Every year I go back through all the new music I've listened to and try and come up with a list of the top ten albums of the year.
This year that process has been particularly painful, as I personally felt that 2007 was an abyssmal year for new music, and there hasn't been a lot of quality to choose from.

This post is not about that list... it's another tangent altogether.

I read a number of other people's yearly lists as well, and was recently surprised and flattered to find the "Happenstance" EP included on two of them. This prompted an interesting comparison of something I've noticed in the year since "Happenstance" was released.

Over time I have noticed my fans falling into (or occasionally, across) three different listening categories, and the contrast between them has become pretty focused since this last record.

There seem to be those that respond with their heads, those that respond with their hearts, and those that respond at all only because I'm a bassist, and each of them seems to respond completely differently to various songs.

The brains respond well to newer songs like "Make It Grow" and "Et Cetera", and older tunes like "Conduit", "Anonymity", "Keep To Myself", and "Just if I". This is a group that is tough to please, but when I get through to them, it's very rewarding. I've been honored to receive a few notes from people in other countries who respond to the messages in these songs... and that is huge for me... these people aren't just listening; they're TRANSLATING. On the other hand, these are generally the folks who will roll their eyes or check their watches when a song like "Words" comes on, and they refuse to listen to a song titled "Happy" on principle alone.

The hearts are rallying around "Trial Run" (it's been used in at least two weddings so far, with at least one more coming up), "Happy", and "Panic Attack". Older favorites seem to be "Understatement" and "Eventually". That's not to say they don't listen to upbeat stuff... these are the folk who made "Tarot" an early-internet hit. I have a fair number of songs that resonate for these folks, and it's a good thing... because these are also the ones that will lose interest and start up loud conversations during "Make It Grow" or try to dance to "Keep To Myself" because they have no concept of what I'm singing about.

The bass nerds are either the greatest fans or the greatest frustrations. They love "Et Cetera", "Happy", "Keep To Myself", "Conduit", "Understatement"... anything that has a cool bass part. I've made a large number of bass-nerd-fans this past year as a result of all the clinics I've done for Warwick, and there is a common behavior among them. They generally respond to a song based on how difficult it seems to be to play. They also seem blown away by watching me play and sing at the same time... and yet it seems they rarely listen to the lyrics at all. I wonder sometimes when I read the messages I get from them if they hear the songs as works of music or if they just think of them as "cool licks to be learned". However, of any of these groups, this is where I've received the most appreciation, and I'd be lost without them. These are the first people that will buy my music instead of pirating it; these are the folks that will actually remember when I'm on tour and pay to see a show... these are the folks that allow me the privilege of being an "artist" instead of an "enthusiastic hobbyist", and maybe it's because out of any of these groups, they most understand what a fine line there can be between those two terms.

So there's the Yin and the Yang of years of fan feedback. Of course, these are generalizations, and I hope that most Horanimals out there are a combination of two or more of these imaginary groups, but I'm very curious to hear from people about how they identify with what I've written here!

Feel free to speak your mind, and no matter who you are, thank you for listening!

Hmmm. Well, Seth, since I don't actually play bass, I guess that automatically knocks me out of being a true "tribrid" fan. On the other hand, how often do non-bass nerds attended your clinics? Not a snarky question, by the way, just curious, as I assume there must be at least a few of us. (I need a refresher on the whole "this wood has these attributes" segment of the lecture ;) but I do remember (mostly) the difference between humbucking and jazz pickups....)

So maybe I'm a brains/heart hybrid+ fan. I freely admit that I don't know enough about music to talk chord structure, progression, fingerwork, etc., but I certainly recognize excellence when I hear it. Whether the melody and harmonies are subdued or give your technical mastery a chance to take off, it's never the same from one song to another. And I've always enjoyed your lyrics, which I think you know from previous message boards, conversations, etc. etc.. NEVER have I heard one of your songs and been reminded of any other artist's work.

What I most enjoy about your music is the sense of a journey--your journey, that would be. (And no, that isn't a song cue. ;) You've grown considerably as both an artist and a person in the time I've known you, and your music reflects that...particularly your more recent work. While I get just as much joy out of "Beautiful" and "Eventually" as I do out of "Happy", "Et Cetera", and "Conduit"--and will always be happy (heh) to hear the older works--the newer stuff is a lot more you to me. You are one of a handful of people whose music touches me both on the "How does he DO that?" level and the emotional one as well. Frequently at the same time.

