Romanie – I Won’t Yell
If, upon hearing a song with which you truly resonated, you felt compelled to grab hold of the phone number of the person who made it and send them a line, you’d not be alone. In fact, the vast majority of listeners feel the same way about their favourite artists. Listen to someone sing long enough, and it’s difficult not to imagine yourself having coffee with them, telling them your troubles, and asking to hear theirs.
That’s, of course, a fantasy! My point is simply that this is what goes on in the minds of most listeners and the reason why being an artist in the modern world is a mighty courageous gesture. Singers like Romanie are expected to reveal themselves to their audiences, to speak the truth about themselves and the world, to allow themselves to be vulnerable in front of so many people, paying so much attention.
Indeed, one of the things that makes Romanie’s newest single so striking is the singer’s willingness to show herself without any armour to protect. Musically, “I Won’t Yell” is also a clever pop track, one that takes on board late 80s minimalism, a song that helps the gently sung lyrics be pushed to the forefront to great effect. The visuals that accompany the song tell a similar story. Romanie is a brave performer for being so open about who she really is, what she really feels, and what she’s trying to say.
Jack Manley – FLC Punk
For all the talk of the rock n’ roll legends of old being true rebels, they certainly looked and acted much like all the rest of the people of their age group and from their immediate circle. In fact, look for a successful rock group that wasn’t part of some scene, and whose members didn’t constantly socialise with the members of that scene, and you might come back empty-handed.
It may even depress you as much as it has Jack Manley to come to the conclusion that a lot of social climbing is needed to earn the attention from the cool people who can influence others. Are successful rock n’ rollers rebels, or just people who’ve figured out what clothes they needed to wear, what parties they needed to attend, and which people to befriend?
That’s an interesting idea that Jack Manley explores on “FLC Punk,” but the sound and context help to deepen the mystery. Manley operates in a post-Strokes world where detached, heavily compressed vocals are the norm, and where irony and earnestness constantly clash. Furthermore, the fact that Manley’s peers are folks working up the ladder in academia makes the song all the more interesting and should help listeners understand that the same pressure to fit in exists in any environment.
