My albums of the year (2020)

It's that time of year... arriving just in time for Christmas (hey, did you really think that I'd forgotten you?!) my gift to you all is this list of my favourite records of the year. (You're SO welcome. Seriously. Don't mention it.) It's been quite the year and music has really had our backs through it all. While the world outside remains all sorts of bonkers, music is proving to be the salvation that it always is. There have been lots of incredible records released this year, and I've spent the last few weeks reminding myself of those that I've enjoyed. Rediscovering their delights, revelling in their joys, crying along to them and figuring out, a little self-indulgently, my favourites of the year. 

In keeping with the personal style of the blog, a CMAT albums of the year post is essentially just a bunch of albums that I love. Set aside any expectations of technical chat, and instead, strap yourselves in for some soppy ramblings about the records which have mattered most to me this year, those that have shone a bright light on a gloomy year. Debuts from exciting new artists, some long-awaited returns, and new records from a whole bunch of talented artists - there is quite a mix of records and artists here, and I hope there's a little bit of something for everyone. 

In a year where artists have had the rug pulled from under them in terms of live shows being paused and a real lack of government support, it's more important than ever to show your support for your favourites. Stream the hell out of their music, by all means - but grab a download or an LP on their site or through Bandcamp if you're able to. I decided that I wanted to share the love for more albums this year. So - the list has grown a bit, to 40 in total, up from 30 last year. And, instead of just writing about my five favourite records and listing some others that I love (as I did last year) I'm going to do things a little differently this year...

This is the first in a series of six (yikes) AOTY posts. Here, I'm sharing my top five (they're numbered, but in all honesty I adore every one of them a lot) and a list of 35 more records I've picked out that have meant the world to me this year (in release order because ordering them all would be an impossible task.) Then (after Christmas, just as soon as I write them...) I'll share five more posts, with seven records featured on each, writing a little about each of them. This year it felt like name-checking the longer list wasn't enough, I want to shower these records and artists with love, and I do have a lot of extra time on my hands thanks to furlough... again. 

So, without further ado... my albums of the year!!!!! Don't they look pretty?! 

1. White Tail Falls - Age of Entitlement (buy/stream)

Well, it's hardly surprising, is it? If you know me, or you follow the blog, you'll have heard/read me raving about this record a lot this year. In all honesty, there's been very little doubt in my mind as to which record was getting the top spot since this was released into the world. The rest of the top five certainly come close, but nothing has had such an impact on me this year as this piece of work. It's vulnerable, it's collaborative, it's experimental, and it provides an absolute rollercoaster of emotion. Simply put: it helped drag me through this year, and I love it. 

A CMAT album of the year should be the record which has meant the most to me on a personal level, and this ticks so many boxes in that respect. If you've been living under a rock (well, ten points for social distancing) White Tail Falls is the solo moniker of all-round musical legend Irwin Sparkes, frontman of The Hoosiers. They've been (and still are) my favourite band since their debut album came out in 2007. My love for them was cemented at age 14 when I saw them live, and met them, for the first time in 2011, and I've been following them around the country (and all over the internet) ever since. I can't think of many other things that I've poured so much love into for so long. 

I genuinely believe that the love I have for music, and my desire to set up a blog recommending new music, can be sourced back to the love I had for TH when I was younger. Irwin in particular has always been really supportive of the blog, which means the world. This year, a trio of crazy things happened - I premiered a video for the track Disintegrate (here) back in Feb, Irwin recorded an exclusive performance for the blog's fifth birthday in May, and I interviewed him about the new record in June (read that here.) Without getting *too* soppy those things are essentially teen Meg's dreams coming true. Being a little part, through the blog, in helping to spread the word about this superb record, has been a treat and it is such a joy to name it my album of the year. 

Favourite tracks: Disintegrate, Body Weight, Devout & Rome's Already Fallen. (Alright, all of it.) 

2. Fleet Foxes - Shore (Bandcamp)

You know, I'm still a little in shock that this record exists. Album campaigns seem, on the whole, to exist on somewhat of a spectrum. Ideally, a few tracks will be released as singles, enticing you in, building anticipation. At the other end of the scale, a couple of records this year (which I won't name, but if you know... you know) have released almost the entire record (seriously, no exaggeration) as singles beforehand, to the extent that the excitement I had for those records was almost completely lost. At some extreme point of the spectrum, with the most unexpected record of the year, arrive Fleet Foxes. 

