Sometimes, a song comes along that you fall in love with instantly. Blue Inside, the second single from Mute –signed on DeadWaves is quite simply delicious. From its twanging guitar- filled inception, this is a song that has a real impact each time it’s played. One of those songs you need to hear several times in a row because you want to wrap yourself up in it each time.
If you haven’t heard of onDeadWaves before, you may already know the band. One is James Chapman, better known as Maps, whose critically acclaimed debut We Can Create was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize, and whose latest album Vicissitude, came out on Mute. The other is Polly Scattergood, the electrically charged artist who has released two solo albums on Mute.
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The seeds of Chapman and Scattergood’s creative partnership were sown in 2011, at Mute’s Short Circuit festival, a special event at London’s Roundhouse. The night saw different collaborations with Mute artists and Polly and James paired up to perform each other’s songs. Though each had primarily worked alone before, there was something natural about the chemistry between them. “The gig was one of the most enjoyable I’ve done “says Polly. “And as soon as we finished, we said it’d be cool to do something else.”
onDeadWaves launched their debut track Blackbird at the end of 2015. The Guardian wrote “Blackbird” somehow nods to both shoegaze and country, with a David Lynchian creepiness to both music and lyrics.” It was menacing and beautiful and a very promising start.
Blue Inside really hits the goose bump mark at 55 seconds in when Scattergood’s delicate, breathy vocal becomes fused with backing male vocal and dreamy synth. The song has a strong cinematic quality, heavy of atmosphere but remaining deliciously sedate.
Scattergood is quite simply brilliant on this whilst Chapman adds what is needed to the mix to create a beautifully poetic song. BBC Radio 6 Music has recently featured Blue Inside and presenter Chris Hawkins enthused “This will make you feel dreamy as you listen. Imagine you are in your perfect place – the place that makes you happiest”.
I think that pretty much sums this up. It’s a stunner of a song.
onDeadWaves debut album will be released in the Spring 2016 on Mute Records.
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