Taut and propulsive, “Elephant” marries the pop nouse of XTC with the stop-start dynamics of 00's post-hardcore mainstays Hundred Reasons before opening up into the kind of shimmering chorus that would have shot Obey Robots to MTV stardom had it been the 90's.
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Miles Hunt (The Wonder Stuff) said of "Elephant": What I am immediately drawn to on the album’s third track, Elephant, is its discomfort with itself – a beat and a rhythm guitar part at odds with each other. And as much as this pleases me to hear, I have a wee bit of experience in trying to find a vocal melody to ride over such polar opposites, to the point of almost driving myself ‘round the bend.
Laura hasn’t suffered so here. Her entry is as unexpected as it is inspiring and she has saved her frustration for the lyric, another empathetic view, this time towards those that aren’t as fortunate as perhaps she feels? It’s Punk Rock, it’s the Punk Rock I understood anyway. It’s the giving of strength, of solidarity, of an olive branch. It’s optimism and it’s delivered with a bouquet of flowers, including the thorns.
Her ability to take the melodies where I can never predict is such a rare pleasure for me. And when Rat goes pretty again - in an unnecessary but admittedly generous shift in atmosphere - Laura reacts with a playful bit of vocal trickery. And as it all comes to a close the Ned’s king-sized guitarist piles on layers of emotion to take it home.
These two artists we born to create together, I’m constantly hearing one push the other further.
lyrics
LYRICS
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Newspaper shouts that we’ve had enough
The radio says we’re all out of love
Don’t let them take what you worked hard for
Slaving away for your family
There’s nothing left for the strangers who bleed
Hold tight to the things that you value
Thank your lucky stars
Look to the future
There’s freedom in guitars
We try to get it right
Fight the forces on the other side
Just a little longer
Unbandaging our eyes
Count the seconds as they crystallise
It’s just a little further
The government says we’re overrun
They get a break while you soldier on
Cos you don’t have the life that you deserve
You’re working hard for your family
There’s nothing else, you believe what you read
This wasn’t given to you on a plate
Don’t politicise
Stick to the music
Dance for a little while
Always scraping the barrel
Parroting lines
I’ve never felt so angry
We try to get it right
Fight the forces on the other side
Just a little longer
Unbandaging our eyes
Count the seconds as they crystallise
It’s just a little further
We’re wasting time
Don’t want to feel so bad
We’re wasting time
And it was all we had
We try to get it right
Fight the forces on the other side
Just a little longer
Unbandaging our eyes
Count the seconds as they crystallise
It’s just a little further
We try to get it right
Fight the forces on the other side
Just a little longer
Unbandaging our eyes
Losing hours as they hypnotise
It’s always a little further than we can
credits
released February 17, 2023
CREDITS
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Produced by Laura Kidd.
Mixed by Chris Sheldon. Mastered by Katie Tavini.
All music by Laura Kidd and Rat, all lyrics and arrangements by Laura Kidd. All vocals and bass by Laura, all guitars by Rat. Drums by Max Saidi.
Rat’s guitars recorded by Dan Austin. All other instruments recorded by Laura in The Launchpad, Bristol.
Single artwork by Laura Kidd, robot illustration by Alex Tillbrook.
