Checking into the “International Hotel” for the foreseeable…

“I hope you find something in these 13 stories” is what Billy Raffoul posted on his Instagram as he released his new album this morning.

I say “new album” but I’m not even sure what this is if I’m being honest. Is it his debut? Or did A Few More Hours at YYZ count as his debut? Or was that an EP? I’m lost.

Anyway that doesn’t matter, the album is here and it totally blew me away this morning at midnight when I first hit the play button on it. Time to have a wee blether about it – with the same rules applying throughout – I only got 40 minutes from…now!

I discovered Billy when he released ‘1975’ a few years back. That EP is still a regular on my car playlist and is probably his most successful one to date. I’ve been a keen follower since then and this album is probably the best time to be a Billy Raffoul fan.

We are introduced (or checked in!) to the album by the title track. His very distinctive voice bursts in from nowhere and the scene is set for the rest of the album – that voice and an acoustic guitar which he seems to be battering in this first song. Think of how hard Weller plays the acoustic during “That’s Entertainment” and you’ll get the idea.

“What Makes A Man” was the first single released from the album. It had me searching the house for my harmonica straight away – don’t know why cause I can barely play! Despite its gentle nature, I can picture it being transformed into a football chant once we are allowed back into stadiums. That’s what happens when you write a song with the opening line – “You should have gotten three points”

“I remember late night drives, fast food and French fries/you play One Direction songs and I pretend to mime” –

Lyrically “Philadelphia” is one of his best. Another example of how Billy can take 4 chords and transform them into something special with amazing lyrics and melody.

I love the arpeggios at the start of “Everything Marie” It’s certainly one of those songs (a bit like 1975) where Billy almost seems to be whispering the song rather than singing it. It actually sounds like it should be on Brian Fallon’s Local Honey from earlier this year. Brilliant stuff.

“Sundown on County Line” is the first big change of tone on the album. No more sweet sounding progressions and gentle lyrics. That guitar riff creates a sense of impeding doom at times and it’s repetition is verging on scary. We got some nice slide guitar in there too so you obviously know I’m going to be a fan.

“Right Behind You” keeps that mood going a little bit longer. “When darkness surrounds you” is the opening line so that’s a bit of a hint.

Back to the slightly more mellow times with “Library Book”. Falsetto that puts Billy up there with Bon Iver’s Justin Vernon. “If your heart is like a library book / I’ll wait till the day he takes it back” This album is filled to the brim with incredible lyrics and imagery and this one is one of the best.

“The Ballad of James Howlett” – not sure if he is writing about Wolverine here or not but it sounds like it could be the soundtrack for a Marvel film or even a bond film – “Pity the man who can never die” – seems really fitting for 007.

“Keep your eyes on the shoreline, your feet dancing in the sand” is Billy’s message to “Shannon” It actually sounds like a song that would be sung around a campfire on the beach in the middle of summer…well maybe not this summer anyway.

The harmonica is back in “Big City” and I’m so glad it is. As a borderer who’s spent the last 4 years of his life in the big city, this song is incredibly relatable at times – “Babe ain’t it easy, to get lonely in a big city”

The short ballad “You & I” follows on with one of my favourite songs on the album just behind it. “Truth Be Told (I Like You)” – some 12 bar bluesy acoustic guitar. That riff after the chorus is just so good, I swear I’ve listened to that section of the song more than anything else on that album so far. Can’t wait for pub sessions to start again cause I think that one will be on my list now.

So we’ve come to the end. Only “Massey Hall” left before our holiday at the International Hotel comes to an end – hopefully we don’t have to quarantine!

“And if I break down am I less of a man? If that’s the case, well I’m an infant” This song is a beautiful conclusion to an album that is going to be a big part of my life over the next little while.

I would love to know if Billy recorded this during lockdown. 99% of the time it’s just him and a guitar, that is probably when he is at his best.

Time out already. Christ

Cheers

RB

There’s Clearly Something in The Tyne These Days – “Everyday Nothing” Review

28/02/20 – a date I’ve been waiting for since I first saw her live. It was finally debut album day for the amazing songwriter from South Shields.

This date is a few months on from a rainy Monday night last year. I got absolutely drenched leaving Charing Cross and walking down Sauchiehall Street to the CCA to see one of the most important albums in my collection played on piano by Bill Ryder Jones. Not exactly the first choice gig venue in Glasgow, I think the last time I was there was for a radio event when I was in college, but a perfect venue to be introduced to the music of one of the best rising stars in Britain – Brooke Bentham.

