Jupiter In Velvet drives with what initially feels like a classic rock & roll sound – vintage crackles and a strong, raspy vocal lead the way. As this album progresses though, the strength of the songwriting takes centre stage far more noticeably than anything else.
London--UK--Europe
P.M.K.S have crafted this one with care. As far as Christmas songs go, this is undoubtedly one of the more easy to access, humble, enjoyable releases to date.
Some people get nervous going on stage; I get excited. As rugby legend, Scott Quinnell says, “those butterflies in your stomach turn into dragons!”
Colin Read has balanced warming pop-rock grooves with deeply reflective, endearing lyrics on this album – making for a collection that’s a joy to have play for you; both for its welcoming musicality & its unwavering realness & truth.
The shared effect of these releases is that you get to witness both the high energy, polished presentation of a single, and the stripped back, raw acoustic set-up of an intimate live performance. In both cases, The Blue Artic easily meets the requirements of the moment.
The songs covered range from age-old acoustic releases to modern day dance-pop, and plenty that falls in between. You can hear this love for the songs & this connection to the music on every track.
This idea of knowing what it’s like to be loved being the most valuable thing in life – something to be forever thankful for – is one that we could all use a little reminder of from time to time.
You can hear the passion and soul of the moment, the instance of individuality that created this performance and composition. You can appreciate the artistry of it at the same time as being grateful for the strength and escapism it offers.
If I had to choose one artist that really pushed me to do what I am doing today, it has got to be the late XXXTENTACION. To see him come from nowhere, stand up & jump from an intricate rap verse to an anger driven screamo-like chorus, to a moving acoustic track – it was eye opening.
The subject matter is clearly something kept close at heart, you witness this roller-coaster-like journey through personal turmoil to acceptance & then back again. The use of contrast within the performance adds dynamic variation to an otherwise smooth & simply hypnotic piece of music.
There’s an underlying, slightly tribal feel to the beat – then you get the vocal rhythm & the sheer passion in Dutty’s voice, the soulful melodic tones of the feature, and some superb electric guitar hits that fill up the outer edges. Originality runs free but it’s also kept relevant by clear threads of ability, truth & professionalism.
Spike’s voice has a traditionally rock-ready tone, so to hear this broken down performance, among talk of the evil of men – it hits with an additional level of pain.