One day, they're putting mysterious posters up (in France, I think?) implying that something was happening in a couple of days. Speculation began to build for a new single, and, lo and behold, we learn that an ENTIRE RECORD is due to drop?! What now??!!?! No time to prepare, to ready myself by obsessing over the back catalogue. No singles to obsess over. An entire 15-track, 54-minute record dropping onto streaming services, just like that. And it is GLORIOUS in every way possible. Arriving when it did, the record instantly became a soundtrack for my commute to work. Working in retail this year (when not furloughed) has been stressful, and taking that time to just sink into new favourites was a huge relief. In a strange year, the record has captured the feeling of hope and bottled it up beautifully. It is calming, it feels like a warm hug from a friend, it brought peace. Shore is certainly good enough to be in the top spot, but that crown is firmly in White Tail Falls' hands this year. Robin and the gang will just have to bring out another record, pronto... 

Favourite tracks: Can I Believe You, Sunblind, Featherweight. 

3. Laura Marling - Song For Our Daughter (buy/stream)

I have been a fan of Laura and her music for a while now, but I've never really connected with a record of her's as much as I have with Song For Our Daughter. I think that I feel as if I came to her music late, when she was already at least a few records in, and her extensive back catalogue is a little daunting. When this record arrived earlier than intended on streaming services (Laura's choice, to give fans something of a treat while we were all on lockdown) I had exactly the time and the headspace to give it the attention that it required.

This record is a genuine work of art, one of the most beautiful records on the list. So many records in, there is no doubting that Laura knows what she is doing and that you can feel safe in her musical hands. Yet, nothing on the record feels like you're hearing something that she's done before. It feels fresh, mature and empowered. A gorgeous blend of vulnerability and strength come through the music and lyrics. It's something special. I must also give a quick mention to the stunning acoustic EP The Lockdown Sessions which Laura brought out earlier this month, with acoustic versions of tracks from the record. 

Favourite tracks: Song For Our Daughter, Held Down, Strange Girl. 

4. Novo Amor - Cannot Be, Whatsoever (buy/stream)

Another record which could easily have taken the top spot here. SO much love for this. It's still utterly ridiculous to me that I was given the opportunity to listen to this record, long-awaited by myself and literally tens of thousands of listeners around the world, around two months before it was released, by Ali himself! A teeny humble-brag, sure, but it really does blow my mind that me sitting at home and typing away about the music that I love results in that sort of thing. Feeling pretty lucky. 

After loving Ali's debut LP Birthplace in 2018 so much there was a lot of pressure on this record to live up to it. (Spoiler: it does.) Coming from different places in Ali's life, both in terms of time, and geography, the records are less like siblings, and more like musical cousins. "If Birthplace is the countryside, then Cannot Be, Whatsoever is the city: it's not where I'm from, but it's where I've been for a long time now", Ali told me in our recent interview about the record. There's a lovely short film about the makings of the record here too. I only wish that I was able to see tracks from the album performed live this year - soon, I hope. If you like this one, head back in time to Birthplace, and Ali's collaborative record with Ed Tullett, Heiress, as both are equally stunning. 

Favourite tracks: Decimal, No Plans, Halloween & Birdcage. 

5. Dizzy - The Sun And Her Scorch (buy/stream)

It blows my mind a little that Dizzy aren't known by more people. They're superstars in my eyes. So here I am, imploring you to listen to them. Their debut was such a gorgeous discovery - a friend took me along to their set at The Great Escape a few years back, and their debut record came out a little while after. I played it at HMV when I worked there, and a few colleagues started to really get into it too. For a while, barely a shift went by where we didn't listen to it a couple of times. I remember experiencing the absolute joy of working in a music store, having a customer ask what was playing and if they could buy it. Yes!

Dizzy are like a joyous ray of light in the dark, and their new record, released a few months back, is exactly that. It's a brilliant follow-up to their debut, and one of the most relatable records (for me, at least) on the list, offering up a look at the claustrophobia of suburban living, and figuring out life after your late teens, all the while trying your best not to compare yourself with your friends. As I wrote in a post about the album announcement: "lyrically, it all sounds a little sad, but those reflective and pensive lyrics are always paired with the band's sunny melodies, courtesy of the trio of brothers Alex, Mackenzie and Charlie Spencer - it's what makes the band's music so loveable."

