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OOC: There was too much detail in Spit of a Sparrow, so I extended the track length :P Also, I apologise, I'm a little rusty with this whole track-by-track thing. Please take the time to comment though :3 I did work quite hard on all of this. THE SOUNDS OF THE SEVERED EP Love that shit! THE SOUNDS OF THE SEVERED1. Fame, Fortune, An Ego (4:02) 2. Scared of You [FEATURING MADELEINE RAMEAU] (3:48) 3. Dynamite [FEATURING MICHELLE GREEN] (3:43) 4. Spit of a Sparrow (8:02) 1. Fame, Fortune, an Ego (4:02) (Experimental Rock/ Art Rock)A building crescendo of guitar feedback starts off the song, before it goes into a pretty, floaty folky riff, except played on the electric, giving it an unusual, proggy, alternative feel. This carries on for about 30 seconds, alongside light drumming and a complicated bassline to settle the listener into the song carefully. After these 30 seconds, it goes into a more subdued riff, which is fairly technical, but very catchy. The vocals then start to pour in singing the first verse. They are fast paced, and on many separate layers, a trademark of the Jason Smith production style. One layer is quite a high pitched, rough hardcore punk vocal mixed way back so you can barely hear it; one is a quiet, low pitched style, which is mixed further in as well as Jason’s normal voice, which has an emphasis on the British accent. The verse continues, with the catchy riff, bassline and soft drumming etching itself in the brain, whilst Jason vocalises in polyrhythms beneath his singing. The second verse continues in a similar way to the first, except with the vocals taking on a slightly different rhythm. It then morphs into the pre-chorus, which consists of a different, but equally catchy riff, and violins are starting to be introduced here, quite near the top of the mix, as well as acoustic guitar hidden beneath the electric. The second electric guitar layer is playing the melody that Jason’s voice is undertaking. After that, it goes into the actual chorus, which consists of a big, alternative rock set up with Jason bellowing his lyrics dramatically over the now subdued orchestral segments. It then goes back into the verse, which is much similar to the others, except with a slight more dramatic tension, with the orchestral segments and background acoustics now in full play. It then goes into another pre-chorus, except with only the acoustic guitar playing the melody of Jason’s voice, before erupting back into two massive, arena rock choruses with many different vocalisations happening in the background. The bridge of the song is a melodic post-hardcore riff with gentle, but high pitched singing accompanied by ethereal, dreamy ambient effects in the background. This part is quite similar to Still Waters. After a brief pause in the music after the bridge, it erupts into many different vocalisations of all pitches and manners alongside a weird, almost alien riff consisting of the “falling icicle” technique used by Claudio Sanchez and Joe Duplantier, and the “scratch” technique used by Tom Morello and Matt Bellamy on certain occasions. This goes on for a good while, before the song returns for one final chorus, as dramatic as ever, now with a full child’s choir in the background, before it all cuts out into a singular laugh. Not a sinister one, just a normal one. The so-called critics critically change their criticisms to fit the current scene's vision,
You may call me a sell-out from the safety of an internet message board,
But the masochist in me, I embrace the abuse like a fucking broadsword.
And time, all of time's running out,
I'm getting older and I have nothing to show for myself... nothing to show for myself.
But I still want to honour my art... this is just the start of another unrealistic adventure.
Yet I still get a kick out of being possessed inside a song.
But when your heart needs blood,
Is this all we are?
When the ship comes falling down.
Oh, but I think I’m the best, I don’t do requests,
I sing from the bottom of the barrel you know...
I don’t do requests, I think I’m best,
I act like a dickhead with attention undeserved.
It’s just another ill-fated story of boy meets girl, girl likes boy, then it’s all destroyed,
Dies in a tragic blimp accident, floating away,
But I’m gonna stick around just so you can hear me say...
But when your heart needs blood,
Is this all we are?
When the ship comes falling down.
Oh, but I think I’m the best, I don’t do requests,
I sing from the bottom of the barrel you know...
I don’t do requests, I think I’m best,
I act like a dickhead with attention undeserved.
Oh, but I think I’m the best, I don’t do requests,
I sing from the bottom of the barrel you know...
I don’t do requests, I think I’m best,
I act like a dickhead with attention undeserved.
And so she said...
“I’d end this with a bullet to your head”,
And she said...
“Oh you don’t know how I wish you were dead...”
Badadadadum, dyiyadadadadum.
Badadadadum, dadadadadeeda...
Dadadadadum, dadadyidadadeedum.
Badadadadum, dyiyadadadadum.
Badadadadum, dadadadadeeda...
Dadadadadum, dadadyidadadeedum.
Oh, but I think I’m the best, I don’t do requests,
I sing from the bottom of the barrel you know...
