1.Empty at the End (2:59) 2.This Given Line (4:12) 3.Aerial Roots (6:35) plus Empty at the End [original video]
Everybody gets a second chance, as Mike & the Mechanics once sang. It's probably fortunate that I don't own any of their records, but I do own a few that have been re-released and this is one. Tom (drums, vocals, guitars, keyboards) and Alex White (vocals, guitar) had appeared in various Brighton-based bands around the turn of the century before they were signed to the db label (none of this capital letters business there!) as The Soft Parade. Their second single, released in 2001, was Empty at the End/ Sumatran - I wasn't convinced of its merits at the time, but I did borrow a copy and found it grew on me slightly. I wasn't the only person to notice it, however: it also attracted the attention of a Doors tribute band who were already using the name, and thus this re-release became their third single under the extended moniker.
Many reference books would have you believe that Empty At The End appears here in a re-recorded version. All I can say is that it sounds the same to me. Fortunately, that's a very good thing. As I came to realise, it was an almost perfect encapsulation of the band's style: taut and punchy, obviously informed by modern technology (an obvious consequence of their experience with home recording and the fact that between the two of them, they play all instruments on the track), but also steeped in guitar-led classicism with effective use of power-chords. Some reviewers mentioned Supergrass, and whilst it's not quite as rocky as they can be, it's one way they might have sounded had they emerged seven years later. Tom White's clever drum part might possibly have been more brilliantly performed if the track could have been recorded in a more live set-up (there's actually a live recording from Paris on my copy of the album, but I don't know the line-up involved), but that's really the only criticism. The piano that emerges from nowhere in the middle of the second verse is a classy touch, as is the whirring synth at the end. What arguably makes the track a stand-out even among the duo's work is that it's so conscise - everything you could reasonably want from an indie-pop single in the early 21st century, packed in to less than three breathless minutes.
One thing that did disappoint me about this single was that, whereas I'd only paid 99p for their previous single, this one cost the princely sum of £1:99 (!) and contained two tracks from the album, which I admittedly didn't yet own. The second of these, and nominal joint 'A'-side was This Given Line, which is apparently not included on vinyl versions of the album. It's a perfectly competent little rocker, opening with a jaunty Madness-like piano riff, but slipping in some crunchy guitars for the chorus. On the album, it gives a bit of a lift after a series of mostly mid-paced songs, but in this more exposed context it very much plays second fiddle to its partner, and leaves the lingering suspicion that they were a bit short of material. They might as well have recycled 'Sumatran'.
They did come up with one additional track for each CD format though, and in this case it's Aerial Roots, another Tom White composition. The track opens with some gloomy-sounding noodling on creepy bass and squealing guitars. A synth line fades in just before the three-minute mark, before a sudden change of direction into a pounding rocker, complete with distorted vocals entering at 3:01. The track ends with a big solo from those squealling guitars. Although there's nothing very much wrong here and it's skilfully made, it isn't an outstanding song, and that's a bit unfortunate when it takes up so much of your time. In some ways, the track is a slight hint of the direction they'd take on their next album, except that it's nowhere near as good.
Having been a little disappointed by their previous B-sides, I decided that if I was to buy this single at all, I should get the enhanced CD (which I'm assuming to be CD1), despite not owning a computer at the time. Now that I have one, I can enjoy the original video, which is indeed identifiable as such by the fact that posters with "THE SOFT PARADE" on are visible in many shots. The storyline sees a woman snatch a five-pound-note from Tom's hand, with the brothers giving chase through a series of curiously identical clubs - in every club, the Soft Parade are also on stage playing the song. The dramatic finale sees them running through the final door and finding a deserted club - the fiver is on the floor but, what do you know, it's got the Queen's head on both sides. Umm, yes... There's also an advert for the Holes in the Wall album, which allows you to hear excerpts from some tracks and read adulatory press quotes. If, unlike me, you had a BMG Interact code number, you could also print off a personalised photo of some sort. Form an orderly queue.
After the slightly disappointing chart performance of this release, the duo have not attempted another hit. The album's final single was ineligible, whilst the two singles from their follow-up appeared only on seven-inch. By that time, db had lost them (and Tom McCrae) to its former backers at BMG, rather to the White brothers' displeasure. Even so, the superb second album, The American Adventure went almost unnoticed, despite favourable reviews and the band left the label, though they claim to be on their way to a new deal.
ONLINE:
The band's former official site is no longer avaiable, having presumably belonged to their former record label.
However, the Whites operate their own The Brotherhood of Fish, which contains a little bit of info, and some badges for sale.
Their official French site also seems to have been left in place, for some reason.
One webmaster evidently liked 'Aerial Roots' more than I did, because he named his site after it. Look out for the detailed
discography section.
There are other fanpages too, including the slightly garish-looking Electic Soft Parade Online V3 and Electricsoftparade.tk, which contains a lot of information, but isn't optimal for slow connections. It also contains images of Tom White's rather inadvisable moustache.
Back to the random single project