Favourite tracks: Roman Candles, Sunflower, Good And Right & Beatrice. 

So there you have it... my top five records of the year. I love them all and hope that you'll love them too if you get the chance to check them out. Below are 35 more records, in release order, that have meant the world to me this year. I'll be sharing a few more posts explaining why I love these ones so much ~soon~ (I have to write them first). So watch out for those, and a little end of year ramble soon too. Much love!

The Big Moon - Walking Like We Do
Bombay Bicycle Club - Everything Else Has Gone Wrong
Gengahr - Sanctuary
Brooke Bentham - Everyday Nothing
Franc Moody - Dream In Colour 
Halloweens - Morning Kiss at the Acropolis 
NNAMDÏ - BRAT
The Strokes - The New Abnormal
Hailaker - Holding 
Jack Garratt - Love, Death & Dancing
Gia Margaret - Mia Gargaret
Richard Walters - Golden Veins 
Phoebe Bridgers - Punisher
AJIMAL - As It Grows Dark/Light
HAIM - Women In Music Pt. III 
Dream Wife - So When You Gonna... 
Samantha Crain - A Small Death
Stornoway - The Farewell Show 
Haux - Violence in a Quiet Mind
Lianne La Havas - Lianne La Havas
Willie J Healey - Twin Heavy 
Siv Jakobsen - A Temporary Soothing 
The Magic Gang - Death Of The Party 
Declan McKenna - Zeros 
Everything Everything - Re-Animator 
Cosmo Sheldrake - Wake Up Calls 
Bear's Den & Paul Frith - Fragments 
Fenne Lily - Breach
IDLES - Ultra Mono 
Tempesst - Must Be A Dream 
Dawes - Good Luck With Whatever
Deep Sea Diver - Impossible Weight
Laura Fell - Safe From Me 
Ed The Dog - Untitled.crashed.crashed.crashed
Maggie Rogers - Notes from the Archive: Recordings 2011-2016 

If you made it this far, and like what I do here on cool music and things, a little friendly reminder that I have a Ko-fi page here where you can show the blog some monetary support. (Thanks!)

INTERVIEW: White Tail Falls (June 2020)

The remarkably talented, often hilarious, always welcoming and all round lovely chap Irwin Sparkes just put out his debut solo album Age Of Entitlement under the moniker White Tail Falls. Having heard some of the tracks live at a sort of 'secret' set in 2018, and singles released over the past months, hearing the record in full for the first time was a joy. By joy I mean sitting in awe with tears rolling down my face... a lot of emotion and heart has been poured into the record, and it would be difficult not to be moved by it. Many listens later (you can thank me for the streaming revenue later, Irwin) and, well, I'm still in awe. This is a genuinely gorgeous record from an artist who I have long had a lot of love and respect for. 

I'd try to be cool and blasé about this but I'm delighted to be sharing an interview with Irwin (via email, distancing through the ether) about the record and the project more generally. This post feels like a highlight of my time running the blog, and I'm enormously thankful to Irwin for taking the time to share such detailed responses - now... read, listen, buy the record!!

Hello! Firstly, for those who are yet to discover the wonder of White Tail Falls (the small minority of people, that is) - who is White Tail Falls, and where does the name come from? 

My name is Irwin. I read about a location called White Tail Falls in the Pacific Northwest of America. Having never been, I liked that this place could be anything; I had no frame of reference to project upon it, so it held a mystery. It could be anything. Like a fresh start, which I liked the sound of. Rather than use my name I like the use of a disguise; it can become anything. 

Colour. Noun. Verb. What's not to like?

It’s been just over two years since I first heard about the project and saw you performing what I guess was one of the first live sets as White Tail Falls, at a tiny London show alongside The Ayoub Sisters and Alexander Wolfe. I’m intrigued to know when the project first came to be… and if you always felt that you had a solo record brewing under the surface? 

The idea for the album started forming around 2015. I'd partaken in too many co-writes where the artist had no investment in what they were saying and this exacerbated my delusion with music to the point where I was struggling to see how I'd move past that. The choice was cynicism or see if I could write something I believed in. Something reflective of the music and genres I'm into and wanted to listen to. It was terrifying. Doing this took me back to writing my first songs: where I was trying to figure out my own feelings. The songs I started writing tended to be very reflective. Bordering on grotesquely self-obsessed, you could say. 

