Music has its own voice. One that speaks up, stirrs and fascinates with intensity, one that moves and lingers on with smooth vibrancy. It unleashes a narration, one of growth and change, personally experienced or depicted somewhere else, one of cherished memories, sentimental, lyrical, cordial moments of life, now and then, of history, made and recalled. Either whispered or heralded, it is able to bestow a glimpse of alien, yet not unfamiliar stories on you - as long as its echo lasts - and makes you embrace tales told, evokes empathy and understanding for what messages are conveyed. It's indeed the music's voice that bears the message of a song, it's the soundthough that transports and makes it audible, accessible to the listener as the instrumentation and vocals equally make demands, call for the listener's best attention and lure him in once he has been attracted by the tonal dimensions unfolding, the lyrical contents revealing themselves. It's a balanced, interveawing yet accentuated interaction between both the music's voice, id est lyrics and message, and its sound, id est instrumentation and vocal performance. Whilst each instrumental layer contributes to create an inviting atmosphere for the message to be heard, the vocals carry it out, they make the audience believe the words sung, allow them to welcome the melodies that envelop and support the compositional subtext. Eventually the point is reached when the audicence opens up, trustswhat the vocalist is content to share, as it is charmed by his degree of emotional involvement, taken in by his honest, though to a certain extent imaginative approach to music. His music.
It is obvious that it's not the listener's first concern to learn whether the musician speaks from own or 'loaned' experiences anyway, he's rather sensitive for and appreciative of the artist baring his soul in front of him, letting him witness an inspiring, intense, somehow sentimental moment in the process of music making: it's when a song reaches out to the listener, when both lyrics and sound speak to him at last - after months spent by musicians to breathe heart, soul, life into it. It's a mesmerizing moment, a magical moment, one that comes in naturally, if the musician behind the composition understands what it takes to avoid artificial, exuberant and pretentious songwriting and arrangement, and instead let the music's voice and sound speak for themselves.
Puppet Rebellion:
Simon Monaghan (vocals)
Paul Trochowski (guitar)
James Halliwell (bass)
Craig Gibson (guitar)
Manchester's very own rock outfit Puppet Rebellion have understood. With 'Chemical Friends' (2013) the band has made an applaudable debut showcasing that it's the lyrics where it's at. Dealing with topics such as pretence and conformity, the band encourages to escape routine, monotony and hypocrisy, commends to stay true to oneself and strike one's own path with confidence, alerts not to aim for fitting in unconditionally, but to trust and follow one's nature and believes. It's straightforward (social) critisicm yet of the light kind and comes in with sharp and perky vocals, able to scratch and tickle your mind, with a tense and vibrant sound, a laid-back one still, leaving room for the lyrics to grown on the listener.
Embrace staggering and orotund drum beats, tension preluding, brisk riffage, an imbuing bass undercurrent to set the stage forpointed, clean and expressive vocals. As they lament about an unsteady, failed relationship, thesteady tonal enviroment allows them to shine and stress the lyrics. Merging, almost fuzzy instrumental bits soon adapt to the more aggressive and vigorous vocals of Simon, shouting outaccusations with certain bitterness, yet also with emerging serenity: 'You've been lying to him, you've been lying to me, what have you achieved?' The anticipated, most certainly rousing chorus is then first delayed by a shaky yet suspenseful interlude, heralding: 'So I made my escape from the great unknown', then replaced by a swirling instrumental solo. Dimly resoanting, rhythmic drum beats and an escalating yet thoughtfully framed guitar arrangement convey the impression of losing oneself in the vast tonal landscape unfolding here. A felicitous escape in music has come about for the listener indeed. After that we're back to the steady, still atmospheric tonal setting of 'Pirouette', taking notice of edgy vocal moments, waiting for a thrilling change in sound once more. After the blurred yet gripping interlude played for a second time, we're given what we have been craving for: an impetuous instrumental finish with strong vocal highlights - it's an evocative and striking interaction between guitar and bass melodies, there's even a slightly frantic touch to them, eccentric instrumental depth is revealed. We're eventually left with a confindent lyrical and tonal resolution: 'So I made my escape from the great unknown.' For good.
'Cupboards Painted Red' depends on an arousing, poignant tinge of both lyrics and melodies. With its sweeping instrumental intro, the bright and brassy, emphatic cymbal resonance, the vivacious guitar riffs and ponderous drum beats, the listener is eluded to believe the track doesn't bring along heavy, cloudy content - way off the mark! Vibrant, incisvely pulled, soon high pitched vocals gloomily admit: 'You left me with no place to hide.' They bear witness to despair, a feeling of no belonging, of being neglected. Contrary to this lyrical confession, the second song on 'No Means Yes' unrollsserenely, in a rather frisky spirit and merges into an ambient, ardent and absorbing brief instrumental episode which sets up the song's outburst. 'You never meant so much to me, and I'll be waiting patiently for you' - a rising, elusively echoing, explosively seeming melodic arrangement resonates, accompanied by smooth and stirring vocals, screaming for help. The persona speaking within the composition, revealing himself to the empathic listener, nonetheless hopes for someone to point him a way out of his uncomfortable situation - lyrics and instrumentation tell so candidly: 'Lets turn a new page now', echoes several times, as the spirited, swift and avid key melody proceeds, embodies hope, as the persona's screams for helpcontinue, leaving the audience in the dark about his fortune.