Let us take a journey through a magical land filled with nice riffs and harmonies. Let us walk on the lyrics that stick to the back of our minds. Let us jump oh so high to catch the chords in the sky. Finding a record you can listen to endless amount of times from the first to the last track is truly a musical blessing. Those records one can over play but never get tired off are the true gems in our lives. For me personally one of those records is The Balcony by Catfish and the Bottlemen. It is a newer one that I just added to my collection of records that will never die out to my ears. It caught my attention and stuck with me because their sound was “old” and I mean that in a good way. They keep it simple in every aspect of the word, which in today’s crazy world of music is quite a relief.
The record opens with the song Homesick with its witty lyrics “I got misled, mistook, discard. Anything that I said. See I’m not the type to call you up drunk, but I’ve got some lies to tell.” The chorus is grand, which is one of the reasons it became my favorite song of the album. It goes from a loud piano to an immediate forte in the chorus.
The second track Kathleen is infectious in its chorus and quite honest in a sense. Describing that one person that makes you mad and yet they are the ones you go calling when you are drunk. “I gotta give it to you, you give me problems.” It’s deffo a sticker.
Coccon follows next. Word of advice this song sounds best when you are out on the road with your mates, windows rolled down, and speakers blasting so loud the sound waves make the floor vibrate. That’s pretty much how brilliant this tune is. Unless your mom is a real G you might not want to go around your house singing the chorus! Listen to it and you will know exactly why. Also this song gave me a Stereophonics vibe in the beginning, which I love because who doesn’t love The Stereophonics!
Fallout is another one of them songs you want to just sing in the shower at the top of your lungs. It is the song you sing to that person you are always on an off again with, I would imagine. You just get fed up with it, yet they always come back. Toxic yes, chorus absolutely gets an A, especially towards the end. “You see I, I was a test-tube baby, that’s why nobody gets me. You see I struggle to sleep at night, but its fine, Mary don’t let me.” If you can name another song that has “test tube baby” comment it on one of our photos on our Instgram @musicwhynot and you get a shutout!
Next is Pacifire (another one of my favorites). Seriously sounds like a conversation you would have with someone. It’s stubbornness and again wittiness got me. “She said- It’s you I detest! – I said she looked under-slept. She deffo didn’t like that, no” This sounds like a line from a conversation gone south! Something I would accidentally not say to an ex boyfriend… just saying.
The middle tune: Hourglass brings the album back down. The lyrics are beautiful and honest in a different way. It is not your typical love song where the guy proposes his love to the girl and they drive off together into the sunset in a convertible by the ocean. It is more realistic adding in phrases like “You know when you’re gone I struggle at night. Dreams of you fucking me all the time and I know you’re tied up, and I know your phones fucked. I’m craving your calls like a soldier’s wife.” This sounds more like something your significant other say to you (even my mom likes the song).
The tempo is picked backed up with the next track Business. Opening the song with “I want to love you, but I’ve got no time for your friends that can’t fucking do one.” Who says that in a song. You can’t get any more honest than that. Needless to say I absolutely love this track. Again we go back to the concept of the lyrics being highly relatable. I mean “Let’s get drunk in your bedroom.” Hello college dorm rooms, plus we all have someone we want to tolerate drunk and for them to be at peace with our mothers (don’t lie to yourself if you said no to that).
26 : “I’LL COME BASED ON FACTS LIKE SHE’LL BE THERE MAKING SELF CONTROL LEAVE ME!” I love the lyrics, but what I love more is the first 24 seconds of instrumentals and backing vocals. Also this is another song you wanna listen to while driving around with your mates.
I know I have said most of the songs are my favorite, but this one is for sure my all time favorite. RANGO! I am a sucker for songs with simple names in the chorus because they are usually rare and leave you wondering who it was about (oasis- Lyla). I love the sort of dips of the guitar tracks as well. “You see, Abby she’s got to wait. Until she gets you on your own. So she can make you make mistakes, and you can offer to take her home.” This song is one for the books deff check it out!
Sidewinder is the second to last track. The way I would explain this song to someone is like this; I guy likes a girl, but she is going on a date with another guy. She thinks he likes her truly for her not just to get in her pants. The other guy that likes her (guy mentality) knows this guy and his intentions which are… “Whoever you’re mixing your drinks with is dying to go to town on you.” Just my interpretation! This song is a little random tho, but the tempo in this song is really groovy.
Last one Tyrnats– this is one is a teaser in a good way (and my favorite song hahaha). You think it is over and it’s not. It sounds broken, but I think that was on purpose. The lyrics “your divine ribs would help break mine. We hit the ground. Yeah lets hit the ground” probably my favorite line in a song it even replaced the line in the song Indian Summer (Stereophonics) that goes like: “Vodka with Coca Cola, Cocaine tucked in her shoes, Cigarettes over coffee. Her halo slipped to a noose.” I’ve never heard anything like it, and to think Van McCann the lead singer and the genius behind all these lyrics wrote it when he was about fourteen. Now I don’t want to forget to mention that the instrumentals are also brilliant. So thank you Billy Bibby (old guitarist, but was involved in the making of this album completely), Bob Hall (drums), and Benji Blakeaway (bass). Now don’t take my word of it click on the link below to listen to the album on Spotify. It might just become YOUR next gem.
[https://open.spotify.com/album/0C0OFASoQC57yC12vQhCwN]
-Girl With The Bowie Jacket
