Newcastle-based artist Melanie Baker releases debut LP, Somebody Help Me, I’m Being Spontaneous!, before headline tour across the UK. Having played across the BBC radio network, plus a feature song in the popular programme Waterloo Road, the singer-songwriter’s new album is heavily anticipated.
Somebody Help Me, I’m Being Spontaneous highlights Baker’s signature depressed dream pop rock styling alongside her use of music as therapy. The singer’s lyrics focus on vibes and emotion, coming across as a lyrical expression of particular life moments or feelings that need acknowledging.
We can see a mix of song lengths in Somebody Help Me, I’m Being Spontaneous, some under a minute compared to ‘Slugs’ at 4:22. This again speaks to music as a therapy, with some feelings taking longer to process than others.
‘AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!’
First piece on the album, ‘AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!’ begins with a staccato guitar rhythm before transitioning into smooth, legato backing. Baker’s words lull you into a dream-like state before making her point – sometimes, you just need to scream. Whether it’s into a pillow or a microphone, we’ve all had moments where life gets too much, emotions are too high, and you just have to get it out.
Rarely addressed in such a literal way through music, ‘AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!’ is healing in a very specific way.
‘Why Would I Want To Be Just Like You?’
A sarcastic take on individualism, Baker brings jazz and funk characteristics to her typical styling with guitar and drums that sound both sassy and sarcastic. The cynical lyrics are honest and open, with spoken sections, slower melodic progression and the occasional dissonant leap to highlight the point of ‘Why Would I Want To Be Just Like You?’.
Overall, this song is giving Wet Leg crossed with Avril Lavigne, an interesting combination that works fantastically well when you add Baker’s skill to the mix.
‘Cabin Fever’
Another sub-minute song, ‘Cabin Fever’ shows the beauty of a jam session between multi-instrumentalist Jon Evans and drummer Adam Robson. The heavily 90s pop-rock coded song pairs heavy drums you can picture Robson hammering, with guitar emphasising syncopation in the embellishments thrown in.
Similar to ‘AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!’, this song is purely emotion and moment-based. Sometimes, there are no words, only vibes.
‘Slugs’
Penultimate yet longest song of the album, ‘Slugs’ is the most storylike we hear from Baker. The melancholic acoustic guitar and strings set the tone early to back a thinner voice than we normally hear from the singer. As the story continues, the tempo increases and so does the confidence and solidity we hear from Baker. Growing alongside this, the volume and tempo increase as they embody the lyrics “I wanna be LOUD”.
As the song closes, we are treated to a nod back to the start with a thinner vocal timbre and a return to the original slug-based metaphoric messaging.
A contemporary album, Melanie Baker makes an exciting debut with Somebody Help Me, I’m Being Spontaneous! The purely emotion-based songs and straightforward lyrics transport you into the Baker’s world.
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