Welcome all to ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐น๐น๐โ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ, a series of weekly reviews by Charles Connollyย - 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 ๐๐๐ฌ ๐ผ๐ง๐ฉ๐๐จ๐ฉ ๐๐ฅ๐ค๐ฉ๐ก๐๐๐๐ฉ playlists.
๐๐ช๐ ๐๐ค๐จ๐ - ๐ฝ๐ง๐ฎ๐๐ฃ ๐พ๐ค๐ค๐ฅ๐๐ง
Charles is under wrapsโฆ
Some of the best things are done in private. Equally, so are some of the worst. Honest privacy is a good thing. Secrecy is often not so good. It can be good for the element of delighted surprise (like when I was given an album review by 18 people), but usually a secret is to stay a secret. It is never to be known. But when one does something in private, it usually doesnโt mean one has something to hide. It is simply that we wish to be left alone while we do whatever we are doing. Call it โme timeโ. This is very different to shady people and their shady practices. Almost everything I do, I do in private. But I am not MI6. I hold no state secrets. And if I was, and I did, I wouldnโt be telling you. Which has possibly got you thinking. Could CC be one of those spies youโve read about? Is he working for the British government, yet pretending to lead a relatively normal lifeโฆ? He can be everywhere one day, then suddenly disappear the next... Is he really just mixing and producing? Does he really just write these weekly articles out of the kindness of his heart? Surely there has got to be an ulterior motiveโฆ Youโll never be able to read his private messages in order to find out. Besides, all youโd find there is chat from clients about mixing and production, and gratitude from reviewees for having written these articles. You wonโt find such a message from last weekโs reviewee however. Kind! But I digress. So, am I a British spy? You will never know. Shh, itโs a secret.
Remember the suspicious drone sightings in America a few weeks back? The U.S. Government chose to say โWe know nothing about them, but there is no threat, danger, or cause for alarmโ. Which of course, makes no sense. What they meant was, โWe know exactly what they are, but weโre not going to tell you. Donโt worry, ignore them. Itโs none of your businessโ. For better or for worse, these are state secrets. Private affairs, if you will. These things are happening under our noses all the time, but normally our noses donโt get the slightest whiff of its occurrence. Under my nose lies a disguise in the form of a fake moustache. Or is it fake? You see, if you have no inkling then you have no reason to doubt. Youโre not looking for it or expecting it. This is called sub nosa. Sorry: sub rosa. Not under the nose, but โunder the roseโ; a beautiful Latin phrase meaning secrecy or confidentiality. So, how do we know whether something is sub rosa or not? We do not. And possibly never will. My parents could be drug smugglers for all I know! But I must say, aside from the odd truckload of statins, I think it highly unlikely.
So, what about the lighter side of life? Not the treasonous secrets, but simply the invisible goings-on of people in general? Although many of you might think you know me well (you probably do) from my articles, you wonโt know my every move. You wonโt know exactly what my week has entailed, or what I had for lunch. Just because I havenโt told you something, doesnโt mean itโs a secret. Or does it? Itโs a privacy thang. But itโs also a boring thing. I donโt want to bore you. With my clients there is a certain amount of confidentiality. Not only will their tracks and stems remain for my ears only, but I will not divulge that I am even working with anyone specific. Each project is under wraps until the artist chooses to take it to the public. I am rarely asked to do this, but it is simply natural for me to act this way. Is it a secret? Itโs simpler not to ask, but to assume. I make my own music in private and in solitary confinement. A prison of my own making. I choose to lock the door behind me. It is the way of most artists. Which is I think why many artists find it hard to answer those questions: โWhatโs coming next? What have you been working on?โโฆ Itโs not that these artists donโt know or arenโt sure how to answer, but more โitโs none of your business right now but Iโll let you all know once itโs complete and ready for releaseโ. Sometimes, secrets are a good thing.
I just had to pause briefly before continuing - had to email my boss at MI6. Oops! I mean, I had some washing to do. Yeah, thatโs right; washing. Launderingโฆ So! Bryan Cooper is back in town. Back with not one song, but four! An EP, no less. He has been cultivating his brilliance for months, en privรฉ. In fact, Bryan is very much a privรฉ chap. To the extent that I am convinced his EP is an acronym of En Privรฉ. Anyway. Many weeks ago, I was able to happen upon the knowledge of said EP, using my own Holmesian methods. As Holmes would often introduce his friend and confidant, Dr. Watson, I now will introduce my own friend and confidant, Dr. Cooper! Okay, not a doctor. But you see, he is a good friend, and he does very much (I believe) confide in me. I told no one. It was under your very noses, but you had not a whiff. I, on the other hand, was in full possession of the facts! But only the facts; not the music. I am sure I could have snaffled an early perusal. But frankly, whereโs the fun in THAT! I like to look forward to releases. I donโt like to receive them early (unless I am to mix them, obviously). I believe Thursday was release day, but due to much faffing on my new Mac (what a machine!), I had to wait until said faff was complete before immersing myself in the world of the Coopster. Or Coops. Or Cryin Booper. The man has many names; all of which I am convinced he loathes (so donโt use them unless you feel your bond is so strong that slagging off one another becomes a habitual pastime - an inexplicable sign of affection). Anyway, now that Iโm well and truly faffed-out (technologically speaking), I am able to fully give the EP the respect it deserves. And this is what I did.
