A darkness has set in for Southampton's James Baxter. Themes of ageing and helplessness have swamped this talented song writer, a muse which bodes for a bitter listen.
Travelling and long summers breed endless dreams when you're young. When these fade to reality and work, it can be an all consuming time. For Baxter, escapism appears to have long past. When Scroobious Pip rapped “just a band”, the reality of natural born talent was exposed as a myth. A myth which, Baxter appeared to believed in himself until a ruthless moment of self-reflection:
“In essence I am just as fucking useless / I've realised that's no one's special no ones different / We're just bags of fat and bone and sinew”
A bleak affair yes, but the promise in this honest song writing breeds hope for Baxter and, in these bleak times, its an apt tonic.