Category Archives: Track Review

80s (and sometimes ‘20s) Music Rules ~ Criminally Underrated Artists and Bands ~ Paul Manchin, A Music Review

by

1

My mantra has always been, “music is my lifeblood.” So, it’s always great fun to discover new music to keep that feeling alive. What’s even more fun is sharing these musical gems with others. Not everyone has the same taste in music, but every once in a while, a recommendation turns into a found treasure.

That said, my latest find is a track called “Gratification” composed by Paul Manchin and David Bottrill. Paul handles the vocals, while David wears many hats: track master, producer, mixer, and player of all instruments. As if that isn’t enough, David has worked with Peter Gabriel, The Smashing Pumpkins, and Rush. 

This song seduces the listener from the opening bars. The intro to “Gratification” sounds very much like a faster-paced intro to David Bowie’s “Lazarus.” That alone got my attention and kept me glued to the audio. Then, once the curious sound of Paul’s digitized voice, along with the opening lyrics kicked in, there was no going back for me.

Enough about my listening experience: time to make it your own. (Click on “Watch on YouTube.“)

“Gratification” is published by Peter Gabriel’s Real World Music in the UK. It was recorded at Mainstation Music Inc. in Canada.

For all the links to Paul Manchin’s social media, as well as to contact him:
https://paulmanchin.wixsite.com/paulmanchin

Purchase “Gratification” (as well as other Paul Manchin tunes) on iTunes:
https://music.apple.com/ca/artist/paul-manchin/4691987
and other digital music platforms.

Listen to other tracks featured on Paul’s YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/paulmanchin

80s (and sometimes ‘20s) Music Rules ~ Criminally Underrated Artists and Bands ~ Church of Trees, A Music Review

by

3

Haven’t heard of Canadian band Church of Trees? Well, keep reading and get ready to thank me.

The band currently consists of core members Bernard Frazer (vocals, synths, programming), Stella Panacci (vocals), Heather Brazeau (vocals), and Bob Prendergast (guitar). Frequent contributors are Rob Preuss of Spoons/Honeymoon Suite (piano, synths, programming, bass, remixes), and Rob Stuart of EDF/SLAVE To The SQUAREWAVE (synths, remixes).

My first experience with Church of Trees’ music was hearing “Like Gary Numan” on David Marsden’s NYTheSpirit.com stream.

Being a late-in-life Numan fan (roughly the past 25 years), this track both delighted me and piqued my curiosity about the band. Fortunately, David Marsden is a big fan also; so, David’s avid listeners have been delighted by hearing several outstanding Church of Trees songs taken from their successful EP and album releases since 2017 (Primitive Creatures, The Dark & The Light, New Bold Dawn, PAUSE, and Pish Posh). All Church of Trees albums are co-produced by Frazer and Blinker the Star’s Jordon Zadorozny.

Which all leads up to the purpose of this post: A new Church of Trees single – “Progression/Rob Stuart Numanoid Mix”—is slated for release on April 8, 2023. The track is from the forthcoming Church of Trees Album Courage, scheduled to drop on May 5. Mark your calendars, folks—you do not want to miss out on either event. Here’s why:

“Progression” is a very suitably named song. It progresses (see what I did there?) from a very Laurie Anderson-esque intro into the best Numan-influenced industrial/synth recording you’ve ever heard via Rob Stuart’s gorgeous, swelling electronic melodies.  His synths are lush, multi-layered, and everything a synth-lover like me could want in a track. Lead vocals are calming, emotive, and beautifully executed by Bernard Frazer, who also amazingly provides harmonic, excellently delivered back-up vocals to complete this magnificent work.

It’s one of those tracks where the more you listen to it, the more it speaks volumes to you.

Watch this space for more information about the release of the Church of Trees LP Courage. In the meantime, get ready to be enchanted by its first released track “Progression/Rob Stuart Numanoid Mix” on April 8, 2023. On that date, get on over to churchoftrees.bandcamp.com for your copy—it will leave you in breathless anticipation of what’s yet to come from Courage.