Blue Whale - Shortbread Fingers

Blue Whale - Shortbread Fingers

Music collective Blue Whale has gained quite a name for themselves on the local and national scene. The experimental five-piece from Belfast is known for pushing the boundaries with their music, bringing questions such as “what is a song?” and “what instrument is that?” to the mouths of fans. A promising and fresh group that unfortunately seems to have suffered from an acute case of ‘can we' instead of 'should we.’ Their absolute dedication to structured chaos in their composition is worthy of applause but their latest release Shortbread Fingers is a haphazard construction that leaves me with only one question: “Why?”

It is essential to note that Shortbread is not necessarily a bad song. However experimental music is, by its very nature, hit or miss. The positive notes are solid, with modern, technical riffs adding to a palpable sense of unease, and the songcraft that has made Blue Whale so popular still present. It was this sense of unease though that I found impossible to ignore, as it is the predominant theme throughout as opposed to a complementary piece. This was too much for me without lyrics to justify itself. Excessive to the point where it became difficult for me to concentrate, Shortbread is an unfortunate case of “Too much, too young, too fast”


It must again be reiterated that this is not a bad song, merely poorly executed. Gratifying, imaginative and riffy when at its best, there is enough for the discerning ear to enjoy if the time is taken to peel back layers, but this writer is unable to think this is not a step back for this promising group.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Stayne - Parachute

Image
Stayne - Parachute Derry singer/songwriter Stayne makes a highly anticipated return to the ‘new releases’ column with ‘ Parachute ’. A self-described pop artist who brings “something a little different,” his newest single pulls no punches. On his latest, the ‘I slay ’ performer tackles everything from alcoholism, spirituality and needing someone to hold on to a 'human parachute.’ Know to fuse his lyricism with introspection and self-worth before sending them out into the world, Stayne’s newest is his best so far. The warm gruff vocals of the walled city resident flow into range, telling a tale of victory and failure. A stripped back arrangement of keys and ghostly strings help elevate the vocal message, ultimately committing addition by subtraction. Wallowing in a more subtle sound than would be expected from pop allows Stayne to bring his voice to the forefront, giving lines such as “I’m a whole different man when I’m holding a beer” a new gravity. With this being
Read more

Stone Broken, Those Damn Crows + Baleful Creed - 10th February 2019

Image
Stone Broken, Those Damn Crows + Baleful Creed - 10th February 2019 As I make my way down fountain street, my breath materialises in front of me. As it dissipates into the night, a low rumbling grows. It’s emanating from the top floor of local music hostelry Voodoo, which plays host tonight to a contingent of hard rock fanatic and headbang enthusiasts. The scuzz is palpable as I make my way through the door. First onstage is Belfast’s own Baleful Creed . The heavy rock quartet, known for their weighty riffs and ruthless demeanour, are having some fun tonight onstage. While sticking to the meat and bones of their gruff sound, we are treated to some wavey psychedelic blues in between licks. These deviations don’t last however, and it’s not long before pounding drum fills are shaking my back wall table and gruff, leathery textured vocals are searing the paint of the wall. Ripping up the stage with a prehistoric sound steeped in the blues (a wild harmonica appears for a moment),
Read more

Son Of The Hound - You Are Alive

Image
Son Of The Hound - You Are Alive  Musician. Writer. Podcaster. Doggo. Friend (?) of Nathan O’Regan. Take your pick from any number of the titles used to describe Mick McCullagh, but for the purpose of this exercise, we’ll refer to him with his nom-de-plume: Son Of The Hound. The guitar pop troubadour with a penchant for soft, almost vulnerable, anthems returns with new track ‘You Are Alive,’ a strident alt-folk/rock number propelled by a determined spirit and resonant tone. An electric echo leads the march before a percussive stomp kicks the anti-nihilism into its wide-eyed gear. The upbeat chorus is introduced with a Janis Joplin-esque roar of “lonely, lonely, loh-oh-oh-oh-ohnely” before a wall of ringing chords, dripping in alacrity and zeal, slams into the listener. Streams of twilight infused licks flow through the track like tributaries, carrying extra pep with each flick of McCullagh's wrist, towards the grand sense of commonality found in the football chant appeal
Read more