“mercury in retrograde” by Baula – A Song Feature

 

     Baula, a Swedish/Icelandic duo, may not garner as much attention as Avril Lavigne or Sturgill Simpson, but they unquestionably claim the top spot in our ranking of the surprisingly large number of songs with the title "Mercury in Retrograde" (only Baula shuns the use of capital letters in the title). Mercury in retrograde refers to the optical illusion in which the planet appears to move backward in its orbit when observed from Earth.
 
     In astrology, Mercury is identified as the planet of communication and internal monologue. Baula's explanation of “mercury in retrograde” is fitting:
   “The song dives into the psyche of a person so lonely and desperate for community that they are led into the jaws of extremism. Something that is equally frightening and sad.”
 
     The lyrics of the song are included in this post. The chorus advises: “You never wanna feel alone  // You’re never gonna be alright // You never wanna feel alone // Nothing seems right.”
 
     The members of Baula are Karolina Thunberg and Ísak Ásgeirsson. They released their debut EP, “Drought,” in 2019. The album is characterized by its somber tones of Nordic melancholy. In contrast, “mercury in retrograde” hits the ground running with invigorating power percussion by Ásgeirsson. The alluring vocals from Thunberg soon join, and the song never relents. Around the 1:13 mark, a more relaxed synth enters, but the drumming continues to drive the song at a frenetic pace. There is a darkness to “mercury in retrograde,” but the vehicle isn’t careful as it maneuvers through that darkness.
 
     The duo is heading toward the release of an album. According to the Baula website, the album will be “an exploration of inner destruction and how it can manifest, in relation to oneself, to one’s loved ones, and to complete strangers.”
 
     “mercury in retrograde” by Baula

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/baulatheband
Website: https://baula.se/

“mercury in retrograde” by Baula
Living fast, dying slow
Reading up, all alone
Everything makes sense
This will not end well
 
On the screen, in your mind
Overwhelm, modify
Words that somehow devastate
Steadily unmake
 
You never wanna feel alone
You’re never gonna be alright
You never wanna feel alone
Nothing seems right
You never wanna feel alone
There’s never anyone around
You never wanna feel alone
Nothing seems right
 
Living life in total silence
 
In a daze, on repeat
You devise, and commit
Speech is silver, silence gold
So the thoughts take hold
All the same, out of time
Resolute, electrified
Mercury in retrograde
It cannot end well
 
You never wanna feel alone
You’re never gonna be alright
You never wanna feel alone
Nothing seems right

You never wanna feel alone
There’s never anyone around
You never wanna feel alone
Nothing seems right

You never wanna feel alone
You’re never gonna be alright
You never wanna feel alone
Nothing seems right

You never wanna feel alone
There’s never anyone around
You never wanna feel alone
 

“Lady Luck” by The Howlers – A Song Feature

 

     The Howlers self-identify their genre as Desert Rock. That sent us scurrying for a better understanding of the genre. Turns out that the birthplace of the genre is credited as being Palm Desert in California, which is adjacent to the home of the Coachella Music Festival. Desert Rock began with free-form jamming and has become a combination of heavy metal, psychedelia, blues, punk, and grunge. We have no basis for knowing, but the band name seems appropriate in view of the coyote howling that is familiar in the area around Palm Desert.
 
     On the other hand, The Howlers are a London-based band. The trio is sharing songs as they approach the May 17 release of their debut album “What You've Got to Lose to Win It All.” We particularly enjoy “Lady Luck,” although “El Dorado” is also appealing. Both songs are embedded in this post. The members are Adam Young (vocals, guitar), Guus Ter Braak (bass), and Tom Riggs (drums).
 
     The Howlers note that “Lady Luck” isn’t a true newborn. For years, the song existed as a orphaned riff, never quite finding its full form. They explain:
  “’Lady Luck’ is one of those tracks that never really quite had a place, Adam had the main riff for years often playing it during soundcheck or rehearsals but it never had a song round it, multiple attempts to write a song around it always came out missing the mark by miles and for a long time it was this problem child, Guus would often say ‘Just leave it now’ but Adam knew there was something in it, he just couldn't see it yet. Eventually the song as it is today came into being by chopping up multiple other songs in similar states of limbo for verses and a chorus and smashing them together, sort of like a Frankenstein’s monster of a track made up of all the best bits of other songs, and now it's one of our favourite songs to play live.”
 
     “Lady Luck” by The Howlers

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thehowlersuk/
Website: https://www.thehowlers.co.uk/

Lyrics of “Lady Luck” by The Howlers
I tried to tell you where I stand.
But you never want to know.
 
I know we don’t see eye to eye.
If you said jump, I'd say “How high?”
 
All I need is all I wanted,
And I’m losing my mind just to find.
It ain't easy to be honest,
When the truth hurts more than a lie.
 
