After a summer away from writing I found myself in a position of thinking can I still write? Do I have anything to say? Do I have the time to write? Does anyone read what I write? And after what is now over twenty years of writing albeit on and off should I call it a day? Despite all those thoughts the thing that draws me back to firing the laptop up and spilling out some of these thoughts that spiral around my head is the beauty and power of music. Everyday I hear something that blows my mind, a sound, a lyric that may put an extra skip in my step. A verse that relates to how I am feeling. A chorus that brightens the darkest of days. There are an incredible amount of talented, creative people out there who despite the challenges in the music industry these days are still pushing those boundaries, creating music whilst holding down full time jobs and if I can write something to celebrate all of this and more then I feel it is worth continuing.
After three months away where do I start. There is so much I have loved but not written about. Georgia Ruth's new album together with her launch show at The Gate, the return of Los Campesinos, my return to Green Man festival after seven years away, the first time with my daughter made me remember how important this festival is to me. A summer of Cardiff Castle gigs which included Paul Heaton, Cast, The National, Big Moon and Noel Gallagher. Camera Obscura and Half Happy at the Tramshed. The announcement of The Welsh Music Prize shortlist, the return of Oasis which quickly turned sour due to dynamic pricing.
When thinking about what to write about I kept getting drawn back to an album that was released in August. An album that I along with many others have been waiting a very long time for, an album that has soundtracked my summer, a band that have given me so much joy since around 2015 / 2016. I am of course talking about They Sound The Same Underwater, the debut album from Campfire Social. Hopefully by now you will already be deeply in love with this epic album and perfect band. If not, it is never too late. It does not matter when you discover a band, find an album to make your world a better place, as long as you let the band enter your life, find time in your busy schedule it does not have to be on the week of release. In fact They Sound The Same Underwater is an album that is perfect for all seasons, with the autumn and winter months ahead put this album on during a cold, dark morning and I guarantee the darkness will lift.
Swim Swam Swum opens the album, a song that will instantly make you smile, make you look out at the world and believe that anything is possible. The combination of vocals, harmonies, guitars, percussion all come together like a force of nature and will leave you feeling at least ten times better than your were before you pressed play on this song. We Need To Talk About Peter, is a gentle song that takes the listener on a journey. Allow yourself to drift away with the guitars, let the song lead, put everything else to one-side and focus on the sounds that are filling your head. I love the way how the song builds then takes us back down with beautiful lyrics “I’m not sure how this ends / But I know just how it starts”. Patsy Decline is next and an argument could be made for this being one of the greatest pop songs of the year. Carrie takes lead vocals on this one and this truly is a song for the ages, this is one to cherish and is another fine example of why the world needs bands like Campfire Social right now. George is a Marine Biologist opens with vocal harmonies that will melt your heart. This comes across as a song about being content with who you are, do good things with your life, be a decent human being and don’t worry about other peoples perceptions of you “Breathe out slowly, remember where you are / Become one with your surroundings and open up your heart”.
Living is the album's centrepiece. This is a song that every single person in the world needs to hear. Honestly that is not a throwaway statement. A whole thesis could be written about the importance of this song. This is an honest, emotional, beautiful song written about the universal human experience of loss. This is a song about being with someone as they leave this world “You looked calm as you smiled and said “I’m not afraid to die” / Put your head next to mine and said “I’m not afraid to die”. Being aware that we are not indestructible, that life is short, that life is for living and it is the memories that we take with us, the memories that last a lifetime. Please please please listen to this song, it will strike a chord with you. We have all experienced loss in one way or another and this is a song that will help you to deal with your own loss. It is a song that you will not forget. It is a song that will make you cry whilst at the same time make you feel in love with life and the world.
Wendy follows Living and it is certainly not by chance that the songs follow in this order. In the age of streaming and playlists thankfully there are many artists out there that care about the running order of albums. Wendy is the perfect song to follow Living. This song makes you feel glad to be alive, waking up each day is a privilege, despite the challenges we all face the fact we get to step out of bed each morning, take a breath and live in this world is something we all need to be grateful for. Fans will no doubt be aware that this is a re-recording of the song that appeared on the Wellbeing EP from 2017. Clarity follows with some life affirming melodies and hooks that ensures this is a song that will instantly leave a mark. The song appears to be about friendships, growing up, what being an adult means, holding onto people in our lives when we change and go through different stages in life “Honestly, would you still be with me if I hadn’t met you when we were in school”. Atrophy just sounds like a band having fun together in the recording studio, not all songs have to have a deep emotional meaning and story behind them. Just being around the people you love, doing what you love can be enough and Campfire Social have certainly captured that in Atrophy.
The Inevitable End opens the final chapter of the album, the gentle sounds that accompany the waves is as relaxing as its going to get. Breathe Out Slowly follows and is the perfect song to end a perfect album. Everything you know and love about Campfire Social is captured in this song. The vocal harmonies, the uplifiting melodies, the percussion that drives the song through all the twists and bends, the trumpet that will make you punch the air with joy and the lyrics that will make you stop and think “If I told you the truth I’d be leaving too / It’s as hard as the teeth you’ve been smiling through / I can’t tell if you are waving of drowning”. I’m Not Scared (I’m Terrified) is one final gem amongst this treasure trove of an album. This is a sweet, melodic song to end the album and will allow you to drift away amongst the stars and moon and feel full of love and peace and once again glad to be alive.
Campfire Social you have made us wait a long time for this album, but after spending a month listening to They Sound The Same Underwater I can say with 100 % confidence that the wait was more than worth it. This is an album that will certainly feature on my end of year list, and is one that will stay with me for the rest of my days.
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