Overall, I look at your music as a combination of (a) enjoyment at the moment of listening, (b) who you were when you wrote the piece, and (c) who you are now (this last is especially the case during live performances). Always intelligent, you've progressed from more fun-at-the-surface work to a great deal of depth--still intelligent, but with evident heart. Not to mention soul.

In my not so humble opinion, thanks to your talent and Gina's, "Panic Attack" stands as one of the best, most profoundly moving songs I've ever heard.

If I should put together a "Best of 2007" list, rest assured "Happenstance" would be at the top.



p.s. Are you ever going to put up the lyrics for the latest CD? Or is that a lot like asking for the "Live Tracks" liner notes? ;)

right i'm not the brainiest of humans (as some people will know :P) and i'm not too gd at writing essays either but i'll say what i can

I'd like to place myself as a mixture of all 3 (big headed i know, but something us brits don't do enough of!)

Odviously i first came to listen to you as a bassist thinking 'hmm i'll check this out', but as soon as my ears absorbed 'understatment' my heart fell in love, such beauty i though!

I can safely say i can listen to every single song through on my ipod without thinking 'hmm i'm bored of this i think i'll change the song' (which infact i do on a daily basis on my 2 hour drive to and from college)

I totally agree with sid with the journey concept:
Session was the beginning of the golden path, beautiful collaborations and arrangement of vocals, bass, guitars, sax, piano and drums, 'words' being an incredibly emotionally beautiful song lyrically and musically (bassic basslines, piano arrangment) to 'saturate' being a totally kick ass get up and dance song which you can just funk your ass off to.

Notwithstanding was the beginning of bringing the bass in and leaving the guitar out, and of course bringing seths amazing voice out (high notes in 'eventually') and really showing how far technique and songwriting can be pushed in 'keep to myself' and 'just if I'
Notwithstanding also contains my favorite song, which is 'beautiful', i don't know what it is that makes this song my fav, but if anyones heared the live version i'm hoping you kinda see what i mean when i think it's combining the 3 groups (brains = hmm this sounds good, hearts = awwww, this is cute and sad, nerds = what are his hands doing?)

Conduit contains so many classics, 'Anonymity' in my opinion is seths catchiest song and has amazing vocals, it's a right feet groover, 'understatment' as said above, 'home' the late night driving home song i've dubbed it, 'pretending to heal' the violin combined with the bass just tickles brain a good one, and then ending on conduit what more can i say
(keep in mind everyone, every single song is fantasic on each album but i'm not gonna write about them, you'll have to buy them to find out :P).
Conduit does take the sad tint though through it's lyrics, as continuous travelling i'm sure would do to any human being.

and finally
What do you get after 6 years of travelling, continuous fantastic songwriting, a ridiculously powerful voice, a recording studio and meeting a woman named Gina? :P
of course the answer is Happenstance

i can safely say if everyone sat down and listened to this ep, the world would be a much better place:
happy and trial run are just pure, what can be said? if the world cared more about love than it did about chasing round after obscene goals of jealous minds then they're be alot more smiles going round, as well as the fact that live these songs are amazing,
'Et Cetera' is basically a song about all the retards coming out of wales currentally, if anyone knows the bands 'the blackout' and 'my favorite pornstar' then you'll know what i'm on about,
'Make it grow' i'll safely say i'll never download a single song illegally again, yes i have downloaded i make no lie,
and i'll just copy syd's reply on 'panic attack' :P, cos thats all that needs to be said:
"In my not so humble opinion, thanks to your talent and Gina's, "Panic Attack" stands as one of the best, most profoundly moving songs I've ever heard."

I hope people get what i'm trying to say about the music here, trying to explain every aspect in short space with little vocabulary is hard lol

Rhys, I think you said it just fine. ;)

Awwwwww XD

Thank you syd! :D

Id like to think i fit into most of the categories in a small amount.
I am a bass nerd at heart and the first thing i hear in the music is the bass lines and the melody. Once i get past this and i get a feel for the song, then i go to lyrics. I do this with most artists.
But the topics that are talked about, in particular on happenstance, are so well written and that is something i can further appreciate with the music. To me theres a combination of the three in all people, its more what they emphasise.

i fit into all of those categories
haha