I know it never goes to plan.
You said I never understand.
 
So I'll sit here by the phone.
Wondering when you might call.
 
All I need is all I wanted,
And I'm losing my mind just to find.
It ain't easy to be honest,
When the truth hurts more than a lie.
 
Well time keeps passing you by.
If you blink then you’ll miss it, and I
Feel like we're passing ships in the night,
But I don’t think you realise.
 
All I need is all I wanted,
And I'm losing my mind just to find.
It ain't easy to be honest,
When the truth hurts more than a lie.

     The story behind the single “El Dorado” is less positive:
  “‘El Dorado’, the single released earlier this year, hinted at what was to come from the trio; glorious, expansive songs that conjure up cinematic landscapes a long, long way from London’s East End. Escapism, perhaps, but entirely understandable and justified given what frontman Adam has experienced over the last two years. Two life changing strokes in the course of two months, the loss of four family members and two close friends and the following immeasurable grief have all played a huge part in the creation of the album, the devoted bond between bandmates and the unique connection between the band and their fanbase.”
 
          “El Dorado” by The Howlers

Lyrics of “El Dorado” by The Howlers
In the city, you will find
You’re not the only one
Who wants their name in lights
 
Five days a week, barely getting by
But no man can choose
To be born with a silver spoon
 
For every stranger knows
What you’ve got to lose for you to win it all
 
But one day, you will find, El Dorado
On the way, you will beg, steal and borrow
But one day, you will find, El Dorado
What you find is yours and yours alone
 
In the city you will shine
Like a diamond
Set in starry sky
 
For everybody’s on the grind
But one man's greed
Makes him bite the hand that feeds
 
For every stranger knows
What you’ve got to lose for you to win it all
 
But one day, you will find, El Dorado
On the way, you will beg, steal and borrow
But one day, you will find, El Dorado
What you find is yours and yours alone
 
But one day, you will find, El Dorado
On the way, you will beg steal and borrow
But one day, you will find, El Dorado
What you find is yours and yours alone
 

“Feed The Flames” by Gemma Hayes – A Song Feature

 

     The vocals of “Feed The Flames" have a gripping intimacy as the song explores the fragility of a relationship. The voice of Gemma Hayes is simultaneously vulnerable, seductive and courageous as she uses the metaphor that relates fire to a romance. Our understanding of the lyrics is included at the bottom of this post, but there might be errors.
 
     In explaining the motivation for “Feed The Flames,” Gemma Hayes said:
  “I originally began writing the song after watching ‘Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf’ with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Knowing a bit about their relationship off screen I was really taken by the depth of their connection; it was a living, breathing fire.
  What I got from delving into their relationship is that you can love something or someone so much only for your human fallibility to come along and destroy it.”
 
     The instrumental arrangement is also noteworthy. The lower complexity and texturing during the first verse of “Feed The Flames” ensures that the focus is on the lyrical description and vocal emotion. The texturing and power vary during the almost three and a half minutes, with a peak during the layered vocals and backing anguish within the final minute.
 
     The song is the second that will be included on an upcoming album, which will be the first LP from Hayes in a decade. In promotion of the new music, an Irish tour has been scheduled (for dates, visit the website identified in this post). The video was shot in West Cork, to where the Tipperary-born musician recently relocated. 
 
     “Feed The Flames” by Gemma Hayes

Streaming and download opportunities: https://slinky.to/FEEDTHEFLAMES
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gemmahayesmusic
Website: http://gemmahayes.com/

Lyrics of “Feed The Flames” by Gemma Hayes
The hush of night woke up
I’m waiting for it now
I’m gonna gather up sticks and stones
Go somewhere I don’t know
 
I see you and know that you see me
But it’s hard to meet your eyes
I wanna tell you
I wanna tell you, but I just can’t say it
 
Hey man, our house is burning now
Can’t seem to care
I keep trying
When we feed the flames
All I feel is free. Free
 
I think you got something to say to me
It’s just beyond your mouth
I wanna tear it out
 
We try, but I won’t hold on to the memories
Now that I keep walking
Till I reach my hallowed ground
When I turn to look, you’ve left for the people
 
Hey man, our house is burning now
Can’t seem to care
I keep trying
When we feed the flames
All I feel is free. Free
 
Hey man, I think you’re losing me
All your talk, but the words won’t catch
Come on and feed the flames
And set us, set us free. Free
 
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna tell you but I…
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna tell you but I…
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna tell you but I…
I wanna, but I just can’t say it
 
Hey man, our house is burning and
Can’t seem to care
I keep trying
When we feed the flames
All I feel is free. Free. Free
 
Hey man, I think you’re losing me
All your talk, but the words won’t catch
Come on and feed the flames
And set us, set us free. Free. Free
 
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna tell you but I…
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna tell you but I…
I wanna, I wanna, I wanna tell you but I…
I wanna