I don’t do requests, I think I’m best,
I act like a dickhead with attention undeserved.Jason says:I wrote this song almost as a backlash against the people who said I was spending too much time in the public eye and for those who thought that my solo record was just another platform to launch an ego. I mean, as clichéd as it may sound, I honestly could not give a shit what other people think about me. I make music that I like, for no one but myself. It’s also just saying that, if you want, you don’t HAVE to pay attention to me. I didn’t choose for you to pay attention to me. It’s your own doing. Have we really been reduced to looking at other people to make our lives more interesting? Anyway, I really like this song; I think it’s amongst my best singles, definitely. It sounds completely different from anything I’ve ever done before, but I think a majority of people will really like it. I’m not expecting chart success, but that would definitely be nice, especially with a song like this, of which I’m very proud of writing.  A gentle acoustic melody starts the song off, with Madeleine softly crooning her lines over the top of it. Some slight ambient noises, as well as sounds of nature can be heard, although they are quite far back in the mix, so you can only hear them if you strain your ears. She sings the first verse quite slowly, and sets up quite a solid rhythm. Her voice almost has a grainy, jazzy tone to it. After the first verse, the acoustic starts to slow down and you can hear the faint crashing of cymbals getting louder and louder, until a poppy, catchy electric guitar riff bursts its way onto the scene, similar to that of Biffy Clyro or Weezer. The melody is quite simple, but it is stuck firmly into your head and you can still hear the Jason Smith industrial/ electronic production beneath the heavily layered instruments. It then morphs into the chorus, with Jason belting his vocals out at a large volume, and Madeleine singing in a high pitched, quieter tone behind him. The two vocalists are singing in perfect harmony, as a second, heavily reverbed guitar then begins to play a fast, complicated post-hardcore riff as soon as the singing is paused. The lead guitar is still playing its simplistic melody, which offers a nice contrast and is reminiscent of early Coheed and Cambria or Braid, except with better production aesthetics. The second part of the chorus then starts, in the same manner as the first part, except with Jason singing in a quieter voice alongside Madeleine, who has still got a quiet voice. It then goes back into the verse except, instead of just an acoustic guitar, it is now joined by the electric and another acoustic. The drums here are pretty minimalistic, but far into the mix, alongside the bass. This gives it almost an indie rock feel. It then goes into the chorus(es) again, with each singer having their voice double tracked, to give it a slightly louder, more tense edge. Slight industrial tinges also make appearances throughout, albeit in short spurts and not very loudly. After this, it goes into a bridge. The bridge is slowed down considerably, making it bluesy and with one of the guitars noodling wildly over the top of a Floyd-esque riff. It then returns back to the original riff to play the choruses out. These end with a sustained note, with everything dropping out, until, in the background, you can hear another melody, slower and more melancholy. It gets louder and louder, until a flurry of drums moulds it into another section, with the guitar playing a slow, crushing melodic hardcore riff. The other instruments are supporting it. This goes on for about 20 seconds, until it finally comes to a succinct end. MADELEINE RAMEAU:
I need to think before I speak,
But I can’t help feeling that the world is falling apart around me,
I love you when you think I do,
But I won’t be having you knowing, in case it will all start over...
JASON SMITH & MADELEINE RAMEAU:
And baby, when I need you now,
You should know that I only wanted closure,
But now I’m acting all stupid, I still love you...
And when the world’s crumbling down,
I still want you to be my side,
I’m only acting stupid because I’m scared of you.
JASON SMITH:
Doo-doo do. Doo-doo do.
JASON SMITH & MADELEINE RAMEAU:
I’ll swallow my pride if you turn back the tide,
I can’t believe that I’ve ignited this off again,
I love you, you love me,
Is there room for one more happy family?
And baby, when I said I need you now,
You should know that I only wanted closure,
But now I’m acting all stupid, I still love you...
And when the world’s crumbling down,
I still want you to be my side,
I’m only acting stupid because I’m scared of you.
And oh. Uh uh oh. Uh uh oh.
I still don’t know whether I am going to see this to the end...
And baby, when I said I need you now,
You should know that I only wanted closure,
But now I’m acting all stupid, I still love you...
And when the world’s crumbling down,
I still want you to be my side,
I’m only acting stupid because I’m scared of you.
JASON SMITH:
I’m scared of you.
Still scared of you.
