The Fireman
Electric Arguments [album]
“The
Fireman — aka Paul McCartney
and Youth —
sets the music scene
alight with the stunning Electric
Arguments album...”
YOU CAN'T KEEP A GOOD MAN DOWN and, in yet another incarnation, former
Beatle Paul McCartney is once again doing what comes naturally to him —
producing beautiful music.
This time it is in the guise of The Fireman and it was back in 1993 that the
until then mysterious duo was exposed by the press as none other than the respected
Paul McCartney and the talented Youth. A brand new studio album, Electric
Arguments — the duo's third — was released in November (2008)
after a ten-year break, and The Fireman has at last found his voice because
Electric Arguments is the first release to feature vocals.
This very different album is an eclectic and varied collection consisting of
thirteen tracks recorded in thirteen days over a period of almost a year. Each
track was written and recorded in one day and, surprisingly, The Fireman went
into the studio with no plan or a clear idea of how they wanted the album to
sound. Interestingly, the project has taken on a creative life of its own and
marks the introduction of a new sound to The Fireman.
In a rare interview around the release of the last album, Rushes, in
1998, Paul and Youth spoke of their music, saying: "ambient dreams in rainbow
arches describe the circles of The Fireman". Five years before, in 1993, the
first album, Strawberries Oceans Ships Forest was released — a solid,
ambient dance album heavy on electronics.
The now sadly defunct music bible Melody Maker heaped praise on the project:
"Paul McCartney has discovered dance music — the results are staggeringly
brilliant. [The Fireman] take a melody and, with dexterous genre-hopping through
ambient, trance and house, evolve a number of breathtaking variations".
Last year The Fireman returned to start work on what would become Electric
Arguments. The results may be entirely different this time, but the enigmatic
Electric Arguments will bowl you over with its clever mix of rock, retro
and the best of great British sounds from the two fine musicians known as The
Fireman.
Earlier this year The Fireman donated a new and beautifully constructed track
from Electric Arguments — Lifelong Passion — to the
charity Adopt-A-Minefield. This lovely new track marked a directional change
for The Fireman and there is a subtle Oriental influence at work.
Lifelong Passion showcased a new, more traditional, song-based sound
with vocals; going against the sound of the first two albums. And so the speculation
began. A 'studio source' was quoted in The Times as describing this new
sound "like Arcade Fire meets Led Zeppelin". So what have The Fireman been up
to and what is the album like?
As you would expect, Electric Arguments is quite exceptional. The album's
opener Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight is uplifting classic rock and
immediately grabs your attention. A heavy guitar riff with a crescendo of drums
and sourcing vocals, it's like nothing The Fireman has ever done before and
is a worthy venture into the world of great rock.
The second track, the acoustic driven Two Magpies immediately takes you
in a different direction, calming things right down and sounding very retro.
The euphoric, upbeat Sing The Changes comes next and has an instantly
memorable melody that keeps your body moving and your mind racing. We also detected
an Oriental influence on this track and this is due to be released as a single.
The fabulous Travelling Light is enchanting and haunting with its musical
brilliance — it sends shivers down your spine! Electric Arguments
keeps the listener intrigued; wondering where The Fireman will take them next.
Each album track has an entirely different personality, yet somehow this collection
fits together perfectly.
Other standout tracks include Light From Your Lighthouse, Sun Is Shining,
and Dance 'Til We're High, all in keeping with the genre-hopping spirit
of the first two albums from The Fireman. Highway sounds like the very
best of Paul McCartney and the terrific Light From Your Lighthouse is
yet another unforgettable track.
We also have to particularly mention that Dance 'Til We're High makes
you want to do just that and has great melodies. This inspired and anthemic
track has been likened in sound to the ever-visionary Arcade Fire. Described
by the press as "richly layered", this is a track that sees Paul full
of evocative creative optimism — a disposition that follows throughout
the album and one that seems to suit Paul McCartney well. Dance 'Til We're
High will be released as a single on 5 January (2009) and cannot fail to
attract much welcome attention.
Is This Love? is a magical musical composition that includes the most
relaxing and gentle music and soothing vocals. Universal Here, Everlasting
Now also has some very pleasant and relaxing music and the final track,
Don't Stop Running, is unique, catchy and good to listen to.
Electric Arguments demonstrates that Paul McCartney is still interested
in pure musical possibilities — this is an album designed to both surprise
and delight the listener. Made with no record company restraints or a set release
date to work to, Electric Arguments benefits from complete artistic and
creative freedom.
• Electric Arguments by The Fireman,
released by MPL on 24 November (2008), is manufactured and distributed by One
Little Indian Ltd. (An exclusive bonus track is on the iTunes version). The
album is Produced by Paul McCartney and Youth and all tracks are written by
Paul McCartney.
• Sing The Changes is available now as a download single
on all major download stores.
• Dance 'Til We're High will be
released as a single from the album on 5 January (2009) on MPL and manufactured
and distributed by One Little Indian Ltd.
Tracklisting
1 Nothing Too Much Just Out Of Sight | 2 Two Magpies | 3 Sing
The Changes |
4 Travelling Light | 5 Highway | 6 Light From Your Lighthouse
| 7 Sun Is Shining |
8 Dance 'Til We're High | 9 Lifelong Passion | 10 Is This Love?
| 11 Lovers In A Dream |
12 Universal Here, Everlasting Now | 13 Don't Stop Running
"…the enigmatic Electric Arguments will bowl you over with its clever
mix of rock, retro and the best of great British sounds from two fine musicians
known as The Fireman" — Maggie Woods, MotorBar
"...an enlightening and adventurous joy that could be the best thing he's
done in years" — Simon Harper, ClashMusic.com
"There's no songs on the first two Fireman albums; it's just trance stuff,
and basically each track is one chord. On [Electric Arguments], I started
saying maybe we should go for another chord somewhere and, whoah, it just exploded.
Some of the songs even have four chords!" — Paul McCartney
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