Way back when, in September 2009, we discovered a sprightly young chap from Glasgow called Shambles Miller. Then, he presented us with his debut EP 'Shambles Vs The Dragon Wizard', a four-track record that demonstrated his acute ear for solid folk songs with a humorous edge. Now, he presents us with his new single 'Confession', which is released this week through Pipe Down Records. With the formula seemingly little changed from when we first discovered him, 'Confession' is a humorous, but honest depiction of a relationship break-up, despite Shambles himself singing during the track 'the world doesn't need another break-up song'.
The single begins with some twee (?) guitar playing, before Shambles hits the front, his vocals having a real warmth to them, with the Glaswegian twang becoming increasingly infectious as the song goes on. Lyrically gems such as "...so long and thanks for all the sex...", "...here's that one last confession, i never really liked your mum..." and "i knew it was over when you cancelled my Cineworld card", as well his mock David Bowie voice give the song a genuine but funny side.
However alongside the humor there is a sense of compassion and understanding that will certainly draw in the many of us who have indeed gone through one of life's toughest hurdles. Production wise things seemed to have upped a gear or two from when we last checked him out, with the track leaping from being quite sparse to full bodied pretty effortlessly.
A mention must also go to the b-side 'Pieces', which also centers around relationship breakups, however this track is more stripped back, with focus shifting away from the humorous vocals and instead Shambles presents a thoughtful, genuinely touching side to things through his lyrics and a simple soft guitar. It's a really strong track, which in many ways eclipses the single itself, but ultimately only serves to further enhance your positive feelings regarding Shambles and his music.
However alongside the humor there is a sense of compassion and understanding that will certainly draw in the many of us who have indeed gone through one of life's toughest hurdles. Production wise things seemed to have upped a gear or two from when we last checked him out, with the track leaping from being quite sparse to full bodied pretty effortlessly.
A mention must also go to the b-side 'Pieces', which also centers around relationship breakups, however this track is more stripped back, with focus shifting away from the humorous vocals and instead Shambles presents a thoughtful, genuinely touching side to things through his lyrics and a simple soft guitar. It's a really strong track, which in many ways eclipses the single itself, but ultimately only serves to further enhance your positive feelings regarding Shambles and his music.
Despite dealing with the negative subject of a relationship break-up, Shambles puts a positive spin on things, through his vocals, the lyrics, and the up tempo music. By the end of 'Confession' you are left feeling somehow connected with others, with the thinking being that things really aren't as bad as you thought they were some 3 minutes and 53 seconds ago before you pressed play, and for such an achievement the entire arrangement of this single from start to finish must be applauded, recommended, and thoroughly enjoyed.
Sheer brilliance, have already listened to it about 5 times! Thanks for posting Jon.
ReplyDeleteGoodness! This song is surprisingly catchy and his accent is endearing. I had to smile when I heard the line "..so long and thanks for all the sex..". It's just something that I personally would imagine what my parting words would be after a bitter break up but I would never have the guts to actually say it.
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