Those Sweet Reviews

A slice of brilliance from the ever surprising, exquisitely evocative and delightful songwriting team that is Crash World. Like so many from around our community-these indie artists are a wonderfully talented and creative songwriting team whose music and being exactly who they are gives just as much as we all gain from their being here. The atmosphere of “Devils Right Hand” draws you in- love the rhythmic and percussive intro from the lone percussionist and the sharp and sudden starts and stops from the full rhythm section and a guitar riff that follows this driving rhythm with a beautiful melodic shape which immediately gives the impression of someone looking in every direction at once, a touch of heightened awareness-perhaps from fear-or from paying as much attention to all your surroundings as the land of espionage, spies and cars mysteriously in your rearview mirror seem to pervade this piece. An intriguing and engagingly musical piece of sound design which places your focus directly into the action of this piece. The song craft is quite cinematic right off the bat as Crash World invite you in for a cup of tea- as you find the lyrics (with beautiful harmonies in the background) about to make the spine start to tingle as you hear the haunting evocative refrain (great lyrics too) “In my Secret Life, In a Faraway Land, I was the Man in the Shadows, Condemning the Damned…in a world full of ghosts I was high in demand, I stayed out in the cold a stranger in a strange land… I was the Devil’s Right Hand”. An epic reminder of just how awesome all those around our indie community can be. Anyone who’s passionate about music is sure to find a song or an artist whose work will profoundly move you. Music has that special something we can all be grateful that we’re here with all this astounding music-such as Crash World’s “Devil’s Right Hand”-around us. Awe-inspiring. Much appreciated Myles💜🙏❤️and Miss Pablo🐈‍⬛🙌💜 Myles O’Flaherty Music

Hearing that very first note, melody and the tone of the instrument used which begins this elegiac and elegant piece immediately brought to this Beatles infused mind a “Strawberry Fields Forever” feeling-which is very much suited to the yearning and reaching out into the seemingly unreachable innocence of a time when the world seemed slightly brighter and full of promise…the thematic structure within Crash World’s incredibly moving and powerful song “Promise” and the lyrical storytelling style evokes an immense amount of emotion and an almost comforting feeling that music can bring even in the darkest moments. “Promise” from indie legends Crash World in all honesty personally hits very deeply in the heart and brings out a huge range of emotions. A piece of music which offers that sense that music is always there to bring us hope- and an empathetic shoulder to lean on when facing inner turmoil-whether reminded of a horrific moment from childhood or struggling in the present moment mentally… Crash World offers a musical path to follow to help guide you through this inner turmoil and lets you know that you are not alone. After the opening few notes played on a mellotron (correct me if I’m wrong here, but as it does remind me of the opening of “Strawberry Fields Forever” I’m guessing here that it’s a mellotron) we hear an acoustic guitar delicately strumming around it as the opening verse lyrics-which begins with “There’s a halo in the trashcan, some feathers on the floor…guess my angel gave it up and walked right out the door…” leads into the pre chorus (“Is it worth it?”) bringing in all the elements exquisitely as bass guitar with elegant strings joins in and the moment the line “before the devil makes me pay” a unison rhythmic figure brings in the drums and all instruments seem to announce a sudden change and indeed we’re sonically surprised as a beautiful vocal harmony and a very fragile yet beautifully almost pianissimo dynamic and haunting first chorus. Once the bass guitar plays one heck of a melodic fill the full band finally kicks in as strings and vocal harmonies lay an empathetic backdrop even as the lyrics convey a person in deep emotional distress, anguish and turmoil (although there is a determination to overcome this with the repeated refrain “I promise”)- this is the beauty of “Promise”- the music is there lending an empathetic ear and a sense of peace all the way throughout this song to a person who is obviously struggling, but the lesson learned here is that music is one heck of a powerful healing force in the worst of times. On first hearing this song- I knew deep down that it had come at the right time and what a brilliant gift to offer all in our indie community we have here in “Promise”…so many thanks and gratitude for this song. And a worthy song to give the acknowledgment and celebration such as this it truly deserves.

The two-chord vamp at the start of “Promise” will leave you wondering where it’s going if you are fortunate to be discovering the latest masterpiece from ‘Crash World’ for the first time. If you are a musician and you’ve grabbed an instrument already, you might be wondering if this will resolve to C major or E minor or somewhere else, and like any listener, you will be captivated by the undoubtedly haunting, almost chilling, sensation that it delivers. If you’ve looked at the artwork already, that bunch of flowers will make you think of a funeral, maybe, but a broken marriage more likely. You are not expecting a happy fast-food kinda song here. This one is going to be a serious song. Then when those lyrics start with “There’s a halo in the trash can. Some feathers on the floor”, I hope you will stop what you are doing, remove distractions, and listen deep. For sure, you can just let the beautiful melody, soulful voices, and world-class musicianship wash over you, but you’ll get so much more if this has your undivided attention over many listens. So much more. There’s pain expressed in those lyrics; and in their performance too. Listen to that groan over “I specialise in failure”; it is just devastating, as is the whole story when you follow it through. The idea of broken promises is so powerful, and it reveals the truth that someone who is controlled by their vices, often through mental illness, may be so painfully aware that they are dragging down more than their own lives. They are dragging down the people they love the most too, and this hurts more than anything because they feel powerless to do anything about it. Deep down, they may know that their promises to change are going to be broken even as they make them. Like I said, it’s a serious song this one, and it tells its story in the most extraordinary language, and with equally extraordinary music too… If you are listening closely, you may notice a subtle harmonic shift over “got the best of me” - a kind of pivot chord, if you like. It leads to a gentle crescendo over “is it worth it” that has the feel of a pre-chorus. Something interesting has happened with the harmonies here… the two-chord vamp has been reversed, the melody has climbed and you anticipate something special. Then - boom; a perfectly timed block chord progression underpinned by a bass that you can reach out and touch surprises both in its intensity and in the Phrygian feel it projects before you land in the chorus… Oh my word, that chorus. Everything seems to go that bit brighter over the word “Promise”. We are squarely in G major now and it feels uplifting. It feels to me like the moment you make a promise and for a while you really do believe it. It’s the only happy part of the song. Are they shifting the mood of the music to match the internal emotions of the song’s protagonist? This is astonishing songwriting and orchestration; even the beautiful vocal harmonies here are just so light and airy. It all ties up. Then as the harsh realities of the broken promises are anticipated we go through a pop-like progression that seems to want to land back on the major key but quickly establishes the original two-chord vamp. A subtle sparkling fill from the cymbals and a masterful Phrygian feeling acoustic guitar solo lead us back to the feel of the introduction and ready for a second journey. We have been taken on a powerful musical and emotional ride. A second round of this amazing structure, with yet more lyrical brilliance (how about “Dust upon the bible, proof of just how far I’ve strayed”?), is no less absorbing than the first but leads to a magnificent crescendo for the outro that builds, almost explosively, into that final ‘resolution’. Musically we might be confirming that major key tonic but the last vocal note lands on the five and it feels so desperate to get back. It doesn’t. There is a musical tension here and a note of deep anguish in the voice - it’s unsettling, it’s brilliant. It’s Crash World, and it was always going to be good; but it’s more than that - it’s important.