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featherweight soul Volume V: Down in the city

by Robin Mitchell

supported by
Hannah Coates
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Hannah Coates This album really is one of my favourite listens of the year. Think songs which tell stories and sounds which transport you far away. Favorite track: we are the people, they are not the people.
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  • CD in a cardboard sleeve
    Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    with artwork by Sherony Lock

    Includes unlimited streaming of featherweight soul Volume V: Down in the city via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

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  • Limited Edition Tape
    Cassette + Digital Album

    Beautiful turquoise cassette. Contains special mixes of certain songs. Tracklisting differs from download and CD versions

    Includes unlimited streaming of featherweight soul Volume V: Down in the city via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Sold Out

1.
tongue tied 02:05
2.
bone dry 03:21
stood aloof, bullet proof a narcissist within my youth but in the half-light I couldn't be seen there was nearly nothing left of me translucent, fading away lost in the shadows at the end of the day I take it slow, take it in my stride one step, one step at a time and though I walk in the pouring rain, still I'm bone dry soon be falling on my knees again something hit me like a brick in the pit of my stomach sent me out on a spin far away from the planet I was orbiting and when I opened up my mouth to pray I couldn't find the words to say take it slow, take it in my stride one step, one step at a time
3.
bike 03:48
I ride my bike along the shore the sun never shone like this before the sun never shone like this never gave me such happiness the wheels on my bike just turn, turn the waves on the shore come crash, crash and oh, the tips of my toes kissing the pavement as I go don't be too much of anything dear don't be too much, just be enough I don't want to be young forever I just want to be young for a little bit longer I just want to run into the arms of summer okay, I admit I want to live forever and ever and ever and ever but only if you are living with me only if you are by my side oh oh oh, I am a believer I believe in an endless summer I believe in a life eternal I believe we can go on and on and oh oh oh, I'm gonna hit the target I'm gonna get the grades move aside, I'm gonna take the prize I'm gonna win the lot, I'm gonna rock your socks
4.
pools 03:19
have you seen my eyes, they are pools of delight sunk into my face, stupid mouth open wide blinking like a baby in the glare of the sun the world laid out before me and the best yet to come these salubrious sensations and glorious revelations are teasing my tastebuds, awake and impatient I am hungry to be living to the full suddenly the feeling that I'm truly awake it's my birthday and the world is my cake hallelujah dances from the tips of my toes blissfully naïve, I do not care if it shows I will glide up through the heavens with the stars as they sing swoop low across the ocean on albatross wings with my magical straw I will drink it all in I am on a journey up a tall, tall hill been on my way for years and I'm climbing still but I've heard the whispered rumours about the view from the top so come hell or heavy weather, still I won't stop up there the air will be so clear and so clean and the most vibrant of scenes from my wildest of dreams can't prepare me for what I'll see
5.
down 01:44
when you're feeling down, down down in the city just get your head up, up, up in the clouds take a good look around, no it ain't so bad don't be sad be glad * it's like a jungle out here, makes me wonder how I keep from going under like a jungle out here, makes me wonder how I'm ever gonna slumber no name just another number, footsteps rain like all day thunder in servitude gotta keep earnin, get streetwise get busy learnin stop! come awake to the moment look! you won't fail to notice listen to the city both day and night, yes it's a mess but it's yours and it's mine so arise and design on this grey canvas jump and jive in the playground around us found our place in the high life so come, freerun with me into the limelight keep your eyes to the ground as you take steps as grass shoots up thru cracks in pavements hear traffic jams and street talk smells play chase as we walk pick a little litter for my urban mosaic it's not dirty disorder, it's beautiful chaos and I'm lifted, not to fly away but to surf these clouds and sky-scrape sing city blues with nothing to lose in her open arms I can finally snooze
6.
slight 03:27
pass your eyes through me, right under my skin see truths that lie hidden within all my foolish fears for all of these years oh my foolish pride so ask of me and I will give you my all as heavy as stone, as light as a feather I fall listen carefully, right next to my skin hear the whispered words that simmer within all my darkest dreams from which I can't wake bonds I cannot break I realise without you I'm nothing at all as heavy as stone, as light as a feather I fall
7.
hydra awoke, spoke in tongues spoke many voices choked into one as one heart we beat out the sound of the street as one we repeat the sound of the street like waves out in the bay we rise and we fall they will not stop, will not stop us at all we are the free ones, we are the new ones we don't belong, don't belong to no-one we are the chosen, we are the lucky ones we won't be slaves, won't be slaves to no-one many hands pulled the rug from out under your feet many hands clapped as you were thrown from your seat and pulses were raised in anticipation as voices repeated the song for the nation the writing's on the wall as we rise and we fall they will not stop, will not stop us at all the voices fell silent as the crowds were dispersed but I'm staying put, fearing the worst don't let them pull the blindfold down don't let them spin your head around just let your heart beat with the sound of the street and all of our hearts beat as one to this song: we are the free ones, we are the new ones we don't belong, don't belong to no-one we are the chosen, we are the lucky ones we won't be slaves, won't be slaves, won't be slaves
8.
9.
apple 01:09
what if the spring is too short, love what if the summer is too long what if the grass climbs too high and we get lost in it, love what if we neither sustain nor create what if we fail to pollinate what if the bees don't come this year what if the bees don't come? it will be through no fault of my own love and through no fault of yours without map or compass to guide us it's no wonder we've strayed from the course roll away, roll away little apple don't roll away too fast don't get crushed in the barrel don't get lost in the long grass
10.
hits 03:51
what will you do when it hits you the future's opaque, it ain't see-thru like waves in the bay we rise and fall like waves we crash against the harbour wall and I get the blues and it gets inside my head and I get the blues I may hesitate, but I won't break I may hesitate, but I won't break I may hesitate, but I won't break I may hesitate, but I won't break what will we do when it hits us when the future falls apart around us when our comeuppances have come to get us when our fears have finally found us walking around around around this old town makes me want to holler, throw up both my hands (well let me tell you that) I may hesitate, but I won't break