It was on this night that I first heard many of the songs that grace this debut album as Brooke supported her good pal on his Yawny Yawny tour. Now their strong friendship and professional relationship has produced one of my favourite albums of recent times. Bill’s presence as a producer on her debut is widely felt.

The album opens with a song called “With Love”. I’m a firm believer that the opening track of an album must set the scene and it does that perfectly. The slightly dark sounding guitars mixed with Brooke’s strong vocal performance is a great taster of what is to come on the rest of the record. We then enter track 2…

“Perform for You” is my highlight on the album. Ever since it’s release as a single back in November, it’s been repeatedly on my “On Repeat” playlist on Spotify. I love everything about this song – the driving rhythm that feels like it could go on forever, the arrangement and the lyrics. The chill on the back of my neck when it reaches “When I go to sleep I hear you, but it’s an accent that I do not know” is really something else. 10/10 vocal performance.

One of the things I like about this record is it’s full of new material. “Duh Borthwick – it’s her debut! What are you talking about?” is what I hear you cry! With the ways of releasing new music these days, many artists have already brought out a lot of content before they bring out their debut. That album then just becomes a “best of what I’ve done trying to make it and you’ve probably heard most of it before” – this isn’t the case with Brooke.

The next song we come to is one of the new “album tracks” we are treated to. The build up during the first minute of “High” is the perfect follow up to Perform for You as she gradually takes us on a journey, building up to the same level of power we’ve already experienced. If you had any doubts about her vocal performance, they are definitely gone by the time we’ve reached the end of song 3.

I’ve talked about Brooke’s vocal ability a lot already – but she is also a very accomplished guitarist. There are some amazing riffs on this album and the opening arpeggio of “Blue Light” is a perfect example of that. Dreamy, simple and very effective.

“Keep It Near” is next in the queue and judging by the reaction on Twitter and Spotify – it certainly seems to be one of the favourites among fans, who have been listening to the album in spades since midnight Friday. The catchy hook in the chorus – I love a song where the melody is backed up the guitars.

“All My Friends Are Drunk” was her first release after I discovered her music so it was naturally a song I jumped on and listened to a lot. As a guitarist, it’s one of those where you want to see the precise settings on her pedalboard. That dreamy guitar sound is magnificent. It’s a song about growing older than what you think you are – as someone who hits quarter of a century this year but still feels 18…I can relate **sad face**

The album is “All Killer, No Filler” but if I had to pick my least fav single – “Control” would probably be it. I think the only reason for this is it came on the heels of “Perform For You” which was always a hard act to follow. It’s a good song with a catchy chorus but didn’t quite make the grade for me compared to some other songs on the album. I probably would have released “Keep It Near” instead.

She changes tactics a little bit on “Without” This song reminds me of the first time I saw her as she was on her own without the band. It’s just her and her guitar. It’s definitely one of the most personal songs on the album – “Do you think I’m a fool for loving you”

8 down, 3 to go and we are into unknown territory. Three songs that we haven’t heard yet. “Men I Don’t Know” almost following in the same vein as Perform For You, albeit a tad slower is immediately followed by “Telling Lies”

This is the first time we drift away from dreamy chorus pedals to the sound of an acoustic guitar providing the main drive for the song. No rhythm section, just her. It’s very reminiscent of her producer’s work. Simple progression repeated with meaningful lyrics over the top. It’s a gorgeous piece of music.

And so we come to the end of the journey with “My Baby Lungs”. We don’t end the album with a punch but more of a gentle wave goodbye to the journey we’ve been on in the previous 39 minutes. The outro, which feels like it’s about as long as Hot Love by T Rex, gradually brings us to the conclusion that we’ve just listened to a phenomenal album.

“There’s Clearly Something in The Tyne These Days” – last year, she was the support act for Sam Fender on his UK dates. North Shields and South Shields unite! A Geordie powerhouse of a line up. The Borderer in me is so happy to see the music coming out the North-East being so successful just now. The toon was always my main gig city growing up.

It’s been a long time since Jimmy Nail was singing about his Crocodile Shoes or Lindisfarne were telling you to Run For Home. It’s nice to see the next generation taking over!

RB x