HULL based Foolish Atoms (aka Chris Norrison) dreams up droning acoustic swamps in his sleep. Creating music so delusional and pain numbing, audiences peacefully drown in the sweet rustic guitar tones and his strained vocals. And with thanks to Adult Teeth and Norrison, The Music Manual gained access to the delectable new album 'A Crack In The Glass Eye', up for release November 25th.The album has a general film smothering its sound, each track significantly differing from the other, soulfully attracting a montage collection of tainted guitar twangs and quieter drum thumps. Attracting a quivered vibration as the album progresses, maintaining a poignant musical decorum throughout.
'Trapping John' features a bit later on within the album but its harrowing album adds contemplation to the slowly delivered track. Painful oozing vocals resonate beauty, circulating the origins the beauty grows, glowing forever in this stripped back arrangement. Fancifully, the track builds up, gradually withstanding a whole heap of thoroughly thought out actions, telling a tale of desperation and mystifying life lessons. Hardly a bump in place, the easy-going listening rating is exceeding 10, 'Trapping John' is a true piece of musical genius, a definite indication as to what we should be listening to.
Take a listen to single 'A Crack in the Glass Eye' taken from the new album available for pre-order here.
After each track had played an overwhelming feeling of sheer passion smothers the audience, especially as we fall under the influence of the alternative gaze. I definitely will be spending seven quid on this highly desired item! After delving deeper into Foolish Atoms music, The Music Manual wanted to find out more about this one man wonder...
Thanks for agreeing to this interview! Could you tell us why 'Foolish Atoms'?
That’s no problem at all, thanks for asking me. Well I’ve found band names to be a nightmare generally so I’m just glad to have come up with something that I can deal with and isn’t embarrassing. The name itself was a song lyric originally.
You're from Hull, what's the music scene like around there?
It’s pretty good. I imagine it’s like other music scenes in that there are great bands and not so great ones. Off the top of my head I would say Glass Delusion (on Adult Teeth), Heroes of the Mexican Independence Movement (which I play drums in), The Holy Orders, Fonda 500, The Dyr Sister and Mammal Hum (just split up though) are all good bands and musical people. This is clearly a subjective and hideously biased list. A mention is definitely in order for the New Adelphi Club which is great and something of a hub for local music. It is also 2 minutes from my house and has good beer.
I've listened to your new album and i'm really loving the sound. What was it like to record as an album?
Thanks a lot. It was good fun which always helps. I’ve got an old Tascam 8-track which I use to record in my house so its basic but that suits me. I’m not much of a techie. The latest one was mostly written and recorded in a week or so which prevents any agonizing and 8 tracks doesn’t allow much in the way of over playing or faffing. I’m not really a perfectionist. The first album ‘Songs for Insomniacs and Narcoleptics’ (also out on Adult Teeth) was similar though recorded over a longer period. The method is generally: grab a beer and clamp on the big 70s headphones.
Have you ever been involved in any other projects?
Currently I play in a couple of other groups – The aforementioned H.O.T.M.I.M. playing stand-up drums. The songs are written by my friend Paul Sarel and are really good. Also a quite new band called which sounds a bit Young Marble Giants.
Do you think your inspirations, PJ Harvey, REM and Velvet Underground make appearances within your work?
I should imagine they do, though I might not be the best judge. Probably my favourite band are Guided By Voices who are an influence as much on the methodology as the songs – record quickly and go for feel rather than perfection.
If you could describe your sound as one word and one word only, what would you say and why?
Herculean. It is both mighty and mythical.
Has there ever been a moment where you wanted to just leave music altogether?
Not really, I should imagine I’ll carry on writing and recording as I always have. Though I’d hope I’d recognize when to stop if I was just churning out crap.
Do you have any obscure facts about yourself?
- I have a double-jointed thumb.
- I have used James Brown’s toilet.
- I used to have Bruce Grobbelaar’s autograph (shameless currying of favour…).
I think a lot of the local bands I mentioned above have releases out or self release so perhaps the term unsigned has less meaning than it once did. You can put stuff out yourself with the right discipline, will and energy. Saying that I’m a lazy bugger so its good that Adult Teeth are doing it. I’ve not really got my finger on the pulse.
If you could choose an animal to be your spirit animal, what would you choose?
A sloth would be about right I think. Sensible creatures.
Finally, go forward 40 years, what will you be doing?
Christ… well assuming the planet is about as habitable as it is now (a big assumption), shouting gibberish at strangers, playing the guitar with bionic arms and learning to dance.
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