Jake and the Peartree – Imaginary
While it is true that some fashions arrive cyclically back in the public’s consciousness, it’s also true that some trends never fully recover. However, the emotions that helped create the trends are always there. There aren’t many romantic poets making the rounds, at least not many that the general public will be aware of today, but this does not mean that there aren’t any romantics or that they are not crafting their ideas into works of art.
One could argue that the poets were replaced by men and women with guitars and a knack for writing pop song lyrics back in the 1960s. And, sure, the sales of guitars were likely never bigger back then. However, the fact that these sorts of people have not scored many hits in the past 10-15 years actually makes them more appealing to those with romantic inclinations. These people are now hopeless dreamers, The Council of Luddite Lovers.
Jake and the Peartree’s “Imaginary” is crafted in the same way that a romantic poet would craft their work. First of all, the lyrics tell the tale of an impossible romance, a love affair with an ideal rather than a person. Secondly, the music is written in a kind of blues-influenced alt-rock style. These are musical elements that aren’t quite trending yet remain beloved by a selected few. Lastly, Jake and the Peartree’s fantasy can be easily communicated to a regular audience in the same way that romantic poets had little trouble spreading their message. Things change through the years, but the general emotions remain quite the same.
Marry Cherry – New Direction
I was reminded recently that, yes, people don’t remember what you did or said, but how you made them feel. That cliche of a realisation occurred while being number 300397 in a queue for Oasis tickets. Of course, the whole of the world, Britain in particular, was excited about the Gallagher brothers coming together. Naturally, this was the happy end that many people wanted. Surely, we wouldn’t let details like how Oasis would sound get in the way of how we felt.
Emotion is a powerful tool and musicians are smart to use it often, and as much of it as they can. Yes, people won’t remember if the singer’s off-key or if the guitarist tuned up. The people who attended the acid and E-soaked parties/concerts of British electro bands of the 90s, like Primal Scream or The Happy Mondays, will likely swear that some of the very nights of their nights occurred back then. Looking at old videos of those bands performing, it is easy to get convinced that something special was, indeed, happening.
I’m happy to report that The Children of Screamadelica do exist and are making noise. It’s the kind of noise that, of course, you can dance to while wearing shades in a nightclub. That’s what Marry Cherry goes for on “New Direction,” a song that echoes the charms of 90s club-rock. The beauty of it is that, since trends are cyclical, Marry Cherry doesn’t need to play for audiences of a certain age. The band just needs to convince new ones to come down to the basement show and let loose. And with sounds like this, why would they fail?