I think I just had about three demos which I showed to Erland Cooper, who I'd written with and clicked with. Erland understood what I wanted to make, but pushed me to work at recording it myself (I was hoping he'd do it all.) He heard something in my rough demos that could be complimented with strings and a harp.

In terms of always having a solo record... I honestly didn't know what I had to say. Age and an earth-shattering amount of humility (ha) have made me question the value of my own opinion and voice. To start, I thought I'd write about what I knew: myself. So this album has an insular quality. That allowed me to check on myself and ensure I was telling the truth/saying what I really wanted to say. Some of my favourite albums (Benji by Sun Kil Moon, Last of The Country Gentlemen by Josh T. Pearson, Carrie & Lowell by Sufjan Stevens, any Elliot Smith, The Eels and Blake Mills' first two albums, to name quite a few...) draw on their own experiences but allow the listener to share in it. By virtue of being truthful and expressing an emotion that's common to all they create a communal experience. What I'm saying is, I don't want to be a navel-gazer. 

If I'd have made a solo album ten years ago I would have cared so much more about what people thought - it couldn't be anything other than contrived and a product of paranoia and fear. 

On that note! As I write these questions, it’s just one week until the debut album Age Of Entitlement (plug plug plug) “drops” figuratively and literally into our hearts, our streaming services and our postboxes. How does it feel to finally be sharing the record in full, especially in these unpredictable and crazy times?

Sat here, responding the week after release, it couldn't be crazier. I feel so sad and frustrated with what's happening in America following the murder of George Floyd. It's terrible timing to be self-promoting when there are clearly bigger issues to be addressed. Desperately searching for the positives, I hope this moment can be a catalyst for change in our western systems to address the injustices faced by black and minority people. That all sounds good but to do it I've got to take responsibility for my adding to the problem.

As for the release, it's been finished for a couple of years and the label (Physical Education Recordings) and I have been building to this moment so it's a lesson we are not in control. Regardless, I'm so glad it's out there. Getting the Rough Trade Edit was a real cherry on top of the day of release.

To me WTF makes sense as an album. I didn't set out to write singles and so releasing the three singles felt a little disjointed. I get it; that's how bands/artists introduce themselves to the world: "Hi, here's my most immediate record, can we be friends?" To me the tracks make the most impact in the context of the album. Finally having the full LP out there allows people to experience the whole journey as intended. 

Can you talk a bit about the recording process for the record, and the guests that helped out along the way… especially the foxes in your garden - they’re receiving royalties, right? On your recent live stream with Alexander Wolfe you touched on the differences in recording as part of a band in the past, and now having the responsibility of making those big decisions yourself. A learning curve?

Don't get me started on those foxes. I'm over city-living, having (humanely) gotten rid of the fox den under the "shed-io", the accompanying fleas, plague of moths and as of yesterday: rats. So gross. 

I had to learn how to record as I went. The album running order is pretty much chronological and you can hear me learning how to record as I go. Most of the vocals are recorded on a £30 USB mic. A lot of the early demos were recorded in my cousin's shed in Cornwall, or a motel travelling around America. After deciding that the demos would form the bedrock of the album it helped me accept my limitations and if there's one thing I've got a lot of... I made some rules: only three attempts at a part. Hence I couldn't play all the parts on the piano, or whatever, to you, that you hear on the album, as often, what you hear recorded is the only time I ever played it. Mistakes an all. And there's a lot of em. 

Initially I envisioned my album gleaming with professionalism and finesse, as are the other recordings I've been a part of. I realise now how much I've relied upon the better ability of my bandmates and producers and engineers. Once I accepted my newfound "raw", lo-fi approach, I can't see how it could have worked any other way. It's a fortunate occurrence, as I'm singing stories I've lived, seen lived and learned from, it makes sense that the recordings are lived in. I began to relish the bleed of the metronome through my cheap headphones on Body Weight, or how my sense of timing is a law unto itself. This, too, a reaction to the chart-filled perfection of locked-to-the-grid timing.

I knew I didn't just want to be some guy with a guitar. Maybe for fear of being exposed, but I also wanted some drama.