Baby, I’m scared...Jason says:This is another personal song. It’s about me sorta making a twat of myself all the time. It’s also about a certain incident which I won’t mention in case I infuriate everyone again. Unfortunately, “the incident” is one of the main themes on the whole collection. It’s a song that’s also about paranoia... you don’t know what’s going to happen, you feel like everyone’s out to get you. Afraid of the consequences of your actions. I’m quite happy with the song. Not the best I’ve ever written, but it got through all I wanted to do on it. Maddie was essential to it turning out as good as it did. She has this very pure, earthy voice which complimented the soft tones very well. She also assisted on the acoustic guitar part, which turned out well. This is one of the poppier songs that I’ve done, people should enjoy it. 3. Dynamite (3:43) (Acoustic Pop/ Alternative Rock) [FEATURING MICHELLE GREEN]Simple, airy slide guitars introduce the song, playing sparsely in the background amongst relaxed sound effects and natural ambience. Eventually, soft drumming and a simple acoustic guitar melody make their way to the forefront of the song. Although the melody may not be very complicated, it has a sort of beauty to it, which makes it amongst the catchiest of the songs in the whole series. Eventually, after about 30 seconds of this, as well as slight orchestral elements managing to seep through into the mix, Michelle Greens double-tracked vocals gently push their way into the song, giving a hauntingly beautiful feel to it. This is the chorus. After this chorus, a small gap is made, in which the guitars play a small alternative flourish, before returning to the simplistic melody of before. Jason then starts to sing the verse in a low tone, with gentle, high pitched vocalisations from both of the singers intertwined in the background. Somehow, this manages not to sound synthetic and sounds completely relevant to the song. The verse continues in quite a poppy fashion, making it simple to follow as opposed to the usual wanky Jason Smith affair. After the verse, it returns back to the chorus, with slightly more emphasis on the vocals, and you can faintly make Jasons voice out in the background, vocalising in a high pitched tone. After two refrains of the chorus, it goes into a bridge, where the melody shifts a little bit to an equally mellow and lovely one, whilst sounding slightly more melancholy and dark, a common trait in this song. Although the song in general is nice and mellow sounding, it has dark origins. Jason and Michelle both sing this in gentle, fairly low pitched voices, beneath the increasing amount of atmosphere and ambience being placed on the song. It then goes into yet another melody, this time slightly more complicated and unusual sounding. Jason sings over the top of this in a fairly dramatic, but still quite subtle tone. Some tribal vocals and instruments can also be heard during this part, before the entire atmosphere, ambience and spare sound effects cut out again, leaving the original drum and guitar combo. One more refrain of the chorus is initiated, before it all comes to an end quietly. MICHELLE GREEN:
Generally, we are a lonely people.
Genuinely, we are alone...
Generally, we are one lonely soul...
We need to find a way to resolve.
JASON SMITH:
Come in please, take a seat...
I’ll open the window to lower the heat.
I realise obsession is a young mans game...
I think I’m gonna be obsessed all over again.
MICHELLE GREEN:
Generally, we are a lonely people.
Genuinely, we are alone...
Generally, we are one lonely soul...
We need to find a way to resolve.
JASON SMITH & MICHELLE GREEN:
Maybe we’re just frightened?
Just unsure once again...
I’ll try not to consume the energy.
I’m so sorry... I’m sorry, baby.
I’m sworn to miles and miles of love.
Generally, we are a lonely people.
Genuinely, we are alone...
Generally, we are one lonely soul...
We need to find a way to resolve.
JASON SMITH:
And I’m 25 years old... but I’m a million miles away.
I’m sorry baby.
MICHELLE GREEN:
Generally, we are a lonely people.
Genuinely, we are alone...
Generally, we are one lonely soul...
We need to find a way to resolve.Jason says:The most relaxed song on the EP by quite a margin. Very nice to listen to, very smooth. I wrote this one when I was probably at my lowest point in my life... I’d just come back from my disappearance and had found out that I was single and completely on my own... which we know is resolved now, luckily. I thought this was going to be the end of me. This was actually written in the hospital, after I was found unconscious with needles in me. I started... seeing the human condition as pointless. Futile. I hated everything... it sounds nice and quite uplifting, but the song is as dark as sin. Out of all the songs I have done, this was amongst the most difficult... I needed to get it out there though, because I want my fans to hear it. To feel it, almost, as sadistic as that is. Michelle Green was absolutely brilliant on this track, she did her vocals really delicately and it worked absolutely perfectly. She’s the type of musician who you absolutely need on a track like this, because her voice is just... awesome. I do wish her the absolute best in her current condition... something as horrible as this couldn’t have happened to a nicer person.  