Secret Place Review
I often wonder with all those millions of songs written & composed out there how many are there not finished, left only half written, half composed, in demo format. Tracks left within the composers mind never to be heard or left stored in some old computer hardrive never fully produced.
It is a scary thought to a music lover how many classics will never see the light of day.
Why am I saying all this? Well ‘Secret Place’ came about by chance for Baby Scream by them winning a competition held by City Government of Buenos Airs Argentina.
Winning 80 hours of studio time gave the band the opportunity to record tracks that in the past were left out of album projects or left mainly untouched for years or in one case staying within Juan’s mind in danger of being forgotten as much forever moves forward on to new projects.
It is this reason this album is so different to past releases, when I first heard of it I thought how can they better a real strong album like their last release simply entitled ‘Baby Scream’ which I have played so many times and love so?
Well I need not have worried as this album is just as strong but for different reasons.
I found it either hits you hard from the start and you’re addicted or you find it keeps growing on you due to the multi layers, directions and flavors of music and stories held within it.
On to the tracks
First to start the album off is ‘The Last Call’ which reminds me of Marc Bolan not in vocals style but the use of chord structure. Marc was said by many including David Bowie as often playing chords that should not work but always flowing beautifully becoming classics. On this track there are a few such chords that just should not work but sound totally awesome.
The lyrics that stand out for me and I noticed others too is ‘I wouldn’t care about tomorrow, tomorrow never cared for me, you see. This is your only chance to be’ Those few lines alone are so strong as so many of us plan for the future looking ahead and not living for the day, the now. The whole song is like this giving more examples similar to that line above that can make you think. The music has a touch of 80s keyboards with Beatles style guitar but so kicks off the album.
The second track is the track released off the album as a single and Juan happily admits is one of his favorites and it is ‘Hit And Run’ it does not take you long within this to hear that love for John Lennon within the track and delivery and vocals. Juan admits he often tries to emulate Lennon’s writing but still staying as original to himself and Baby Scream as possible. This track is one of those tracks that may never have been heard as the tune and main structure had been only floating around within Juan’s mind for two years never coming out to be recorded. So I am so pleased for this competition win to see this amazing track come to be FINALLY.
The sound is very 70s in guitar style those guitar rifts you remember sitting in the sun when it was safe to do so listening to this style of beautiful guitar work to lyrics of love with your courting partner by your side. You play this track a few times and you get this odd feeling like you’ve known it all your life.
The third track is the title track from the album ‘Secret Place’ and should have been on a past released album ‘Monsters’ but it was felt back then it would not of fitted and personally not having the pleasure of hearing that album yet I cannot agree or disagree. However on this album it fits just fine as it has that happy 90s style country beat. I love the chorus so catchy you just want to jump in and join in. The thought of the lyrics I think appeal to all of us as we all have or want a secret place to go to, to think, to be alone to be or feel secure to just feel happy and recharge our souls. Myself I head off up the National Park near me up on to the high Sussex Downs (Mountains) and feel free for a while. So hearing the lyrics I got it real fast what was trying to be said.
Track four ‘Going North’ is a mix sound of the 70s and 90s which to you who have not heard it yet I know cannot even imagine. Saying that the lyrics bring a darker mood to the album so far talking about caring for yourself and having the right to do so. Listening to the lyrics and working within the care services when not working in music it reminds me of so many out in our community who simply don’t care or prefer to look after themselves it is a thing we should have the right to decide I think. Anyway listen to the dark lyrics and make your own mind up (he says smiling).
‘Cold Weather Reggae’ the fifth track even Juan admits he felt it weird as Baby Scream just has never recorded such songs. Thing is it works so well and to those who have heard the album they all point this out as one of their most favorite tracks off the album. It is not JUST Reggae but also contains a form of progressive rock with some fantastic keyboards that give the album extra depth. The whole mixture within this song you think to a lover of music does not add up if a conclusion in a sum in mathematics the teacher would say NO but it does makes one amazing sound very refreshing. What I love is Juan’s vocals fits reggae so well, well I thought I never ever say that.
‘Bad Seed’ the sixth track I was so in to this as I know this so much, a song about a bad childhood but what I got so well was what the song was about. We all had in our life’s people we thought were friends who lie and cheat to ruin something good so they sound better. Well I had a school friend like this who in later years even thought these lies were his past history. Such a good liar he even convinced himself they were true.
Well this is what the song is about such people that go around doing this to maybe to get out of a life where they feel so small and do something they believe to be only fun.
‘Patiently’ track seven in another favorite track from the album for Juan and was inspired by Juan listening to groups like Matchbox 20 which he was into around late 90s - 2000 the track is not a direct impersonation or emulation thou very much still Baby Scream in style. What lyrics stand out are ‘if you have no feeling how can you feel’ so true today in a very much loveless society. The guitar solo in this really rocks and I just love also Juan’s vocals as his emotions clearly flow out to tell the story of using your feelings. This is what I love about Juan and Baby Scream as a whole they always so good at story telling and acting out each character within the songs.
A good song writer not only writes about good things in their life’s like loves of their life’s, wonderful memories but a good writer also enters their own dark side. Here on track eight ‘London Sun’ Juan writes about his first panic attack while visiting London. Now these things if you’ve not had one are bad enough but the first I must say is the scariest of them all, the thoughts that go through your head within split seconds are indescribable, well they were till now. The music I feel also becomes part of telling the story too it let’s you feel that feeling of fast rush then slow return to reality so amazing how the words and music work so well together.
Track nine ‘Atmosphere’ can confuse you completely very clever I thought as I cannot recall this being done before so well….what? You say, well the music is composed as very depressing with very haunting sad violin and cold wind effects blowing but yet the lyrics are more uplifting again like other tracks on this album you just read about their structure and feel this should not work yet it is one amazing piece of music and gives me great believe that out their still are amazing song writers as it just threw me how well this works. As the lyrics say IT SETS ME FREE
The final track ‘Eating My Face’ is written about a dream or more a nightmare Juan once had so based on again real experience with Juan’s life. We all have nightmares that wake us in a cold sweat in the middle of the night & this dream I feel is one I could have had as once when I was living in Australia I went to a restaurant and was served a meal that looked like some painting of the outback that should be on a wall. I looked at this confused “do I eat it or take it home and hang it on the wall” imagine thou being served a dinner looking like your face NIGHTMARE. Seriously thou this song so ends the album well, an album which is so different in styles it is like going into a supermarket buying random items off the shelf and playing them and sitting back thinking “Wow, must do that again sometime”.
The final track is the B side to the single ‘Hit And Run’ and it is Juan’s cover of the late Marc Bolan’s ‘20th Century Baby’ now I find this so personal and close to this as early 2011 I was guest on a radio show CRMK Radio ‘The Groove Lounge’. It was my birthday that day too and for my guest appearance long before I had a radio show of my own I decided to take in brand new tracks no one had heard to air on radio. Many artists so kindly recorded or gave me exclusive tracks fresh from their studios and this was what Juan so kindly sent me to air that Feb. I remember playing it before going on air and thinking his vocals are incredible and when I talked to Juan later he said how it is one of his most loved Marc Bolan numbers which was never released in Marc’s life time.
The emotion you can hear within his vocals tell how he misses one of his idols and shouts respect. On air Barry and I thought it very brave to open your emotions within a song such as this which really makes this a true tribute to Marc Bolan.
WHERE TO BUY ALBUM
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/secret-place/id449771741
Where to find out more about Baby Scream
www.babyscream.com
Where to find more videos on Baby Scream
www.youtube.com/babyscream