I wanted to use a restricted sonic palette. I'm trying to think of a less wanky way to say that. I just can't think of one... I wanted organic synth sounds so I bought a Yamaha VSS30 after hearing one in a co-write in Nashville. It's an 80s toy synth with a voice sampler that's all over the record. That way I get to augment my first instrument of a guitar with a synth that's using my voice as a texture. Restrictions in sound help give the album a cohesiveness. That said Devout is the only track that uses a phone app...

 

White Tail Falls · Devout

Hardest thing was making all those decisions. Erland was great for that. I'm surprised he's still talking to me! I must have driven him mad. Like a clingy eaglet that really doesn't want to leave the nest... it took time to trust my instincts. I have a new found respect for every record in existence. Even if you hate it, someone was able to choose THAT note, THAT sound, etc over all others. Mind blowing. I hope I've learned how to do that quicker. I'm writing the next album, so I'll find out pretty soon.

I got myself in fixes that required professional help. I just couldn't play bass well enough to do justice to Disintegrate or Only Getting Easier, so I roped in the amiable axeman Leighton Allen, who plays with The Hoosiers amongst others. Crucial to the sound was how we blended my rough-hewn takes with the sonorous beauty of strings and harp - Stephanie O provided violins and Lisa Canny the harp, both are solo artists in their own right and well worth your time. The Ayoub Sisters joined me on the second half of the record for violin and cello duties. 

Bernie Gardner got me out of trouble on the drum programming of Disintegrate. Alexander Wolfe wrote the string line on Age Of Entitlement and it's probably the biggest hook on the album. Paul Frith (arranges for Bear's Den, Mumford & Sons amongst others) helped me out with the strings for Fake News and Disintegrate. At live shows I always ask any string players what their favourite arrangements are, in case they choose mine over Paul's. None have yet. There's always next time...

Naomi Jensen (Rinngs), Hayley Wolfe (Tygermylk) and Alexander Wolfe lent me their voices for backing vocals. 

Nearly forgot, early on in the recording my Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer and I felt a sudden burst of needing to work with him, so I got him playing piano on Body Weight and Give It Up, Son. It was tough going. Not sure we'll work again. Creative differences. He's doing ok now. Great help courtesy of the NHS and Prostate Cancer UK.

             

I find that favourite albums can be like a crutch to lean on when I feel low or when the world becomes a little too much, so I’m revisiting a *lot* of firm favourites at the moment... music always helps, and yours, in its various guises, has really helped me in the past (you know that!) I guess in the sort of mirror of that, you’ve shared online about the therapeutic process that writing the record was for you during a difficult time... how it helped to put you “back together”. I really admire the honesty in those posts, putting yourself on the line both there and in the songs, and I’m interested to know how it feels to be sharing them, with their incredibly personal origins in mind? Turning full circle, it must be heartwarming to know that people might take comfort from the tracks. 

Great question. Truthfully, I struggle with being vulnerable online. Especially when I feel like I've already done that to write and record the songs. And that was always my intention: to exist in the songs I write, not in my online presence. That said, a couple of folks, who stumbled upon my online biography, told me it got to them in one way or another and so I was encouraged to really boil down what the record was about and not hide behind the metaphors in lyrics or my usual online brevity. Truth is, when I came to write these songs, I was hurting and didn't know why and felt I had no right to hurt and in writing, attempted to figure that out. That's probably the shortest answer. 

Once you're committed to releasing the record, you want it to reach as many people as possible, although, I'll offer a caveat that I know not everyone will like it. It's not for everyone. So I will open up online, occasionally and against my better judgement, from time to time, because I want the music to reach people that it needs to and so that means telling people where it/I've come from. First time I did it felt like disrobing for Playboy. On an emotional level.

White Tail Falls · Rome's Already Fallen

Like many musicians, you’re adapting to the newly popularised ways of connecting with fans at the moment, mostly via livestreams. You can’t hear me clapping and singing along (unfortunately… or not) or see me crying in the front row, and it must be a little (a lot) strange to be playing into your phone. How are you finding that side of things? 

