“no cigarettes for you”, she said
“think about your health instead,
“how can i stay on track with you?”
“when you’re racing to your death?
11
time is the chisel machinating
all these angles and designs
from the flophouse
to the farmhouse
to the penthouse
to the shrine
heaven
like gear beneath fingernails
heavening beyond the modest veil
heaven
whenever i lay on your chest
heaven
only in past tense
DEADLOCK
helmet, ray-bans, facial mask
skin is now in high demand
sunscreen left up on the shelf
asking questions of the self
is it to inconvenience man
or stop us from getting a tan?
can’t catch rays in an ambulance
it won’t let in the light
is this to strip our human rights?
are anti-maskers full of shite?
can anti-vaxxers be pro-life?
can we concur on our divide?
PERSONA
monday morning
aching eyes
suit and tie
mask is slipping
force a smile
an adequate
amount of time
meaningless
personified
HIDE AND SEEK
love was never an abstraction
could not be laid to rest
for love was never born
but forgotten by the morn
or soured and stuffed with scorn
so don’t be shy of your inaction
do not cry for what is lost
for love is just around the corner
behind the curtain
in the dresser drawer
to be found, but not reborn
bright eyes – one and done [single review]
Bright Eyes continue the exploration of mortality through the conduit of spaced-out balladry on latest single One and Done. The instrumentation on this track ranks alongside Bright Eyes’ very best. String and horn sections arranged by Nate Walcott add a cinematic element which sits as an ideal backdrop to Conor Oberst’s cryptic lyrical vignettes.
The track opens with a disembodied voice announcing that he was just “dreaming of you”. The dystopian images of famine, societal breakdown and old friends in low places suggest that Oberst may have eaten too much cheese before bedtime, however. The feeling of a dream is cemented by the influences drawn from Bright Eyes back catalogue. One and Done could’ve slotted in nicely on 2004’s Digital Ash in a Digital Urn. The orchestral arrangement is reminiscent of Cassadega era Bright Eyes. The echoed drums subtly nod to Approximate Sunlight from their last outing, The Peoples’ Key.
Once again, Flea is on bass duties, provided a subtle, yet funky foundation which keeps the track bouncing along throughout the chorus and instrumental breaks. The verses exist as a dirge, with Oberst listing terrifying news almost as casually as society has come to accept it. This building tension is released with an upbeat chorus, with backing vocals by Miwi La Lupa adding texture to the brighter sound. A stirring orchestral break gradually leads to a crescendo of strings and drum rolls which sounds truly epic. Without disregarding the quality of the previous two singles, One and Done seems like an obvious choice for a lead single.
Just like those preceding singles, Persona Non Grata and Forced Convalescence, One and Done zeroes in on mortality and loss. The lyrics here deal with acceptance of the fact:
“This room seems even smaller now than I remember it
Hung mirrors on the walls and the ceiling
There’s no disguising it
There’s no denying it
This little box fits everything there is”
Obersts scoffs at the “masochists all celebrating love”at a wedding, ponders the paradoxical infinity of “fleeting moments” and seems to question if he’s too fixated on how it’s all going to end —
“I’ve seen the sparkle of the diamonds on the watch of the emcee
It’s not keeping time, just shining”
For now, Oberst, Walcott and Mogis’ comeback continues to shine.
INFINITE
i am the first stretch in the morning
the first drag of your cigarette
i am the love you can’t deny
the sharply drawn breath
i am the sweat upon your brow
the gravity that holds you down
i am the anchor in the port
the decanter’s sediment
i am the earth ambling around
the sun, for fun, i’m infinite
BLUE BLOOD
oh little emperor
born with blue blood
basted in gravy
born with green envy
in an amber room
oh little emperor
this hand you’ve been dealt
could only be felt by your fathers
the weight of the boulder of sisyphus
upon your pygmean shoulders
when you grow bolder, iniquitous
when you grow older meet syphilis
a swollen piggie lays dead on the floor
a little emperor – no more
EMBERS
it’s just like love and light alike
to burn a hole right through my brain
induratized my heart before
and bolted bolts and shackled locks
a human chain outside my door
sad and supine, stay inside
and lay, i lay, upon the floor
afar a distant brontide’s brooding
but what is near is oh so soothing
hand in hand we’ve been out walking
in summers glade, my heart alight
and lay on beds of mushroom flowers
through autumn dusk and winter showers
inside your room, alone, together
rain gently pattering outside
steady as the stream of words
i heard you speak your weight in gold
mine could make your blood run cold
while you sit sighing all your sighs
i count the rings around your eyes
cursed all that i’ve done to upset you
deemed ever dawning day a blessing
from the day when i first met you
i’ll invite you round to beam that smile
when the lekky meter’s drained
it’s just like love, your love, your light
to burn a hole right through my brain
buachaill bán – ancestry [EP review – techno]
Influenced by modern day titans such as T47, Paula Temple and Umwelt, Buachaill Bán’s debut on Ireland’s Sweet Tooth label is a tour de force of ferocious techno.
Hunger kicks Ancestry off with a bang and immediately sets the theme of primal needs and urges to be drawn upon throughout the EP. Featuring crisp hi-hats and masterful shifts in dynamics, the production really shines through on the opener.
The relentless thump of kicks, bass and menacing call and answer synth lines triggers the adrenaline of a hunter about to spear his prey.
Instinct features a rolling triple kick drum pattern which sends the listener down a mine-shaft in a rickety cart. The rhythmic style here aims to repeatedly prepare the listener for the next bar, creating a relentless banger.
Throughout the short-player, affected atmospheric noise is used to great effect, capturing the industrial sound in all it’s scraping, hammering glory. There are moments of respite in the form of Homecoming, an experimental cut which takes the finger off the trigger before Offering delivers the kill-shot with an expansive, floor-filling sound to round off an impressive debut.
The concept of this EP is tied together in a way that is often missing in electronic releases. The consistency of the sound palette and theme makes, together with a carefully paced track-list makes Ancestry an immersive listen from beginning to end, whether listened on high-end speakers or ear-buds.
*Ancestry is available for download on Bandcamp.
*Follow Buachaill Bán on Soundcloud here.
*Mastering by Chris McCormack of Blacklisted Mastering.
*EP artwork produced by @endless_prosperity (Instagram)
konrad_murinski 