"Bless my polycotton socks, I'm in the nude".
HANN released a new song/video, Down To Nought, on Monday and with an opening line that parodies/homages one of the greatest singles of all time, it's a winner from the first few seconds in.
In contrast with the upbeat, full band songs HANN has released to date, this is a downtempo, folky affair, just Hannah Fitzpatrick with her acoustic guitar. The only other song that inhabits the same aural space (and pace) is February's single I've Got A Cold.
Lyrically and narratively, Down To Nought is a rich and reflective experience, without losing HANN's characteristic wordplay and wit, and a nicely framed and in-step video (shot in Todmorden) to complement.
Down To Nought is currently available on YouTube and Spotify, with presumably a wider release including HANN's Bandcamp shop to follow. I'm poised to purchase from the latter on Friday 1st December.
Lovely - and I especially enjoy the wordplay. I was wracking my brains for a moment there trying to recall why "bless my polycotton socks, I'm in the nude" sounded so familiar and yet not quite right (penny has dropped now!)
ReplyDeleteGood spot. Hannah has some extensive collective memory to build on with dad Neil and co-writer Edward Barton having four decades and more spinning lines and guitar licks, certainly back beyond the reference in the opening line, which is memory serves dates to about 1981! The song also parallels one of the recurring stories in the folk tradition.
DeleteThanks, C, it's great isn't it?
DeleteThanks, Anon. It was C who introduced me to HANN's music in the first place and I've been a fan ever since, with several mentions on this blog. I love the influences and songwriting craft that feed into and shape the songs with a lightness of touch which makes the music unmistakably HANN.
DeleteEdward also got a separate mention here in 2022 when I (re)discovered him "positively apricating" on Channel 4's The Tube in 1987 (clip sadly now unavailable) https://dubhed.blogspot.com/2022/01/positively-apricating.html
I first heard It's A Fine Day as a 12-year old in 1983 and it was an unforgettable song that's stayed with me since.