First couple of livestreams brought on an existential crisis. Strangely tiring. Apparently there's some science to being watched and how that being "on" takes it out of you. Can't really complain. Especially when trying to moan to Fran, aka Ajimal, who finishes a shift as an NHS doctor helping covid sufferers then does a livestream. What a guy! Though he is making the rest of us look really bad so I wish only bad things for that man and his beautiful music. 

My livestream when the album came out got me all choked up. There were people there! I felt more relaxed - actually it was relief that the album was finally out there and to see people respond to it felt like the years of work and multitude of decisions made along the way were vindicated. That was my favourite and I hope I'm settling into them. Not expecting it to be perfect or me aiming to use too much tech (cos I don't know what I'm doing) is helping.

Public service announcement: we interrupt the interview with some dates for your diary.... 

Tuesday 9th June 7.30 BST: Twitter album playback listening party. Press play & lets drink in the Age Of Entitlement together. Tell me how it makes you feel and I’ll tell you how your feelings make me feel. 

On Thursday 11th June at 7.30 BST: come back to Insta and Facebook and I’ll get acoustical and talk more. Deal?

Finally, who or what is in your headphones at the moment? Aside from the cool music and things 2020 playlist, of course, which I hear is brilliant.

That playlist is the bomb! 

Nnamdï's BRAT is blowing my mind. 

Moses Sumney's græ

Little Feat

Basia Bulat

Töth

Dawes

Andrew Mayling

Ajimal

Buy/stream Age Of Entitlement here (check out the clear vinyl!)

Follow White Tail Falls - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

WATCH: White Tail Falls - Fake News (#5YearsOfCMAT)

It's been a bit of a crazy (but good) week.... since my post about the blog turning five, the love has been pouring in. Blogging can be quite solitary, as I sit typing away at posts about the music I love, unsure if anybody will actually read them (and I think, importantly, not really minding if they don't) so to have so much love reflected back at the blog - and by extension, my writing - is the best kind of overwhelming.

Since sharing the idea I'd had to share session style home-recorded videos from some of the blog's favourite artists a week ago, I've shared the first three videos from MF Tomlinson, Christof van der Ven and China Bears on YouTube. All three are superb - watch them!! You can check out the channel and subscribe here.

Some of that love for the blog has come from Irwin Sparkes, an artist that I admire, one of my absolute favourite musical beings. About to surely blow the world away with his debut solo album, Age Of Entitlement, due out two weeks today (!!) under the moniker White Tail Falls, you might know Irwin from a couple of other bands... The Sea & I and The Hoosiers. (Me? I've never heard of them.) Between those projects, he's the artist I've seen live on stage most, and has given me so much music to enjoy over the years. When I asked if he wanted to be involved, he agreed (needing very little persuasion) and somehow found time amidst album promotion, a busy streaming schedule and baby raising duties. He's been genuinely supportive of the blog since the beginning and that - and this video - means more than I can properly express here without becoming *too* soppy.

Without more rambling.... here's the video:

The White Tail Falls track that he's performing here is Fake News, from the upcoming record. In his words it "was written about four years ago and was inspired by shock and awe at how people draw their conclusions; betting the farm on such little evidence. All the while I'm reminded of how cripplingly indecisive I can be." It's on the Fake News EP which you can listen to here.

The upcoming record is hugely personal and the process of creating it acted as a kind of complimentary therapy for Irwin, and I can't wait to hear it in full. He shared a long social media post/open letter about the record and the process recently which is worth a read.

You can (and most certainly should) pre-order the record here in all its clear vinyl, CD and download glory. There's also some copies on Rough Trade. 

I've been sharing the videos as I'd wanted to organise a gig to celebrate the blog's birthday. I was moved by seeing lots of grassroots venues campaigning for help on the back of the Music Venue Trust #SaveOurVenues campaign. With a barely existent local musical scene in my hometown, I've 'adopted' OMEARA and shown them some love, and I'm encouraging people to do the same, to OMEARA or their own local venue, if they're asking for support.

P.S. As I wrote this post, the blog has just passed 150000 all-time page views, which is another very crazy thing. Aaaaaaahhhhh!!!  

Follow White Tail Falls - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

WATCH: White Tail Falls - 'Fake News'

Last night, I should've been seeing one of my favourite artists on the first tour of his new project White Tail Falls in the beautiful confines of London's St Pancras Old Church. Instead, I had to make do with a live performance, via the wonders of the internet, from his (shed) studio. Pretty magical, and I didn't have to leave the house, or get dressed up. I quite like these internet gigs. It also happened to be launch day for his video for the track Fake News, the title track of his recent EP.