Knowing that Bryanโs music is rarely instant, I knew I had to give it multiple listens before coming to a conclusion of any kind. I did, and I did. The music did what his music always does: the initial listen is nice, but subsequent listens prove it to be more than this. I find myself merging into Holmes again. I hear what everyone else hears, but in concentrating and paying attention, I observe perhaps a little more than your average casual listener. And the average casual listener will listen once. Max. I am not your average casual listener. And neither should YOU be. We are all musicians. Oh, except the HAL (A.I.) frauds, but letโs not waste any more time on them. Letโs talk REAL music. Bryan puts a LOT into his music, so why not get a LOT out of it? All you have to do is listen. Oh, all right then, lazy bugger. Iโll do it for you. Call it cognition by proxy. Which incidentally is the name of the E(n) P(rivรฉ). The unusually titled Cognition By Proxy contains four tracks of an equally unusual nature. For this is the way of the Coops. These include Mach 1, Sub Rosa, Thaw, and Deserter. Intrigued? I know EYE was. Still am, if Iโm honest. I have settled on Sub Rosa for several reasons. One, I think itโs my fave (not an easy decision). Two, itโs boring to opt for track 1, and he has already covered track 1 on his socials. Three, tracks 3 & 4 are the ones Bryan has decided to push first. So, rather than going with the grain, I thought Iโd be an annoying little shit and go for the only one that has possibly had the least attention so far in its first few days of life. But letโs dwell more on that first reason: I think itโs my fave. Which is the REAL reason. All four songs are special, which while expected is nevertheless still very satisfying and gratifying. They are also all very different from one another. All four tracks have perfection in sound. His best sound to date, in my opinion. Why is this important? Because then we can focus on the music. Oh, itโs also nicer when things sound good.
Sub Rosa has all the sides of Bryan. The indie, the acoustic, the subdued depth, the thoughtful, the melancholy, the uplifting, the beauty, the humour and the wisdom. For Bryan is a wise man. There is something substantial about the way he works. His music does have a timeless quality to it, but itโs more than that. There is gravitas, dignity and importance ever-present. Sub Rosa doesnโt feel as though it has been written or put together. It simply IS. The guitars are full and perfect, yet oh-so human and strangely honest. The drummer (Bryan) is playing what is right, rather than what feels right. It is as if there is only one option. One way the song could be. And this is it. Like Bryan (on all instruments and vocals) is possessed, channeling the music in one take. The bass is playful yet somehow grounding, allowing for the strings (later on) to take flight and soar. And this happens just over a minute in (1:07), at the first chorus. Just glorious! But what THEN, I hear you call!! Well, at 1:26 we have a truly unexpected moment. A halftime groove! I donโt think Iโve ever heard Bryan groove, but this proves he is indeed a groovy groover. Itโs deep, the bass takes the fore, and itโs eerie! His voice is heavily processed and distant, yet insistent. The strings strike up an argument, but Bryan keeps on with his point well made. This isnโt so much a middle eight, as a middle third! Literally a third of the song. In fact, the whole song is ever evolving. You all know Iโm a big fan of changes in song, but it mustnโt be jarring or awkward. With Bryan, itโs so smooth you might easily miss such massive changes. What a wonder is Bryan Cooper. We then have a beautiful instrumental section in order to brighten the spirits. Sing high, my strings. Sing high! And so they do, into a final rousing round of chorus-time. We finish with a Bryan whoโs left his clothes behind. Just guitar and THAT voice. Isolated, alone, en privรฉ.
Bryan evidently also has his own prison of choice; he does it all, alone. But like me, he retains the key. He turned that key and (after just one long inhalation) allowed Cognition By Proxy to be released. And exhale.
Didnโt you catch all those musical details? Elementary, my dear Watson.
Listen to ๐๐ช๐ ๐๐ค๐จ๐ on the ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ป๐ผ๐น๐น๐โ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ Spotify playlist HERE!
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Listen to the ๐พ๐ค๐๐ฃ๐๐ฉ๐๐ค๐ฃ ๐ฝ๐ฎ ๐๐ง๐ค๐ญ๐ฎ EP on Apple Music HERE!
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Please share this post and let me know your thoughts in the comments below

I listened to the Ep and itโs fire, nice review also @CC
Loved the review has a good read will definitely be waiting out for the future ones for sure ๐๐
Great song. I love the way it builds. An epic write up as always.
I am not writing this for points or anything else. I'm writing this, hoping that you read this, Bryan: Mach 1 hits me hard to the core. This is my music, my language, the direct route to my being. Thank you for making this higher form of art, even for people like me. I am overwhelmed and convinced of your genius and originality. I'm sure Charles hears and feels this too. To both men: how I love music and how wonderful that we get to share this.
I would tell you what I think of this review and track but it's a secret!