Single Review: Blanketman - Yard Sale/The Signalman
When Edwin Starr was passionately decrying the mascinations of armed conflict in his 60s' call-and-response classic 'War', it seemed the whole world was answering back:
Warrrrr...huh....good God Y'alll - What is it good for?
ABSOLUTELY NUTHHHINN!
Of course in those days, the war was in Vietnam, The Cold War in full flow, with the Americans and the Russians engaged in an ominous game of one-upmanship that seemed like it could cause World War III at any given time. Later, the collapse of the Soviet Union led to a break up of the state, with countries claiming independence from the Motherland and seemingly creating a new era for Eastern Europe.
A lot of time has passed since then and old resentments have re-surfaced, culminating in Russia invading Ukraine with seemingly no legitimate reason for doing so. Led by Vladimir Putin and his aggressively pro-violence rheotoric, the Russians have brought dangerous times back to Europe. The people of Ukraine have been innocently thrust into the world's limelight as the Russian's advance to Kyiv with a shocking level of belligerence.
Martin Luther King once said:
Those who love peace must learn to organise as effectively as those who love war.
Not a great deal changes does it? In such dark times, it's important to be reminded of the lessons of the past.
Manchester-based Blanketman are a band that take influence from more than just the world around them. New single 'Yard Sale' has been released with 'The Signalman' on a 7" double A-side and together, they give an insight to the idiosyncrasies the band possess. First single 'The Signalman' was released at the back end of last year and was inspired by a 1976 BBC adaptation of Charles Dickens' first-person horror/mystery story of the same name.
The railway signal-man of the title tells the narrator of an apparition that has been haunting him. Each spectral appearance precedes a tragic event on the railway on which the signalman works. The band create a suitably other-worldly backing that chugs along with the intensity of the 12.38 from London to Brighton. The rhythm section channels Joy Divison's 'She's Lost Control' and the keyboard riff comes with a Brian Eno warranty. Vocalist Adam Hopper gives a typically orphic performance that gives the air of mystery the story requires.
New single 'Yard Sale' again proves that the band have a knack for jovial melodies that contrast smartly with the more stoic rhythmic sentiments. The tune is upbeat with a sound similar to early Supergrass; the keyboards and the guitars trade blows early on. Again the band glean the song's theme from literature - this time taking it's cues from American poet Raymond Carver - Hopper elaborates more:
Written during the post-lockdown slump, 'Yard Sale' depicts the strange encounter between a young couple and the mysterious homeowner in the short story 'Why Don't You Dance?' by Raymond Carver. Why is all his furniture out on the front lawn? What is he planning? Why does everyone end up dancing? This song doesn't answer any of these questions.
The chorus is an instantly appealing transition, with Hopper playing the role of the ringleader, insistent that the dancing commences:
Why don't you sit down with me?/ He is the man/
The man with the plan/Why don't you dance?/Why don't you dance?
Post-chorus allows the musical sparring to continue, with synth and guitars going back and forth at each other - almost incessantly competitive. There's still time for a surprise paraphrasing of the lyrics, with the band using a snippet from a 60s' classic by Lesley Gore - you'll know it when you hear it. The aftertaste lingers beyond the final seconds of the track and takes you to a place outside of the here and now.
It's been difficult to think of much else this week beyond the horrific scenes in Ukraine; music seems almost superflous to the manmade suffering of others. However, art can help us digest - as well as protest - the immoral and unjust. When art inspires music, it can also become it's own reality capable of changing how we behave and experience life; perhaps certain people need a reminder of that.
Vlad, I'm sending you something in the post and it isn't Novichok.
Buy or stream from the links contained within
Blanketman 📷: Through The Eyes of Ruby
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