10 Sonic Youth On Bad Drugs

After enjoying some radio play on BBC6Music Novelistme returns with this new album that shows a real progression in sound, variety and production values.

So first of all that album title. There were a few in the running. “FInd Listener” was originally intended as a statement regarding how hard it is to get music heard these days and to get any attention. However on a night out in London (Kentish Town I believe) on route to a gig I ran the various working titles past a mate and he misheard the title as “Fine Listener”. I liked the offbeat, positive, slightly anachronistic charm of it - and from that point the album title was set!

Like some of the previous albums “Fine Listener” has splashes of electronic music - most prominently on the opening and closing tracks. Then the music moves on through a number of musical “pairings” that all have a slightly different flavour. “Flat Out” and “Imagination” have a bit of a NYC pop/punk thing going on. Then we have a couple of sparser 60’s influenced songs. “Song of the City” sounding to me like a song the Doors could easily have written and “62 Sound” being a modern take on the classic Motown sound. Separating those two is “Something Brutal” a short little angry punk song with a difference that was originally a bit of a throw away but unexpectedly sounded great when recorded and refused to be omitted. Then we’re moving on with “Life Art Sound” and “Night Beat” both of which try to create some kind of modern alt-disco sound! From there it’s on to “Hypnotic Head” - a working title I just couldn’t leave behind - my hopefully subtle Brexit lament! Then there’s another stylistic jump and palette cleanser with the discordant nonsense rant of “Sonic Youth on Bad Drugs” (the oldest song here with an original version dating back to around 2008) before we close out with “Was a Hound Dog”, a rock blues howler that just appeared fully formed one day, and “Eno Calm” a song that quietly wipes its feet before leaving.

Love, peace and guitars!

Novelistme

All songs written, performed, recorded, produced and mastered by Novelistme.
Photos by Andrew Price - Artwork by Scott Balcony - For further info please email novelistme@gmail.com or go to www.novelistme.com