Single Review: The Graphite Set – ‘Grayson Perry’
2 min read
Grayson Perry, a musical homage to the visual artist of the same name, is the first single to be heard from The Graphite Set since the release of their impressive debut EP These Streets.
Dealing with an artist like Grayson Perry through song requires a certain brand of musical eccentricity, and The Graphite Set have no trouble steering a driving pop feel in that direction. The instruments and their organisation have a sprightly ‘80s quality in the verses, but Lily Buchanan’s smooth, minimalistic vocals keep the wheels of the rhythm section on the ground. Whilst the ‘80s are relevant to the time at which Perry began working, the lurid colour and flow of his work are to me more reminiscent of ‘60s poster art. As such, it feels perfect when the tune shifts to a Jefferson Airplane brand of psychedelic pop in the chorus, Buchanan opening up with her voice a bit and thereby giving a physical manifestation to the freedom that the track is trying to evoke.
Acid trips and motorbikes pervade the lyrics, which express the desire to ride with Perry, seeing the world through his eyes. Whilst the artist’s perspective might be a bit bizarre to communicate through any easily palatable form of music, the dominance of a hard, straight drumbeat at the end of the track leaves us with a clear sense of this mind-bending motorbike ride – we are abandoned by the side of the road as Perry, or his female alter-ego ‘Claire’, thunders away on his garish pink Harley Davidson.
::: Renowned For Sound Music Reviews ::: Ben is a 21-year-old student whose taste in music consists of tunes that make him see things. Music for him is a very visual experience; a song has succeeded when it transports the listener somewhere. This is a quality Ben hopes to articulate in writing music reviews for RenownedForSound.com.
Ben capped off his school days at a Sydney high school catering specifically for the musically inclined, but now must balance his musical cravings with university study. To satisfy these cravings, Ben has played guitar in a few groups of differing styles but is often most contented just tinkering with the blues.
