𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿 - this week: Irrelevant - Bernice Marsala

Welcome all to 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗹𝘆’𝘀 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗻𝗲𝗿, a series of weekly reviews by Charles Connolly - an artist in his own right. Here, Charles delves into the greatest brand new singles brought to you by the best unsigned artists on our electrifying and eclectic set of 𝙉𝙚𝙬 𝘼𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙨𝙩 𝙎𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 playlists.

𝙄𝙧𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙩 - 𝘽𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙈𝙖𝙧𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙖

Charles sees the relevance in longevity…

The fun and games are over. Well, the games are over. The Olympics is done for another 4 years. The fun continues however, for we are still alive. Who were YOU rooting for? No doubt your own country. The only bit of the tournament I actually watched was the volleyball. Because Great Britain was playing? Nope. Because Poland was playing. My girlfriend is Polish and she wanted to see it. I suffered the ordeal for a minute or two, before realising that I was actually really enjoying it! Poland ended up with a shiny silver medal, by the way. Not bad at all! The pesky French got the gold. Huh! Zut. But you know what was missing in the Olympics? Cricket. Cricket, which hasn't been part of the Olympics since 1900. In fact, 1900 was the only year it was ever included! Why? Apparently lack of participation... Bit weird, but okay. The good news is, it is due to make a grand comeback in the 2028 L.A. Olympics! Which is perfect timing because this week I scored a double century! The problem being, it’s just not cricket!

Not cricket, and indeed far from sport altogether. I speak of music. This review marks the 200th edition of Connolly's Corner!!! That is 200 solo chats about music (among many other things). And I didn't even once feel the need to call up Tom Cruise and ask him to “drop in” for a favour. Poor chap, left in the lurch. I did however once or twice have to call on Brad (otherwise known as Mercury Teardrop) in order to stand in on the odd occasion when I was out galavanting in foreign lands with a Pole. So thank you, Brad for those times I needed you. This Corner craves attention, with or without me, otherwise it gets stroppy. But yeah, what a thing… 200, no less! Cor. And if one single commenter decides to say “Keep it up! Here’s to the next hundred!”, I will personally run you down with a motorbike. Actually, no. THEN I will call on Tom Cruise. Okay. Enough needless violence for one paragraph. Let’s talk music, for this is what it’s ALL about. Music is air to me. I breathe it. I live it. I crave it like pasta. But as if listening wasn’t enough, I also MAKE the stuff. And as if writing, producing and mixing it for myself wasn’t enough, I also produce and mix - my actual job - for other artists (and write a bit for some of them too). But as if all this wasn’t enough, I have found myself writing about it all in this very Corner, every single week, for several years! Music, music, MUSIC!!! Gimme! Gimme! Gimme! (a song after midnight). The thing is, I think I listen to music differently to most these days. And it is THIS that I want to talk about this week.

I have touched on this a tad from time to time, but here I will say what I really mean. Two things are killing music. Well, probably many things, but I will only mention two here. The first I will not bore you with, as I have bored you with it twice pretty recently. That one is A.I. (HAL, as I call it). There are yet more fake songs on the New Artist Spotlight, and therefore countless more in the world. It is awful. It is beyond awful. It is a cross to a vampire, where we true artists are the vampires craving the blood of real music. Sorry to call you all vampires. I mean that in the nicest way, of course. Like cute little bunny vampires. What an image! ANYway! That is all I will say on the subject of HAL. I do not want people to get fed up. The other thing is something of which we are almost ALL guilty. But it is certainly not entirely your fault. The fault (or problem) lies in there simply being too much music (I refuse to call it “content”). There are more than 120,000 songs released on Spotify and other streaming services (relatively decent ones like Apple Music) every, single, day. And this will rise exponentially now that we have the “fabulous” invention of HAL (in my eyes, the very worst thing to grace God's earth, aside from war). While I (w)rack my brains for a poetic way of putting this, all I am left with is “this is bloody shite”. But WHY is this bad? I mean, more music equals more satisfaction and fun, no? More emotion to play with? More blood for the sweetest little vampires that we all are? Well, no. Not really. You see, I said WE were guilty. I don’t mean as artists. I don’t mean for you all to slow down your prolificacy. I mean as listeners…

