Pocket Lint AKA Mark Heffernan continues to impress us with his latest release, entitled E.P.Four, released on Deliberator records on 31st January 2022.
Those of us who have followed Pocket Lint have long known his ‘Prince-like’ skills at being everything from composer, lyricist, arranger, instrumentalist and vocalist, but this EP sets a new standard in creativity.
The album consists of five beatifully crafted songs, and all (apart from the opening track ‘Disguises’) are on the theme of colour. Even the cover art -yes again designed by Pocket Lint – is a collection of micro photographed images of colours: the top and bottom are speakers, the second a blue toilet cleaner, and a crater-like image is the rust on a zinc planter since rust is C# on a piano. In fact the album was nearly called ‘Songs in the key of Rust.’
Creatively, for Pocket Lint this is a return to his familar territory of guitar-driven music, having produced mainly synth material during 2021. However, don’t make the mistake of thinking this is an album that only reappropriates his early output. In going back to his roots (Pocket Lint was trained as a guitarist) he is able to have that confidence which gives him the freedom to experiment, and experiment well.
One of the exciting things about Pocket Lint is that he is more than happy to reveal his creative processes. Pocket Lint always gives insight into his creative inspirations on the digital sleeve-notes and obliges us with including each tracks’s lyrics. Since Pocket Lint is a genuine Wordsmith, it is well worth taking the time to read them.
The opening track ‘Disguises’ is beautifully enigmatic with ephemeral multi-track vocals. Exquisitely unexpected is the driving guitar riff that bullies your senses midway through. In a review by Independent Reviewer Kiffie the style is described as being similar to,”the opening scene in Apocalypse Now, the Doors meets the Moody Blues with shades of Damon Albarn in his prime whilst early REM signals the beginning of late 80s indie music.
(To read the full review, click on the link below:)
The secong track ‘Noir’ is deeply atmospheric. A roar of guitar conjures up images of a wild beast beating its chest and looking for prey and yet it is juxtaposed with chimes reminiscent of the innocent jingle of a nursery. Pocket Lint is playing with your mind and senses and provides no let up with an atonal crescendo of instruments not dissimilar to the end of ‘A Day in the Life.
The chorus has a dark hue to it as the lyrics look back whistfully on a ‘film noir’ life that never gave him what he had hoped.
The clashing guitar chords at the beginning of Red Mist initially is reminiscent of the opening chord of Blur’s ‘Coffee and TV’ before sounding more like every programme on a Commodore 64 or ZX Spectrum. The track was written from the perspective of the Mars Opportunity Rover and there is certainly a Sci-fi feel to it. This morphs into an intro that gives a taste of a dramatic hammer horror scene. Pocket Lint then again surprises us when his rich baritone comes in with a beautifully melodic verse.
The fourth track entitled Violet Apples starts with the repetition of its opening lyrics of, “Violet Apples only grow after snow, In ground pressed hard behind frosted pane/pain (delete as applicable)” sung practically on the same note throughout. This is the hook melodically and the semantic motif of the song and the fact that it is sung over and over again gives a menacing quality.
It is worth noting that the homophone of pane and pain, so crucial to understanding the song’s meaning, is why it is so enlightening for Pocket Lint to share the lyrics of each song.
Pocket Lint has worked with the Intentists who value the intention a creative voice brings to the work. Here is an interview with Pocket Lint about his creative processes in making his previous E.P.
The final track of the E.P. is called ‘White Sands’ and its beautiful poetry reminds us what a great lyricist Pocket Lint is. There are some truly elegant harmonies in vocal bridge and the whining heavily distorted guitar in the backgroud echoes the best of Clapton.
All in all this E.P is everything you expect from Pocket Lint with a few surprises thrown in. Do listen. Do download. It’s on Bandcamp waiting for you.
https://pocketlint17.bandcamp.com/album/e-p-four