Recreations are the new sobriquet for Sam Duckworth (aka Get Cape Wear Cape Fly!). His nationwide tour with the excellent Rob Lynch and Sean McGowan begins on 22nd April so, we thought we'd check out his latest EP 'Digital Ghettos'.
Built To Last
This Bridges the gap between the melodic and inspirational Get Cape material and the melancholic introspective solo albums perfectly.
From the outside it seems outrageous to claim “im not built to last” as he is about to release his 8th album in ten years. An 8th release which, based on this showing, is set to maintain an incredible level of consistency.
We sometimes wonder whether he should release an album of tripe so his next album can be seen as a heroic return to form because glory is
Icicle
The DnB and jungle influences, so often his USP, serve this track well as ‘Icicle’ ebbs and flows from spiky to euphoric. This tale of trying to be cool in an impossibly cool world inside the M25 has a wryness that should be thoroughly enjoyed by all.
Shake It Off
The shackles are off on this track. This is the most unabashed track Duckworth has written for years. The Get Cape moniker may be no more but the hordes of fans who flocked to his debut ‘The Chronicles Of A Bohemian Teenager’ should be ready for another joyous journey.
This is everything alternative pop music should be. It’s spritely, catchy and bears witness to heavyweight social commentary:
“So throw out your rage / it’s the 70s again / a disgruntled youth / Who will not go away / But they don’t like bands / Because everyone is sleeping with their favourite brands”
This writer and Duckworth maybe the only two in the world that see things this way but the alternative music world of yesteryear with tears in eyes at the levels of corporate attachment today. Yes record sales are down because people steal but principles and symbolism are everything in this world right? Purists may be losing in this world but making a great album, juxtaposing art with commercially viable single and entertaining crowds is art and should not be cheapened.
Polemic aside, this is a great pop song. The soaring chorus is destined to be echoed around far bigger audiences than the upcoming tour is set to play to. Simply put, it is too good not to.
Digital Ghetto
To round things off is a simple and warming ballad about the isolation that technology can bring about. Technology is supposed to bring us together, and in a way it does. However, what Duckworth brilliantly gets to here, is that sense that we know more about our friends than ever before but arguably know them less.
The torture in Duckworth’s vocals as he sings “oh I don’t want to be another one” is gut wrenching. He is detailing how he doesn’t want to drift apart from friends and the world in general but, his lyrics and melancholic music signify it is inevitable:
“If knowledge is power / why do I feel so powerless”
It’s a horrible sense of hopelessness and remoteness he gets across and he should be applauded for it. No matter how happy you are, this song will stop you in your tracks and reflect for four and half minutes.