The 12 tracks that make up this album largely date back to Gregg’s London busking days of the mid-1990s and have sat in the background never quite able to find home on a Paradise 9 album but too good and too personal for Gregg to leave unbirthed forever. Ever since Gregg’s remission from Prostate cancer he has been focused on two things, spreading the vital message to men that early detection is potentially life saving; and on making this album a reality. With the musical support of Martin Litmus, we now have the pleasure of these tracks and hearing Gregg’s voice in a different musical setting.
My first impression was that Gregg had taken the heart and soul of the best of his Paradise 9 material into a more personal and plaintive sonic soundscape. The acoustic rhythms and bluesy extended clarinet solos hypnotise and carry the gentle thrust and momentum of this album, while the atmosphere is airy but never light. Music and sounds drift through each track whether it be the Dylan-esque original Cockney Rebel style folk sound of the violins, or the carefully layered guitar and synth work that weave in and around the vocal and guitar work. The music ebbs and flows like the sound of the waves lapping the shore that begin the first track ‘All Said and Done’.
The strong melodic pull of the choruses on this album make the songs familiar from the first listen, so if you are someone who does not enjoy watching a whole performance of new music, you will be at ease with these tunes as they introduce themselves to you like an old friend and you’ll soon be mouthing along to the words.
What really impressed me about the instrumentals on ‘Songs from the Underground’ is the emotional weight carried by Gregg’s clarinet playing, conveying a range of feelings on ‘Sacred Space’ and also the beautifully understated violin solo on ‘New Dawn’. We all have our sacred space and I had the pleasure of hearing that particular track in my own sacred space, feeling every melancholic note played in the moment.
A startling left-turn on the album is the cover of the vintage Blind Willie Johnson’s gospel blues classic ‘Motherless Children’ turned into a brooding doom-folk track with a darker-edged feel and impassioned vocal delivery. ‘Time to Go’ features a strong bass line lending the track a dubby atmosphere, also adding a new musical twist to the album.
I did wonder when first familairising myself with the track listing if there was a nod to The Clash’ sprawling, experimental triple LP ‘Sandinista!’ as ‘Charlie Don’t Mind’ and ‘ One More Touch’ are placed next to each other in the sequencing evoking the song titles ‘Charlie Don’t Surf’ and One More Time’. When I checked in with Gregg on this he said the thought had never occured to him! Gregg’s Charlie is a detailed character study in song whilst ‘Touch’ also contains some doom-folk elements to it, the two-tracks firming up the spine of the album.
The sound effects punctuated through the album give the album a very ‘alive’ feeling, taking the energy of the outdoors where Gregg would have first sung these songs on the streets into the songs. The sound of waves return to give the album a song cycle feel, having introduced the album at the beginning and then wrapped things up with my personal favourite track, ‘Woman Like You’, which starts with more emotive clarinet, spacey effects and gentle acoustic guitar, slowly building for around 4 and a half minutes before opening up to be the albums big emotional hitter. Perhaps sitting parallel with Gregg’s other romantic songs such as ‘Crystalised Moments’ the song is a heartfelt and tender ballad of what the power of love can do. This gorgeous song is a perfect closer carrying with it all the magical moments contained within this album.
With this set, Gregg has created and achieved his own ‘God of Man’, the Judge Trev solo folk album much loved in RMC circles. A deeply personal lyrical and musical statement chock full of exquisite musical moments from some of the best musicians Gregg has crossed paths with over the decades. It has been my pleasure to listen to these songs and it would be my pleasure for you to come and enjoy them live with us at the Brunswick on December 7th! – Joe Bridge
Set for release on December 5th you can pre order ‘Songs from the Underground’ here: https://greggmckella.bandcamp.com/album/songs-from-the-underground-2
Tickets for the launch gig: https://wegottickets.com/event/679349