The video is the first part, but the third to be released (keep up...!) in a trilogy of videos, with the previous parts arriving alongside tracks Give It Up, Son and Disintegrate. Filmed in Barcelona, the video brings together footage of a New Year's Eve beach party (fireworks and all) and the sun-drenched morning-after. Crowds contrast with the near empty beach, with footprints ready to be washed away by the sea. It's all a bit profound.

Irwin explains that the video "created entirely by Craig 'Attacks' Young, begins the three-part story of how our demons haunt us, through hedonism, through time and through space. Whilst the lyrics flirt with optimism in how: 'If everyone's lying, someone must be, accidentally, telling the truth', the video reflects the sorrow of how what was will never be again." 

The tour has been rescheduled (phew!) for this September, with tickets still valid and for sale here for shows in Brighton, Manchester, Glasgow, Leeds and London.

Follow White Tail Falls - Facebook | Twitter | Instagram.

LISTEN: White Tail Falls - 'Fake News' EP

As I write this, I'm still revelling in the wonder of having seen my favourite band live on Friday evening. Nothing quite compares. The Hoosiers took to O2 Shepherd's Bush Empire for their Greatest Hit(s) 'tour'. A triumphant live return to the capital for a band that I've spent over a decade adoring, a really special evening. It's a delight to share that the frontman Irwin Sparkes has a solo project, White Tail Falls - you may just about have spotted me raving about it, a little bit.

With the debut album Age of Entitlement due for release on Physical Education Records on 29th May, he's just released his debut EP, Fake News. The title track is the third to be taken from the album, sitting alongside a Karl Zine remix of Rome's Already Fallen, and acoustic versions of The Other Kind of Guy and Body Weight on this EP. All as yet unheard tracks from the project, so a genuinely exciting release. The lyrics throughout the project are honest and vulnerable, while their delivery is tender - trying not to weep my way through Body Weight.

Talking about the title track, Irwin explains that it "was written about four years ago and was inspired by the shock and awe at how people draw their conclusions; betting the farm on such little evidence. All the while I'm reminded of how cripplingly indecisive I can be." 

White Tail Falls head out on a UK headline tour through March and April, dates below & tickets here. Join me in London?

20th March: The Poetry Club, Glasgow

21st: Royal Park Cellars, Leeds

26th: St Pancras Old Church, London

27th: The Hope & Ruin, Brighton

2nd: Night People, Manchester

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VIDEO PREMIERE: White Tail Falls - 'Disintegrate'

Time for a sneaky early watch of something really rather exciting. I did the maths and it turns out that I've been listening to Irwin Sparkes' music, in its various guises, for over half of my life. Big commitment. So it's pretty wild to be asked to premiere the brand new music video for his track Disintegrate, released as part of his White Tail Falls project. The track is taken from the upcoming debut album Age Of Entitlement, due for release via Physical Education Records on 29th May - but first, the Fake News EP due next Friday!

Following in the footsteps of the Give It Up, Son, the new video is once again directed by Craig Young - the videos come together to form part of a short-film. Most exciting fact of all - it was entirely shot on an iPhone. Let that sink in. The new video was partly shot in Barcelona last year, and the footage recently added to with a chilly shoot in Berlin. As Irwin commented online "making these videos has been a sheer labour of love. Craig and Nēna have laboured and I've loved watching them. So proud of what we've (mainly "they've") done to make these #shotoniphone videos look a million rupees." I couldn't do the video justice by trying to explain - it's best if you just feast your eyes and ears, pronto. It's a gorgeous track.

A little more on the video from Irwin... "I learned a lot of things making this film: I have a low tolerance for being cold, pigeon faeces and working for free. The talented Mr Craig Young, who wrote, directed and shot it [...] pulled in a lot of favours to make this happen. This video is a testament to what you can accomplish with no budget, a little chutzpah, a lot of love and an iPhone. And a drone." 

