The new EP from Fightmilk singer/guitarist/composer Lily Rae performing as Captain Handsome arrives and according to Bandcamp is tagged as ‘pop, bedroom pop, country gloom pop, indie, lo-fi, pop revenge, country, sad pop’. All of this and more, it is a sublime and potent mix….

1. I Wish I Had a Dog. Detailed review of this first single at https://cambridgemusicreviews.net/2019/11/20/captain-handsome-i-wish-i-had-a-dog-single-released-november-2019/

2. Annalise. For this excellent track the narrator and the Annalise of the title seem to blend and separate in a tale of infidelity and disappointment, a sort of murder-ballad atmosphere with no specific crime. The sentiments are ambiguous ‘…..I carve his name into the trees….he gives me something to believe…..I paint his name his name across the walls he’ll be the ruin of us all….’
The melancholy chords resolve into something more positive for the chorus as the tragi-country rock pushes on, while underneath some mournful strings stalk the lyric. A violin solo finally emerges near the end as the song finishes with ‘…Annalise had a secret…’ and we are none the wiser?

3. Dolly Parton. A slower, introspective track as cymbals roll in and out and the sparse electric guitar is a platform for Lily’s raw and emotional vocal. It is all a bit sad, but there is still a glimmer of optimism in the haunting chorus ‘…there’s no point in being broken hearted…just pretend that you’re Dolly Parton….’

4. Halloween. The second preview single may initially recall the glorious Fightmilk song ‘Pity Party’ but the Halloween event described is a much darker affair for the narrator. There are many impressionistic phrases that help to evoke the mood ‘…..I felt my voice turn into vapour….everyone’s a diving board to nowhere….’ along with a shimmering but sinister violin build-up. The gentle guitar and poignant words make this a thoughtful and powerful song.

5. I Am Not An Animal. Initially delicately accompanied by a lone guitar this bookend to the EP moves from heartfelt plea to bitterness, expressed in the lyrics and by the crescendos from the band (driven by some spirited drumming!).
With words and music contributing equally, many of the elements and themes from the collection are distilled into this one song, probably my favourite track of the five.

https://www.facebook.com/captainhandsomemusic/
https://captainhandsome.bandcamp.com/album/i-am-not-an-animal
http://recklessyes.com/