Almost as if a continuation of the last track, nature noises and layer upon layer of atmospherics are piled on top of each other. This sets the scene for about 20 seconds, alongside heavy synths and breathy vocalisation, in quite a harrowing fashion assisting them, making it a massive soundscape. Suddenly, as if out of nowhere, it bursts into loud alternative rock, with a catchy, surprisingly upbeat melody and slight arpeggios on the rhythm guitar. At this point in time, it sounds absolutely massive. It is still assisted by all the noises, although they have gotten darker, deeper and more industrial sounding as opposed to ambient. Eventually, all of these subside to a slow, extremely dark sound of a music box playing over the top of an acoustic guitar and violin. Jason, vocals double tracked with one in a slightly higher pitch than the other, proceeds to begin singing the first verse in the song. The melody at this point is quite slow and dark, and the atmospherics and obscure instruments behind it make it seem even darker. Once the first verse in this part of the song is done, Jason goes into the second one, with extra orchestral elements, an electric melody, bass and soft drumming now being introduced. After this second verse, everything fades out into a beautiful combination of violins, playing away smoothly. This happens for about 30 seconds, until the same post-hardcore riff at the end of Scared of You is played, with added distortion, quietly in the background. Once the violins stop, the riff explodes with the background of drums and bass now included. Jason sings this part in the traditional post-hardcore high pitched voice, although a lower one is also quietly added to the mix. This happens for a while, until it all boils down into the melody being played on an acoustic, amongst tribal rhythms and chanted singing of the “When the leech trained man” segment. This goes on until everything fades out into a soft acoustic melody, which is identical to that of the first segment of the song, except not electric. Jason then proceeds to sing the “Do we learn to live a lie?” part in a sing-songy childlike voice, which could easily be mistaken for an actual child, or maybe a female. After this small break, the violins are introduced, as well as an epic sounding, post-rock riff, making it sound huge and atmospheric. The vocals in this part of the song are practically hidden beneath layers and layers of atmosphere and sound as if they’re being played through a microphone. It remains like this throughout this section of the vocals and the sounds proceed to build up and get faster in the background, until it all boils down again into one simple, yet polyrhythmic bassline, similar to early progressive rock like King Crimson or Jethro Tull. A rhythm guitar is then introduced playing something similar to “The Thief” by The Dear Hunter and the James Bond theme tune. Jason then proceeds to play a rip roaring solo over the top of it, while he sings another “we made a jump” verse in a completely different style to the ones that preceded it. Whereas, before it had been quite gentle and upbeat, his vocals are now quite rough and dramatic. Of course, it is also a different melody and a different rhythm to before. This goes on, with many different types of solos appearing until the next “Do we learn to live a lie” part, where it keeps the same rhythm, but goes into a more melancholy melody. After this segment, it returns in a flash to the epic, upbeat melody at the beginning, with a wall of sound beneath it including all the instruments and vocalisation. Laura Paige’s drumming here is absolutely phenomenal, as she continuously bursts into little flourishes and miniature solos. There are many repeats of “I will follow you” and, eventually when all of the other instruments and atmospheric noises have cut out, it leaves many accapella repeats of that line happening. The song and the whole EP ends in a subtle fashion as all the tracked vocals eventually cut out into nothing. We’ve made a jump,
Out from the window,
Then went the pain,
For us, this broken road,
Who’ll win this cursed heart?
Who’s gonna win this broken heart?
We made our peace,
With our loved ones, our family.
Then went your eyes,
For us, this lonely road.
Who’ll be this broken man?
Who is this broken man?
Is this a caricature?
A play of someone I knew once long ago,
It is calling,
It wants our blood, it wants our souls,
Are you a character?
In this play of lust, of fear, of loathing.
But it beckons us;
It wants our very fabric of being.
When the leech trained man,
Cranial bleeding.
All is calm, all is well,
All is worth dying for.
Do we learn to live a lie?
Or are we waiting here to die?
It all seems so unnecessary.
I am broken, but not beyond repair,
As long as I have you in my care,
I will follow you.
I will follow you.
I will follow you.
I will follow you.
We’ve made a jump,
Out from the window,
Then went the pain,
For us, this broken road,
Who’ll win this cursed heart?
Who’s gonna win this broken heart?
When the leech trained man,
Cranial bleeding.
All is calm, all is well,
All is worth dying for.
Do we learn to live a lie?
Or are we waiting here to die?
It all seems so futile.
I am broken, but not beyond repair,
And as long as you need me there...
I will follow you.
I will follow you.
I will follow you.
I will follow you.Jason says:Spit of a Sparrow... possibly my favourite song, alongside Hail to the Shadows and possibly Synchronized, in the whole series. I don’t mean to boast, but it’s just... massive sounding. I would say epic, but I don’t want to be THAT conceited. I think this is really where Laura shines through on her drumming towards the end... that’s amazing, she’s just as good as any other drummer you can think of. At the top of her game and at the top of THE game, I would say. This is a real mish-mash of things lyrically, since I have been writing it for the last 2 years or so, where A LOT has changed. I turned from some dude off of the streets into a massive star. So, it’s almost chronicling this period in my life. In the beginning it sounds quite sad, quite morbid... but it soon gets more uplifting, with a quite positive message. As I said, I like it. I think most people will agree with me when I say it’s amongst my best moments, definitely, although a product of a broken mind.  What's your favourite song? Leave comments below.
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