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When I say to you Black Lightning

by Common Holly

supported by
Ben Harris
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Ben Harris As much as I enjoy most shoegazer and other melancholy indie music, the scene often relies heavily of dissonance and distorted guitar work. Common Holly does some amazing things with the songwriting on this, a real tailor-made set of memorable tunes that clearly belong to the introspective and often rather worrisome lyrics. It's rare to hear an album that clearly took so much compositional skill, yet makes it sound so natural and emotionally intuitive. An album to get deliberately lost in. Favorite track: Measured.
Dan Morey
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Dan Morey A very fresh and unique take on the indie folk genre with great instrumentation and lyrics. Favorite track: Uuu.
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1.
With a trash can full of blood and hair You had to get yourself out of there You had to get yourself out of there You found this place but you ain't nowhere You had to get yourself out of there You had to get yourself out of there I'm sorry New York broke you It cracked your stamina I think perhaps it woke you, But now you're lost in Cana-nana-nana-na-da I'm sorry New York broke you It cracked your stamina I think perhaps it woke you, But now you're lost in Cana-nana-nana-na-da I'm sorry New York broke you Now you're anathema I think that it uncloaked you, And so you're lost in Cana-nana-nana-na-da
2.
You’re like a hot super villain At the top of your game I’ve tried collecting all the evidence To give you the blame Making footprints round the railroad Laying thick the gasoline I am tied against the tracks but I can’t figure out the ending What will it take to say it’s over? When what I want’s to rest my head upon your shoulder What will it take to say I don’t think a rescue is in order? You’re like a snake in the middle Of a regular day There was that time I tried to catch it But it slithered away The puzzle piece that’s been in hiding On the east of the street, I want to figure out the picture without spoiling the ending What will it take to say it’s over? When what I want’s to rest my head upon your shoulder What will it take to see the pacing is making me older? I’ve memorized the shapes in your little window I’ve compromised my eyes from my little window
3.
You Dance 03:19
Don’t be a a a a afraid Don’t p p p p panic Don’t freak ou ou ouou ou out
4.
Measured 02:13
You unbuttoned your shirt And I looked at your heart Then you showed me your lungs, Yeah you pulled them apart And I echoed it back, And for what it's worth Oh I think we've been measured out for pain since birth We uncovered ourselves, Whispered into the dark I untangled your words, Yeah I pulled them apart And you echoed it back And for what it's worth Oh I think we've been measured out for pain since birth Now I'm batting my eye Starting over again Why should I go in now, If it didn't work then? Will we echo it back? Or would it be worse Oh I think we've been measured out for pain since birth
5.
Uuu 04:25
You with two u's And a basket of shoes To fill up with water Piling in pockets with rocks And shipping them off to the river You're throwing on logs, Trying to silence the ones; The ones that contradict you Build your fire and watch everyone burn Is that what you are looking to do? You with two u's And nothing to lose You're finding your power And a band of hyenas To form her arena, So we must allow her Piling in pockets with rocks And shipping them off to the river Build your fire and watch everyone burn Is that going to make you feel better? The river runs cold but you are colder Does it feel good, does it feel right? Does it feel good to feel right?
6.
Little Down 03:15
Shoot from the waist up Eyes a little down Shoot from the waist up Feel a little down Just bring your chin up Give your dignity a bow Just hold your head up Keep your silence now You choose Started the round up Can you hear that sound? This is the build-up They’re breaking you down Keep on your makeup Eyes a little down This is your close up, Feel a little... You choose Never, never Don’t ever, Don’t ever let them
7.
I Try 03:42
I look for certainty in older men Then I can calculate exactly when, And free up space to live uncertainly I'd like to think it means a lot to me I look for peace when I can take the time Then I recall the moments that are mine But often I forget to get off line And often I've forgotten just to be I try to find a way to understand When I have lost the legs on which I stand And I am reaching for a holding hand The hands are reaching back so quietly I try to find a way to walk along When I'm pretending that I'm sure I'm wrong Pretending that we all continue on And in the ground there's really nobody How do we
8.
I've got all my shame To keep me warm I No one's gonna die I It's not real if I forget it It's not real if I forget it It's not real if I forget it It's not real if I forget it
9.
Crazy Ok 02:30 video
Don't leave me, I'm crazy, ok Don't leave me, I'm crazy, ok And in the evening, when I tell you What I've done all day, Don't leave me, I'm crazy ok Don't leave me, I'm crazy, ok Don't leave me, I'm crazy, ok And in the morning, when you find out That I've been away, Don't leave me, I'm crazy ok Cause I've been staying up late Trying to pull it all together And I don't know what to do, And I don't know whether I got lucky meeting you, Or it's just another reason to feel Crazy, don't leave me, ok

about

Holding fast to the emotional honesty of Playing House (2017), Common Holly’s sophomore record, When I say to you Black Lightning is a look outward; an exploration of the ways in which we all experience pain, fear and self-delusion, and how we can learn to confront those feelings with boldness. A swift change of course, WISTYBL couples a submergence into the dark and dissonant with its consolation in harmony, and a dose of dry humour.

The record is more experimental than Brigitte Naggar’s debut. It is rougher, looser, louder and more atonal. It feels edgy, but still kind. WISTYBL ditches fear without losing vulnerability, and trades in sadness for the healing powers of anger, and the strength of observing, recognizing and confronting. Through its 9 labyrinthian yet catchy tracks, shaped sonically by the seriously unique visions of Devon Bate, Hamish Mitchell, and Naggar herself, the album observes the complexities of mental health, the precarity of life, and the challenges of finding strength in the face of grave misunderstanding.

On its own, When I Say to you Black Lightning is a phrase which holds authority-- it does not apologize for itself, it stands boldly where it is, and yet it also laughs at itself for daring to take up that space. The title phrase is directive - it suggests a thought without completing it, engaging you to contemplate what comes next and pointing the finger away from itself to somewhere undefined. If Playing House was about personal turmoil, WISTYBL is about humanity’s emotional challenges and how we each approach them as individuals. The former centered around one person and one heartbreak, while the latter circles different characters that Naggar has observed or interacted with—romantically or otherwise, whose stories cumulate in a whimsically entertaining tale of struggle, and the resulting emotional growth.

credits

released October 18, 2019

Songs by Brigitte Naggar
Produced by Devon Bate & Brigitte Naggar
Mixed & Edited by Hamish Mitchell
Mastered by Jon Kaspy
All Instruments Performed By Brigitte Naggar & Devon Bate Except:
- Ali Levy (Bass)
- Ian Gibbons (Cello)
- Thanya Iyer, Shelby Cohen, Shaina Hayes, Sarah Rossy (MAWMZ Choir)
- Alex Thibault (Drums on Track 5)
- Isaac Latham (Synth on Track 5)
- Audience & Crowd Noises at The Velvet Underground, Toronto on Track Eight

Photos & Art Directions by Aaliyeh Afshar & Max Taeuschel

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Common Holly Montreal, Québec

Sweet Sloth Punk Delivered Daily

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