You have to be careful in this business of music scribing. The industry can be a sounding board for political views, some of them transparent, others obfuscated and it is easy to get dragged into it.
I was on my guard straight away when I saw the title ‘As the river flows’ for what are probably obvious reasons and then it hit me that the singer and songwriter is Helena Montgomery and I find it very hard to imagine her writing an outright political song of any colour.
As it turns out it is a nostalgic tribute to the synth-pop sound of the 1980s on which I believe she grew up. The soundscape as well as the theme of the lyrics pays homage to artists like Howard Jones – he who still doesn’t know what love is, anyway – and Ultravox, who are dancing around Vienna with tears in their eyes but it means nothing to them.
For many readers that paragraph probably means nothing to them either but I would recommend any aspiring young songwriter today to take some time out and listen to the music of the 80s. Arguably it was the greatest decade to date for popular music although I grant you that 60s and 70s aficionados would have something to say about that.
It was without question the most varied in its output with some 25 genres on show from new wave to synth pop to alt dance to gothic rock and thrash metal; some for the first time.
‘As the river flows’ focuses on the electronic element.
There are very strong elements of Howard Jones in it, a simple but catchy melody and clattering percussion and an electronic bass line that creates a typical 80s piece of syncopation. And yet it carries the Ultravox mark of gravitas as well.
And Helena Montgomery adds the following, with which I concur absolutely – “The song is inspired by an era when electronic music was driven by both technological innovation and a strong sense of humanity.”
Humanity, yes. Something that Bob Vylan and Kneecap know nothing about.
Who knows, she might spark a revival.
Find her on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HelenaMontgomeryArtist