In the old days, we used to buy records. When we bought records, we were aware how much of an impact that cost had on our finances. Our poor, dwindling bank accounts. And so, we got the most out of each record we bought, be it a single or an album. We played and played and PLAYED them until we knew every word, every note, and indeed every flaw. The thing is, we didn’t have a great deal of choice as to what to listen to. We could only listen to what we physically owned. These days however, there is not only the choice of pretty much every piece ever recorded/produced, but there is also this natural pressure of these days. Call it FOMO if you wish, but it is just something most of us are cursed with these days. This need to have “consumed” as much as possible. So with this constant blur of releases (we have long passed the speed of a conveyor belt), we feel the need to listen to every last one of them!! What a total waste of time. Okay: it’s not a waste of time. But this is just not how we should be listening to music. Of course, one has to listen in order to determine whether we like something or not. Sure. But listening to a song once or maybe twice (even if you absolutely adored it), is really not enough. Here’s the thing. I wish for you all to be more discerning. If you are 30 seconds or a minute into a new release and it isn’t grabbing you, skip along further in the track. If it continues in this vein, don’t put yourself through the ordeal. Move on. If however you find something magical, special or simply thrilling, do something about it. Add it to your library, stick it on a playlist and don’t let it get old and mouldy. DON’T move on. Great music is like a dog. It’s not just for Christmas. Get the most out of it. Really squeeze the juice out of it. Listen to the details. Take note (ho-ho: also not just for Christmas) of each and every part over which the artist and/or producer has slaved. If the music is good enough, it will stand this many plays. Not just for the time being, but for the rest of your life (on and off, of course). If it’s not good enough, it has run its course, and it is time to move on.

What I mean is, music is getting lost, and it deserves more. If it hasn’t already, music is in huge danger of losing its relevance. Despite the mega surge in quantity, we have lost sight of quality. Why else would modern generations be so casual about music compared with all previous generations? Occasionally on YouTube I catch a glimpse of one of these stupid reaction videos, where a “young producer” hears Abbey Road for the first time. How can you possibly call yourself a producer if you have never even heard the most famous music of all time??! Being a producer is ALL in the experience. And most of that experience comes in the form of listening. This “young producer” WON’T be playing cricket at L.A. 2028, as he was of course bowled over by the record. Of course he was. It makes for a good video. The young are good at acting for the camera. Did it REALLY change his life? Did he REALLY think that much of it? And more importantly, will he actually listen to it again in the next year…? I would guess not. Damned charlatans. The thing is, in listening to the best new music repeatedly, we get more out of it. We become more discerning in ditching the rubbish. We cut the crap and only concentrate on the gems. And in being this way we achieve two things: the weaker artists will either be forced to improve or give up, and music as a whole will become relevant once again! The relevance of music in the 60s was born from sheer competition. Competition in quality, not quantity. The weaker acts sunk without trace (maybe a one-hit-wonder under their cummerbund), and the best rose to stardom forever. What is the forever music of these days, huh? The stuff we’ll be playing for decades to come? Well, despite the tripe of the charts, I for one will continue listening to certain tracks from the New Artist Spotlight for many years to come. Interestingly, that list would not include ALL the songs I have reviewed, but perhaps surprisingly will include NAS songs I HAVEN’T reviewed. There are SO many songs on the New Artist Spotlight playlists that I love, and yet I have never reviewed them. The songs I have reviewed are but a smattering of NASian blood for we cute little vampires.

Isn’t it perhaps time I mentioned someone specific…? I think it is about time. Please welcome an artist with all the relevance I’ve been talking about. An artist with multiple ISSA (International Singer-Songwriter Association) awards under her, er, skirt. She probably keeps them elsewhere. They’re made of GLASS, for God’s sake! Well, you know by now. It’s Nashville’s very own Bernice Marsala, with her brand new track, Irrelevant. Bernice was no doubt quietly saddened or disappointed that I didn't review her new song last week. But fear not, Ms. Marsala. Your time has come. Let me start by saying that although the actual music should really be everything in an artist’s release, it isn’t just that. The artist’s personality is key. Sure, some megastars can occasionally get away with it (here’s looking at YOU, Bono), but ultimately one needs to be liked in order to succeed. Not meaning you have to be like Cliff Richard or Donny Osmond, but you need something that people can latch onto. Bernice has the easy charm that many NASians have. But she is also kind, courteous and generous. Her best asset for me though, is her sense of humour. We have chatted for days and days over the months, about relatively little, and always I am left with at least a smile, but often a chuckle. Now isn’t that important? I would say so. As for me, I don’t believe in humour as I think it is a waste of time that could be better used in embiggening productivity and workflow. But that’s just me. Okay, you got me - that’s not quite true. I have yet to meet Bernice (the London Underground doesn’t quite stretch as far as Nashville - yet), but I would certainly consider her a friend. We work together, we play together, but most importantly, we chat. I have had several clients who simply disappear once the work is done, until the next project. This is completely fine, of course, but it can be nice to really get on well. If anything, it can improve the working relationship. More honesty makes for better work, and there is no worry or risk of one offending the other. It’s just simple and straightforward. So that’s that: Bernice Marsala: thoroughly lovely lady.