I for one absolutely can not wait for the record - every press quote I see and every tweet that Irwin shares about the record or the process of making it just adds to the intrigue. He describes that "making this album has changed my life. It's forced me to confront what I'm made of. I still don't know how I feel about that." Elsewhere, he shared that "making music is a joy. Releasing it is another kettle of worms altogether. This record makes me feel vulnerable and even admitting that on social media is probably not advisable. I wish I could be so nonchalant as to say I don't care if you like it... but I hope it finds a home in your ears, and so do I. It's the closest I've come to documenting having come apart at the seams & being stitched back together. Some of you will know what that means. Some of you will find out." It feels such an honour to be allowed in for a listen to a record which is so clearly a deeply personal response to a difficult time. I'll treasure the record accordingly, I'm sure.

White Tail Falls head out on a UK headline tour through March and April, dates below & tickets here.

20th March: The Poetry Club, Glasgow
21st: Royal Park Cellars, Leeds
26th: St Pancras Old Church, London
27th: The Hope & Ruin, Brighton
2nd: Night People, Manchester

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LISTEN: White Tail Falls - 'Disintegrate'

Time for a premiere, kind of... this one's been out in the world all day, but if you've not had the pleasure of listening to it yet, let me introduce you. White Tail Falls is an exciting new and slightly mysterious project from one of my favourite humans. Having released debut single Give It Up, Son towards the end of 2019, he's today shared brand new track Disintegrate and it's absolutely sublime. It's a gorgeously ambient track, with Irwin's vocals sitting atop a delicate and pulsing blend of strings, guitar and piano, with drum beats and synths building throughout.

In its various guises, Irwin's music has soundtracked much of my life so a brand new project is all kinds of exciting and I genuinely can't wait to hear more - luckily, he's announced details of debut album Age Of Entitlement, which is due for release on March 6th via Physical Education Records.

With his epic songwriting skills on show with this one, talking about the track, Irwin explains that "I was thinking about bloodlines and procreation and how we think we've got power over it when the decision is ultimately out of our hands [...] over-thinking about the family I'm from and the family I hadn't started and the implications of having kids or not and remembering the love I do have in my life, to go skipping into the apocalypse with. It became a bit of an existential love song." 

What's that? You want tour dates. That's lucky - White Tail Falls head out on a UK headline tour through March and April, dates below. I hear that if you save the track on Spotify here, you'll be entered with a chance to win two tickets to a show of your choice. Who doesn't love a freebie.

19th March: Head Of Steam, Newcastle
20th: The Poetry Club, Glasgow
21st: Royal Park Cellars, Leeds
26th: St Pancras Old Church, London
27th: The Hope & Ruin, Brighton
1st April: Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
2nd: Night People, Manchester
3rd: The Bodega, Nottingham

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TOUR NEWS: White Tail Falls (March 2020)

Bit quiet on the blog front at the moment... working in retail over Christmas is taking its toll a little. A few posts still to come this month and I'll soon be trying to figure out my albums of the year list too! Exciting news to share today however - White Tail Falls has announced his first UK tour for next March and April. Following the release of debut single Give It Up, Son and the video (watch below) the tour will see him take in eight dates with a show at the gorgeous St Pancras Old Church in London on 26th March.

Full dates for the tour are as follows...

19th March: Head Of Steam, Newcastle
20th: The Poetry Club, Glasgow
21st: Royal Park Cellars, Leeds
26th: St Pancras Old Church, London
27th: The Hope & Ruin, Brighton
1st April: Hare & Hounds, Birmingham
2nd: Night People, Manchester
3rd: The Bodega, Nottingham

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LISTEN: White Tail Falls - 'Give It Up, Son'

Kicking off the week with something freshly squeezed... Give It Up, Son, the debut track from London artist White Tail Falls. Earning instant bonus points from me the track has some gorgeous strings throughout, with beats from drum and synth machines creating a sound that seems to be almost pulsing. It is constant and repetitive, whilst also being added to when you least expect it. All this while Irwin's ever impressive vocals sit atop the music, making for a really intriguing debut.

He explains that the track is a "wake-up call from someone who loves you; imploring you to be honest with yourself. It's set in the context of addiction, where family and friends know what's going on but the addicted individual is still labouring under the misapprehension that they've got everything under control. The voice is that of a parent watching their child unravel. Addiction doesn't just affect the person with the disease." 

If you like what you're hearing and happen to be in London this evening, then get yourself to Servant Jazz Quarters for the single launch this evening. Tickets here.

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