreams Will Fill Our Home which was released in 2013 under the name of Woodman Stone. With its lead song Does Madonna Dream of Ordinary People gaining strong airplay across the likes of BBC 6Music and BBC Leicester, Tom Robinson was one declaring their support, calling Stone’s music: “wonderful unashamed pop music that comes with an inbuilt English Pop sensibility running through to its very core“. The Girl Inside of You is destined to find the same success and more, with What We’ve Become Is All That Now Remains, which features some of Leicester’s best musicians including co-producer Adam Ellis on guitar and Tony Robinson from The Beautiful South on keys and brass, following suit.