But then of course, there is the music. The art. Which frankly is the most important thing when calling oneself an artist. We started working together with her song Lights Out. It was an inherently cool song. It still is! I know this because I still listen to it - proof that this is of a higher ilk. See what I meant about re-listening to great songs and albums? You get SO much out of it. The best lasts forever. Well since that song, I have noticed this trend with Bernice’s music. But what’s also interesting about her music is that she isn’t afraid to shift to different styles. She has gone from modern pop, to country pop, to beautiful ballad with a twist. And yet, through all of this, she has managed to stay genuine and retain that thing that makes it sound like a Bernice Marsala record. All her words are real. She sings what she means. She sings what she has been through. But she still isn’t afraid to fictionalise things a little. It is ART, after all. Just enough privacy to stay comfortable, yet enough honesty to let the listener into her life. The world of Bernice. She actually works in the royalties business, so she really knows what’s going on on the duller (yet utterly vital) side of the music business. Her head is screwed on. But let’s get back into the actual music. The song itself is everything for Bernice. The words, melodies and chords. The barebones. But she also knows that production is important. In Irrelevant, you will straightaway notice the sparse nature of the song. Drums, piano, light acoustic guitars, and of course, her voice (taking the lead role - as it should in songs). This is because she understands the point of “build”. You can’t start with everything, or there is nowhere to go! But at the same time, the beginning needs enough interest to hold the listener’s attention before the production becomes more dense and the dynamics start to rise.

Irrelevant has the most wonderful see-saw balance throughout the song. It isn’t one of those “build from nothing to everything until the listener faints from either exhaustion, boredom or a seizure” songs. It rises and falls in such a mature manner. It isn’t an impatient child of a song: “GIVE ME MY PRESENT NOW!!!” - Not at all. After that sparser intro, Bernice deftly sets up the following section by subtly switching to double-tracked vocals. This next section brings strings, bass and other things, but mainly her warm pad of vocal harmonies. But then we are snapped down to size very quickly as the sparse arrangement of before becomes yet thinner. Strings and guitars disappear, and the voices reduce to just one. Bernice’s melody carries the song as the instruments gradually rise back into “view”. But it is the next brief section (the refrain of the song) that really starts to show the beauty. The strings duet with her vocal harmonies. Gorgeous. So the same again as we go back into verse two? Nope. The bass grounds the piece further for stability, while pizzicato strings liven things up a bit. This is really turning into something rather special by this point. But after the next chorus (or pre-chorus - I’m never quite sure with this song), we reach true beauty. The strings play a soaring counter-melody to Bernice’s lead vocal melody. I bet it gives you those tingles. The bridge decides it wants to be more confident. The chords really do match the feel of the words, as the full thickness becomes pride. A kind of “hell yeah” attitude. A “why didn’t I do this sooner” kinda thang. Then again we are met with the beauty that is the strings/vocal combo, but just as you might be assuming this is the point where the song repeats and fades, the song goes cold in an unplugged sort of way. It really feels like a live gig, where the drummer does his best to play softly, knowing full well this is basically impossible, while the bass has a little play around, in order to remind people that there is in fact a bassist on stage. The bassist is so often forgotten. But we very quickly start to realise the reason for this calm-down… Something big is coming. A dude sets foot on stage and plugs in - he looks like he ain’t afraid to dig in to that guitar. The drummer smiles and gives him a nod. LET’S GO!!! Big guitar, big drums, the bassist looks all excited, about to play the big low notes. And together they dig in, with Bernice beaming away, while those strident strings return once more to give it their all. Oh, it’s just glorious!! And finally, we end on a perfect, deep, resonant piano note, backed with soft vibrato violins in their highest register. Pure satisfaction.

Had I not pointed all that out to you, most of you might not have noticed half of it from one or two listens. But on repeated listens, I shouldn’t imagine you would have needed my help at all. You see how important it is to ditch the junk in order to give yourself more time to enjoy the finer points from the best! Perhaps one of the reasons most other music is so cruddy these days, is that it is designed for short term listening. It needs to be simple and catchy because it is only going to be listened to a maximum of a handful of times. In other words, why bother with intricacies and details if they’re never really going to be noticed…? One thing that makes today’s mega-choice unbearable, is that 98% of it is God awful. Actually, let me rephrase that. 70% is God awful, while most of the remainder is simply "fine". And I don't mean "fine" like a flawless diamond. I mean "fine" like "all right". And I don't mean "all right" like perfection. I mean mediocre. Just okay. I said MOST of the remainder, because there is that 2% still to play with. Bernice is most certainly within this rare 2%.

Honestly, what a way to celebrate my 200th review/article/piece/edition/column. I couldn’t be happier!

Why did I really pick this song for my 200th edition? Well, it was a tough decision, but ultimately (let's face it) it came down to one thing. Boobs. I know what attracts views. And despite what the cover suggests, they’re evidently anything but irrelevant.

(Bernice, I know you have a wonderful sense of humour, and I had to leave this with a silly bang)

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