REWIND: Babybird - 'The F Word'

Today's essential selection from the past is a single from Babybird, who were centred around one of the UK's most undervalued songwriters and prolific musicians, Stephen Jones. One of the many reasons I love this track from the year 2000 is because it's just so noisy. Its sound immediately suggests a a man who's well and truly going off on one. As well as being pierced by a superb guitar line at 1 minute 20 seconds, a terrific sense of violence brews throughout 'The F Word', which was the opening track from the album 'Bugged', which was the follow-up to one of my favorite LPs of all-time, 1998's 'There's Something Going On'. 'The F Word' entered the UK charts at number 35 when it was released as a single, and a few years later went on to be used as the theme tune for Gordon Ramsey's massively popular TV show of the same name.

'Bugged' didn't turn out to be the greatest Babybird album, but it did produce moments of sheer excellence in 'Out Of Sight', 'All I Want Is Love', 'The Way You Are', 'One Dead Groove', and the terrific swipe at the music industry that was 'Eyes In The Back Of My Head'. 'Bugged' charted at #104 after a lack of promotion, and Babybird subsequently parted company with Echo Records. Since resting the Babybird name a couple of years ago, Jones has been self-releasing a huge amount of music via his Bandcamp page, including rare Babybird stuff as well as new music from his various different projects. He released an amazing album entitled 'Ambition Expired' earlier this year, and you can read a review of it. Prolific as ever, he has just written, recorded and released three new albums in the space of a month. 'Meloncholy', 'Outsider' and 'No Message' are in fact the first albums of "words and music" that Jones has released since 2012, and are truly essential listening if you were a Babybird fan... Find SJ's Bandcamp link below and treat yourselves to some wonderful music.

https://twitter.com/xbabybird

http://thestephenjones.bandcamp.com/

REVIEW: Stephen Jones - 'No Message' (BandCamp)

Describing your own album as "an undiscovered gem" may seem a bit egotistical in some people's eyes, but at least Stephen Jones isn't lying. The brains behind Babybird is known for his prolific workrate, but hadn't released an album of "words and music" in over three years. Now, three come along within the same month.

Following on from the magnificent 'Meloncholy' (which is reviewed HERE) and last week's 'Outsider', 'No Message' is the final installment of the trilogy, written, recorded and released in the space of a week. After spells with Echo Records in the 90s and American label Unison Music, Jones now finds himself working as a 100% DIY artist and can see that the fast pace of the internet age means that a lot of music has a "short lifespan". 

The opening 'Now Is So Yesterday' is like a more spacious relative of the glorious 2000 single 'Out Of Sight', while the pretty 'That Love' showcases a major strength for heartbreakingly sweet piano ballads and 'First Boyfriend' pairs ominous sadness with sharp spells of humour and charms as Jones's voice cracks vulnerably on the chorus. While the excellent 'Anchor' is a sinister, unsettling thing built on seedy hip hop beats and bleak piano, the glorious 'To Live It Again' plays at the other end of the extreme, providing a moment of sensual melancholic bliss. It's hard not to be touched when Jones sings the words "life, i don't wanna live it again, I'm fine with the way that it is". Humble, sincere musical majesty from the man who rejected pop stardom in favour of creativity and musical invention. Like much of 'No Message', it effortlessly demonstrates that gift for coining melodies that ring with such clarity, that you're sure you've heard them somewhere before.

The haunting title track makes you wonder whether Jones is playing with us or not when he sings that "there is no message in the words", while the infectious 'Zombie Song' brings up more twisted, dark humour and delivers another highlight. The gorgeous 'Wrong Place' wraps the listener in the soft glow of elegantly crafted melodies, enchanting with its soaring chorus and lovely, downplayed arrangement. Another one of his finest moments. The shadowy, foreboding 'I Forgot To Enjoy My Life' evokes memories of Babybird's finest album, the underrated 1998 masterpiece 'There's Something Going On', and is the product of similarly high quality songwriting, while the ghostly ambience of the closing 'Too Late' evokes a cinematic feel that brings to mind a full-bodied relative of the atmospheric instrumental music Jones has released under his Black Reindeer alias.

Built largely on piano and subtle loops, it's an album that in terms of instrumentation, lets the songs breathe and allows the vocal melodies to fully captivate. Being completely in control of your artistic output is certainly a blessing, but it also means that exposure and promotion are limited mainly to Jones' social media accounts. Perhaps he should hold back from releasing any more music for a little while, in order to give this album (and its two predecessors) time to grow. Because it certainly deserves to be heard far and wide. 8.3/10

https://twitter.com/xbabybird

http://thestephenjones.bandcamp.com/

NEW: Stephen Jones - 'No Cameras'

Although many people won't have any idea of what happened to Babybird since the chart hits of the 90s, Sheffield cult hero Stephen Jones has actually been releasing a huge amount of new music via his Bandcamp page over the last couple of years or so. In fact this most prolific musician seems to put something new out every week. But this new album entitled 'Meloncholy' is particularly notable for being the first album of "music and words" since the final Babybird album 'The Pleasures Of Self Destruction' from 2012. Apparently "a new name to replace "Babybird" would have been used" for this album but is "being kept secret for a future release". One of the album's highlights comes with the sparse, ambient wonder of the breathtaking 'No Cameras' where Jones's vocal, drops of piano and a splendid arrangement combine to work magic. It may very well be the most beautiful song he's ever made. Read the full album review HERE, where you can also stream and download 'Melancholy'.

https://twitter.com/xbabybird

http://thestephenjones.bandcamp.com/

REVIEW: Stephen Jones - 'Meloncholy' (Bandcamp)

Although many people won't have any idea of what happened to Babybird since the chart hits of the 90s, Sheffield cult hero Stephen Jones has actually been releasing a huge amount of new music via his Bandcamp page over the last couple of years or so. In fact this most prolific musician seems to put something new out every week. But this new album entitled 'Meloncholy' is particularly notable for being the first album of "music and words" since the final Babybird album 'The Pleasures Of Self Destruction' from 2012. Apparently "a new name to replace "Babybird" would have been used" for this album but is "being kept secret for a future release". 

After a relatively long time releasing mostly instrumental and atmospheric music, its good to see that Jones hasn't misplaced his ability for putting great lyrics and melodies together. Beginning brilliantly with the elegantly arranged dark beauty of piano and percussion-led opener 'Funny', second track 'Teenager' is a breezy, understated helping of lo-fi pop, while the confessional 'Wrecked' requires a patient ear, but soon gets under your skin after a few plays, as does the sad, bewitching highlight 'Oh Your God'. As well as the creeping 'The Children' and the charming 'Best Friend', we get the sparse, ambient wonder of the breathtaking 'No Cameras' where Jones's vocal, drops of piano and a splendid arrangement combine to work magic. It may very well be the most beautiful song he's ever made.

While the lyrics that accompany the delicate twinkle of (almost) title track 'Melancholy' remind you that sadness is part of human nature and should sometimes be embraced, the moody hip hop flavours of 'No One Home' provide another example of his talents for penning disturbed love songs. The intense lo-fi piano lament 'Dance On Your Feet' is perhaps the track that requires the most patience, but fits well as a finishing moment. 

Growing more sentimental with age but often maintaining that dark, unsettling edge, 'Meloncholy' combines the spacious, atmospheric instrumentation of Jones's more recent projects with the magnificent songwriting of the Babybird albums. A cohesive set of songs that sees a hugely underrated genius making a welcome return to doing what he does best. 8.2/10

https://twitter.com/xbabybird

http://thestephenjones.bandcamp.com/