Rikimaru wrote:
I was lucky enough to discover Mr H's music when the title of his album 'Lowedges' caught my eye. Having grown up on the aforementioned estate, I immediately purchased said album out of curiosity (whilst thinking about it killing cats and all that), man was I surprised!!. Quite simply the most stunning, original music I had heard since hearing The The's album 'Soul Mining'.
Now I do not put many song writers up there with Matt Johnson, only Mr Hawley, the legend that is the Big O and Matt Bellamy of Muse. The reason I put you up there Mr H is your Lyrical genius. Do not get me wrong I love the musical arrangements of the songs (Tonight the streets are ours is a thing of majestic beauty), but to me its the lyrics that caught and held me.
I just do not understand how someone can capture and encapsulate so much in so few words. I don't know if you have to be from Sheffield but I am reminded so much of growing up in Sheffield and of a certain working class type of Sheffield life by your songs, you seem to have caught something imperceptible about Sheffield.
For instance the lyric "what are like, you've had a right life" just evokes memories of me mam shouting "what are you like, you little bleeder" and just fills me with nostalgia, but its a nostalgia with a happy Sheffield tinge (does that make sense).
I find the fact that the everyday content of the songs masks an often darker truth particularly intriguing, the song 'The sun refused to shine' is a master piece of understatement, the fact that a women has chosen to be with someone who will crush her spirit "underneath his unloving shoe" must hit home to so many people; not a nice message but you can feel the anguish of the person observing this womens downfall.
I went through the same thing myself watching my sister go from one asshole to another and eventually committing suicide because she met one f****r to many.
Thing is though the song does not make me sad, because it states that eveyrday fact of so many peoples life so beautifully and poignantly.
Roll River Roll, can be seen as a song about journey on a river home to his girl, or more darkly about a man wanting to end it in the river so he can join the women he lost, the songs have so may layers yet are so simple, I just do not understand how you convey so many layers of feeling with so few words.
Then we come to 'Serious', every time I play that song I just smile, but its quite a dark song in some ways, damn Mr H thats what I call a clever song writer, someone who can make you smile but put that doubt in your mind while your smiling.
My favourite though has to be Coles Corner, I do not mean to take anything away from your amazing voice Rich, but everytime I hear this song I hear Roy Orbison singing it in the back of my mind. I mean that as a compliment, I say this because I fully class your song writing (both musically and lyrically) and your singing as equal to Mr Orbison and I hear the same heart rending undercurrent of emotion, loss and also happiness, courage and humour in your songs and voice that I hear in the big O's music.
I suppose the point and question is 'Where does this emotional depth come from? and how in gods name do you put so much Sheffieldness in your songs?. Just what have you been through? cos I sense some dark stuff pervading the lyrics of your music, but always tempered by that obviously northern sense of humour.
I see your videos and they are full of humour and very self depreciating and this often counter points the songs dark content, do you write the songs and then feel the need to lighten the tone with the videos? or do you simply like to have a bleedin good laugh?.
I just want to end this by saying I have gone through some harrowing times in the last two years (lost my sister to suicide and mum to cancer) and your music helped me get through those times Rich. Not by making me feel bad or upset but by taking me back to the good times growing up on Lowedges with my mum and sisters (and Dad of course). Sometimes I have spilled a tear or two, especially listening to "Born under a bad sign" that song screams growing up in Sheffield and reminds me of my Mum (don't ask me how or why but it just does).
I just want to thank you for having the guts to create such original beautiful music, it helped me get through some rough times and that is not in any way exaggerated.
Anyway thank you for putting up with my ramblings and I do not know if the opinion of a true working class Sheffield lad adds up to much, but if I wrote music, all I know is if it touched just one person like yours has me then I would be happy. Cheers dude. (hope all that did not sound to bloody pretentious, but I had to say what goes through my mind when I listen to your stuff)
I'd just like to echo your comments here Rikimaru, I can identify with a lot of them. It is sometimes hard for a bloke to compliment another in this way, but there's nothing wrong with having a sensitive side & having the courage to show it. Cheers to you.