about

Featherweight soul draws together Robin Mitchell's eclectic tastes, combining tape sounds, retro synths, drum machines, twee indie, trip-hop and soul into a neat (okay, scruffy) bedroom pop package. An early '80s Casiotone 202 keyboard inherited from Robin's grandfather provided the genesis for the featherweight soul sound, and Robin's characterful recordings are easily distinguishable from those of the squeaky-clean MacBook generation.

'Volume V: Down in the City' ties up many of the themes from the first 4 installments of the featherweight soul project, and is above all a soundtrack for the individual trying to find his or her place in the hum-and-drum of the metropolis. Expect a contrast between downbeat grooves and skippy, uptempo gospel stylings, with songs about riding a bike (Bike) or going to heaven (Pools), plus a belated anthem for the Arab Spring (We Are The People).

credits

released September 1, 2015

all songs and all recordings by Robin Mitchell
robinmitchell.co.uk

additional lyrics on 'Down' by Gibbon

artwork and design by Sherony Lock
sherony.com

Isabelle Neill sings on 'Bone Dry', 'Bike', 'Slight' and 'Hanging On'
Robert Short sings on 'Bone Dry' and 'Pools'
Gibbon (Joey Mitchell) sings on 'Down', 'Slight' and 'We Are The People, They Are Not The People'
Leroy (Liam Owen) plays bass on 'Tongue Tied', 'Bone Dry', 'Slight' and 'We Are The People, They Are Not The People'

'Don't worry about a thing' is a field recording made in NY Penn subway station, January 2015

Thanks to Mike Griffiths (Muncle), Nigel Savage, Christophe Blanc (Strophe) and Jesse Edbrooke (Transition) for their specific comments and advice. Thanks to Isabelle, Joey and Liam for their immense support and encouragement with this project, that thanks extends to Hannah and to the Mitchell clan (Tina, Dave, Esther + Nate, Perring, Ben + Shoua). Double dose of thanks to Perring for backing me up musically through the hard times and the good. Thanks to Sherony Lock for being so patient and producing some amazing artwork. Thank you to my supporters, without whom none of this would be possible.

THANK YOU, GENTLE LISTENER, FOR CHOOSING FEATHERWEIGHT SOUL!

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