We are at the third selection of Scaleter's Choice and before I begin my romantic and musical journey on this selection,
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It is a band this time, young and passionate, from the lovely Edinburgh, Scotland. The name is
Screamin' Whisper.
Brian Hughes is the songwriter, singer and guitarist,
Martin "Basser" McRib
on Bass guitar and second vocals, and
Zak "What?!" Watt is the drummer.
I was passing the name through my head, Screamin' Whisper and imagined how the words wrestle who weights more, the screaming or the whisper.
Either way, to me it means the struggle to say something.
There's a small amount of interest added when absorbing a band, because it's more than one person that contributes his own
touch to the work and all is shaping into one piece. Looking at these energetic fellows on the picture, you could expect for a loud noisy track to come.
But I came across a sort of ballad of theirs and it struck me the most. On this song,
they chose to put aside the electric and the sticks and made a screaming whispering song called
Foolish Me.
You have the play button to your left, the lyrics down, shut me up and let's ride.
Foolish Me / Screamin' Whisper
Give me a smile before I go away
Before I fall from grace too easy
Give me your hand before I stray too far
From this beaten path I wander
Do you ever feel buried six feet to your knees
Won't you help me please?
I've been chasing my own bootheels
That boys' falling, drifting away
To crumble and die without any cause
Don't wake me tonight
Those patterns on my bedsheets
They still stain my eyes
Crushing my pride
Aw, Foolish Me
Let stray my hand
Have I gone too far this time
Aw, Foolish Me
Who said I got it wrong
Throw me overboard
Give me a smile before I go away
Before I fall from grace too easy
Give me your hand before I stray too far
From this beaten path I wander
Aw, Foolish Me
Let stray my hand
Have I gone too far this time
Aw, Foolish Me
Who said I got it wrong
Throw me overboard
Feeling the country side wind a bit maybe? I do. Brian wrote me how the song came about.
He was gradually realizing that being a musician feels lonely. It is so true.
You could find moments when your head is occupied with your instrument or with your art, or just occupied, and suddenly snap out of it and see that there's no one around.
Singing "Foolish me" is realizing it and the vocals represent that line so honestly as I'm going to draw later.
And here is another moment I wish to catch again:
Those patterns on my bedsheets
They still stain my eyes
Crushing my pride
This moment is captured and very much alive. There's a strong presentation of the emotion, through the situation.
I dare to say we have a young poet here. I wish him to keep going on this path, whatever path it is.
Scaleter's Notes
Scaleter.com is very into music analysis. Here are two musical highlights in the song which I would like to mark.
"Foolish" representation
Not foolish at all, I'll tell you that. Let's take a look at the melody of "Foolish" on the chorus:
In a triplets rhythm, the melody on "Foo" jumps high in the sky in a
Major Tenth interval. From F sharp to A.
Such jump, I couldn't say rare but definitely not common in melody building standards.
After that, there's a long dive in
prefect octave interval.
So you need to have a reason to do such foolish act... Yes. We certainly have one.
This high jump fits so perfect to the foolishness meaning. A foolish act by a "foolish" representation.
If Mozart would have done it in one of his operas, I would consider it to be so appropriate and typical to him. Brilliant!
Frame contribution
The song as a whole revealed to be a ballade, complete, with a catchy chorus and warm voice. The elements work well.
And you know why? Because the band is making it work.
The tambourine is alone here in the drummer's kit, giving space to the other instruments. It is alone.
Just like the lonely feeling that created this song.
It is sometimes out of sync. I don't know if it was done deliberately or not,
but it adds to the flow of the song just because of that. It actually gives the song a strong signature, without us noticing.
Along with that, we get the bass in very soft notes, only on the chord roots, to give us more volume when we need it.
Put that softness coordinated well with the guitar chords, the tambourine and warm voice, and we get this unity.
Screamin' Whisper are still so young, they got a good start and can reach higher in the future.
I wish them to produce more, keep the artistic way, maybe get guidance in next album, like a producer,
and keep the passion that is visible. I'll be in Edinburgh in December and will look for a live show of them.
See the video clip of Foolish Me / Screamin' Whisper
Next Scaleter's Choice is soon