Stream Fancy Words For Failure here (Spotify)
I confess that, prior to his rather stupendous (a word not used often enough these days) new album, Fancy Words For Failure, I was already a huge fan of Julian Velard. Like a contemporary Billy Joel and Elton John, he (seemingly) effortlessly crafts rollicking piano based pop alongside heartfelt ballads that transcend trends to become enduring creations that accompany you on your life journey. He has a knack for writing lyrics that are universal yet intimate, like you are having a chat with your mate down the pub over a pint (or a nice sparkling Flirtini in my case). Based on his social media, he seems to a charming, amiable guy (confirmed by his glorious live performances) and, perhaps most importantly, has very enviable hair. Thusly (not a word but should be), I approached Fancy Words For Failure with high expectations. I am pleased to confirm that I was not let down in the slightest. Fancy Words For Failure finds Julian taking a moment of introspection to examine his career so far and balance it against his expectations for the future (now including his wife and baby). Don't fear, this isn't a melancholy affair but rather a wry look at how you adjust your dreams and focus on what is truly important to you. Sometimes poignant, sometimes pithy, but always driven by the type of honesty and acceptance that comes with introspective soul-searching. And when it sounds as good as it does across these nine tracks, it is a journey of self reflection that is pretty darn tooting hard to resist.
It all opens with the provocatively titled Don't Ask Me About Hamilton. Set to a buoyant piano riff and percolating percussion, Julian sings of the frustrations that happen when your brilliant idea becomes someone else's brilliant success. Whether or not he threw away his shot is irrelevant because you will soon be helpless for this thoroughly ingratiating ditty; one that has your fingers a-clicking and toes a-tapping in no time. The idea of an opening song is to set the tone for the album, something this song does wonderfully - and you'll be back to listen to it time and time again. It is then straight into the lovely lament of 24 Hour Flower Boy - a thoroughly delightful narrative about those in your life that you may not know well but who are welcome constants. For me, it is the reliability and friendly smiles of Starbucks baristas, for Julian it is the uplifting sight of the titular character on his way home; both working their fingers to the bone to follow their dreams. Harmonica and guitar make this a treat to listen to, alongside Julian's soaring, impassioned vocal. He sings off bypassing the language barrier between them - something his music does equally well. Then it is on the shuffling groove of lead single, Sweatpants On The Living Room Floor. It is actually an uplifting ode to the redemptive power of love and how that one person who completes you can send you on an endorphin rush as gigantic as the one this ebullient song provides. It represents the core ethos of the album - for example, represented excellently during the instrumental middle 8; an extended portion of the score allowed to breathe, initially representing a slight hint of pathos of the path not taken but then back to joyous vibes at the happiness the path in front brings. Raise your hands to the sky and testify!
Trust Is A Four Letter Word is a beautiful, slightly elegiac ballad that sees Julian deliver perhaps the most musical theatre soliloquy like song on the album. The melody is a gift from the gods, while Julian's vocal is driven by an aching yearning that is almost palpable. For me, the mark of a good song is how you can imagine it in different formats - this song is perfect as is, but conjures up images of either an acoustic guitar/piano only ballad, or a soaring duet with a female vocalist. Regardless, it is a song that lingers in your conscious long after the music has finished. Up next is a love song to love, one of the most gorgeous, romantic ditties I've heard in years. Glad I Wasted All My Time With You has a title that reminds me of those magnificent musicals from the 40s and 50s where the romantic leads would use misleading sentences that seemed like an insult to let each other know their true love feelings. This lyrical, languorous affair seems so mellifluous and graceful that the world falls away and you are left with your own memories of that special someone who has impacted your life, flashes from the past/present/future now eloquently soundtracked by Mr Velard. It is an enchanting spell that you never want to break. It is onto Something's Gotta Be Wrong next, a ditty Jason Mraz would kill for - those feelings of self-doubt and nagging insecurity that plague us all from time to time. It is a look at mental health that is much needed - 'man up' has done far too much damage to those who struggle with such sentiments. Cloaking this examination in shimmering majesty helps the message permeate far beyond the boundaries of the song. Or perhaps I'm reading too much into it and it is just a JV character quirk. Either way, I'm glad such a song exists.
The final trifecta of songs on the album commences with Ed Sheeran Slept On My Couch - a much better claim to fame than the yet to be penned by me "I think I was behind Jon Ossoff in line at Starbucks last year". The trick to this song is the poetic list of all the every day issues that Julian has to face while Ed cozies up for a good night's kip without spending a dime. In fact, Ed is like your friend who on Friday night asks for a pint because it is a week to payday, but then the day after posts photos all over Instagram of him clubbing up a storm ;) The ordinary and extraordinary collide with exquisite bliss in this almost-lullaby - the only possible thing that could make this better is a video where Julian sings the song to a plethora of Ed Sheeran lookalikes. Goodbye Hollywood, Hello Adulthood sees Julian trade La La Land style freeway dancing for mortgages, interest free credit and embracing the second act of his own movie. It should be downbeat and maudlin, but growing up would have done Peter Pan the world of good and it has awoken Julian to a whole new world that he swathes in leisurely euphony and indelible refrains. It is how he approaches the final song, and only cover version on this terrific collection, The Rainbow Connection. It brings his story full circle and with his intricate arrangement ensures that the timeless classic feels fresh all over again (like it was Julian's song to recreate in his own style all this time). Even the two grumpy old men would fall in love with this one. A fitting end to an album that, if it were a person, I would hug for being so marvelous. Mr Velard, I salute you.
Top 25 songs of the week:
25 ~ Tom Chaplin, Solid Gold
24 ~ Sergey Lazarev, Lucky Stranger
23 ~ Erasure, Love You To The Sky
22 ~ Smith & Thell, Row
21 ~ Sound of Arrows, Beautiful Life
20 ~ Erasure, World Be Gone
19 ~ Steps, Scared Of The Dark
18 ~ Eric Odeen, I Don't Really Dance
17 ~ Olly Murs ft Louisa Johnson, Unpredictable
16 ~ Little Mix, Power
15 ~ Jukebox The Ghost, Stay The Night
14 ~ Eric Saade, Another Week
13 ~ Carly Rae Jepsen, Cut To The Feeling
12 ~ Carlos Marco, Summer Something
11 ~ JIM, Under Attack
10 ~ Mary Lambert, Know My Name
09 ~ Robbie Williams, The Heavy Entertainment Show
08 ~ Take That, New Day
07 ~ The Heydaze, New Religion
06 ~ DNCE, Kissing Strangers
05 ~ Tove Styrke, Say My Name
04 ~ Jakil, Every Time We Talk
03 ~ Bleachers, Don't Take The Money
02 ~ Steps, Story Of A Heart
01 ~ Sean Smith, Magic (4 weeks)
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