A deeper look at the grooves pressed into Scott Collins’ Purple Pain LP. There aren’t many artists making music right now who are capable of introducing themselves as clearly having both their heart on their sleeve as well as a chip clearly on their shoulder, but that’s exactly what Scott Collins does on his Purple Pain LP. From the moment stylus catches groove and “Killer Crush” opens the running of Purple Pain‘s A-side, Collins straddles a line between defining warm hearts and sentiments, and brutally mocking those same sentiments through lines like, “One step to the fire, I’m blind – I can’t see/ Two steps do it now – I’m burning.” In listening, an argument could be made both for and against the idea that it isn’t the single easiest development with which to introduce oneself, but the dimly lit instrumental tones that illuminate the song as well as the simmering, electronic beat which powers it achieve a sort of consistency which becomes hypnotic before the song hisses to a close, and listeners won’t be able to keep themselves from wondering what might becoming after “Killer Crush” closes.
After “Killer Crush” does successfully establish its tone, “Love You More” follows and doesn’t exactly change up the sound so much as deepen it in a similar manner to how Leonard Cohen deepened the thematic turns through The Future. Again, very electronic and pre-programmed beats uphold the cut (this becomes consistent throughout the duration of the Purple Pain LP) and whispering synths as well as Collins’ more dramatic vocal styling are the elements which power the song and supply its flavor but, on the wrong day, “Love You More” can feel like it’s taking an eternity to get through its’ three minutes. “Shittin’ Tears” follows quickly and redeems its predecessor with some much more infectious and bluesy guitar styling , but “A Matter Of The Art” sees Collins backsliding quickly in all the wrong, emotionally self-indulgent ways to close the side. There, the singer croaks and groans hard over a gently pattered piano and agonizes in ways which quickly cease to feel worth investigating; for just under four and a half minutes, the singer pores over the inherent difficulties about songwriting and the concept of baring one’s soul in a believable way as the tape rolls but, after having already endured other such investigations, the play begins to bleed together. By the time the needle lifts from the side after “A Matter Of The Art” closes, some listeners will find themselves politely hoping that Scott Collins has other more interesting inspirations which might appear on Purple Pain‘s flip side.
…And, while the B-side begins at a point that’s just about as dimly-lit (calling it “dark” would be a shade too far) and muted as the A-side of the album was at its terminus, it doesn’t remain there for long. “Kiss Like Me” continues to tread the ground that “Love You More” overturned on the album’s A-side, but does so with a slightly better angle similar to that of Cowboy Junkies. From note one, “Kiss Like Me” lilts beautifully along as Collins rasps and rattles rapturously, and listeners might be surprised when they learn that the singer holds himself responsible for the demise of the relationship that fails in the song. In the end, it’s hard not to feel for him, instead of judging him and, as the side progressed, the band just keeps rolling along as “The Town Went Out On Us” ventures close to sounding like Lou Reed returning from Berlin while “Silver Bullet” tests the singer’s capacity for self-flagellation at half-speed and “Quitter” finds Collins holding himself accountable for not being able to just let go (of the girl? Of his pride? There are several possibilities) as the album closes. In the end, the album closes in much the same place it opened; while each song clearly articulates movement, Scott Collins remains very much in the same position he was when he started. While some critics would complain that the singer’s obvious inability to move forward is a clear shortcoming, repeated listens reveal that the reason for that unmoving position rests with the fact that Collins is holding back. The singer has illustrated obvious talent in the nine cuts on Purple Pain, he just needs a little more time to let his muse and music season in order to make grander statements. [Bill Adams]
Artist:
https://scott-collins.bandcamp.com/album/purple-pain
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61559185347466
https://www.deezer.com/en/album/575153421
https://www.instagram.com/savantgarde__/p/C6659oyOdtN/?locale=ru&hl=am-et&img_index=1
Album:
Purple Pain is out now, both on vinyl and digitally. Buy it here on Scott Collins’ bandcamp page.
