┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ │ Ostinatos presents: │ │ │ │ Christian Burns - Love Songs From Suburbia │ │ │ │ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ : : │ │ │ │ Artist: Christian Burns │ │ Album : Love Songs From Suburbia │ │ │ │ ┌────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┐ │ │ : : │ │ Genre : House │ │ Date : 2021-06-26 │ │ Encoder : LAME 3.100 (-V0) │ │ Quality : 262 kbps avg │ │ 4410kHz / Joint Stereo │ │ Track(s) : 12 │ │ Playtime : 00:50:11 │ │ Size : 99.04 MB │ │ Language : English │ │ Source : CD │ │ Label : Black Hole Recordings │ │ Catalognr : BHCD218 │ │ │ │ ┌─────────────────────────────[ ReleaseNotes ]───────────────────────────┐ │ │ : : │ │ ôHopeö, says Christian Burns - ôif thereÆs one word that sums this │ │ album up, thatÆd be itö. Now if this sounds unduly upbeat given our │ │ times, bear-with - the context will become much clearer. The story of │ │ æLove Songs From SuburbiaÆ (for there clearly is one) begins in Los │ │ Angeles in April of 2020. DonÆt get too comfy there though - in 48hrs, │ │ itÆs going to be eight timezones away. │ │ │ │ This album was spurred by not one, but two sizeable occurrences. One │ │ was global (no prizes) and the second, about as personal as they come. │ │ For the first time in decades, long-time LA resident Christian suddenly │ │ and unexpectedly felt far from home. With a real sense of the way the │ │ West Coast winds were blowing, last April he hopped a flight back to │ │ the familial north of England. Adding extra impetus to the │ │ international situation was the recent demise of his long-term │ │ relationship. So leaving behind house, studio, car and everything else │ │ non-suitcase-sized, he landed back in his native Greater Manchester. │ │ │ │ Writing his second artist album (the long deferred follow up to 2013Æs │ │ æSimple Modern AnswersÆ) couldnÆt have been further from the plan, │ │ simply as there wasnÆt one. Without a permanent base in the county, a │ │ returning Christian took refuge under his sisterÆs roof. Within a │ │ matter of days, creatively - and by his own admission unexpectedly - │ │ something began to stir. Setting up a makeshift studio in a vacant │ │ building in the middle of a field on his siblingÆs property he began to │ │ writeà and out came æLove Songs From SuburbiaÆ. │ │ │ │ Emotion - it probably goes without saying - is baked into the album. │ │ Notable though, only by their complete absence, are tones of gloom, │ │ pessimism or reproach. And when you consider the primary drivers behind │ │ æLove SongsÆ, thatÆs quite remarkable. In their place sit vibes of │ │ wistfulness and quiet acceptance. Less æwhatÆs happenedÆ and more │ │ æwhatÆs to comeÆ, all bound up in - that word again - ôhopeö. │ │ │ │ While the temptation might be there, donÆt look at æLove SongÆs track │ │ titles (twelve in total) anticipating a chapter-like overview of │ │ ChristianÆs inspirations. Poker-faced, from æTigersÆ or æHonourÆ at the │ │ frontend to æThe Hands That MatterÆ or æEverywhereÆ at the back, │ │ thereÆs not one title that allows conclusions. ItÆs within the albumÆs │ │ verses and choruses that ChristianÆs meanings lie, some just below the │ │ surface, others core deep. As the mind translates them, a journey takes │ │ place and æLove SongsÆ figurations become clear. │ │ │ │ First listens to ChristianÆs second album will likely leave the │ │ impression that itÆs musical elements are there solely as a passive │ │ bit-part players. The feet move, the ears prick, but your focus rarely │ │ traffics from ChristianÆs absorbing-to-mesmerizing songs, refrains and │ │ harmonies. A testament to their stunning tact though, over time those │ │ elements begin to pop more to the fore, and with them the realisation │ │ of just what kind of extraordinary balancing act æLove SongsÆ is │ │ pulling off. │ │ │ │ A wistful, blissful, sun-on-your-face-styled feel - æCafΘ del Mar with │ │ beatsÆ perhaps - it carries its tone innately first track through last. │ │ ItÆs an album with nothing to prove other than art-of-lyric, │ │ authenticity of voice and depth-of-meaning always wins through. │ │ │ │ ┌──────────────────────────────[ Tracklist ]─────────────────────────────┐ │ │ : : │ │ [ ] │ │ [ ] │ │ 1. Christian Burns - Tigers [ 4:39] │ │ 2. Christian Burns - Any Love [ 4:13] │ │ 3. Christian Burns - Eyes Wide Open [ 3:36] │ │ 4. Christian Burns - Honour [ 3:29] │ │ 5. Christian Burns - The Magic [ 3:46] │ │ 6. Christian Burns - Truth [ 4:35] │ │ 7. Christian Burns - Friendly Fire [ 5:08] │ │ 8. Christian Burns - Alive [ 3:48] │ │ 9. Christian Burns - The Hands That Matter [ 3:58] │ │ 10.Christian Burns with M.O.S. - Now or Never [ 4:32] │ │ 11.Christian Burns - Breathing Fire [ 3:46] │ │ 12.Christian Burns - Everywhere [ 4:41] │ │ [ ] │ │ [ ] │ │ │ │ 00:50:11 │ │ ------- │ └────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────┘