The Reailty Could Not Be Further From The Truth

Out Of My Mind comes on like a 1970s thriller. A dark pulsing fuzzed up rocking blues riff and hip hop beats backs Mules deep and sinister vocals, which sound like you are hearing the agonised thoughts of someone who is about to do something bad. The song ends with a screeching guitar solo. Mule says, “I think it was important the album begins in shade, as an acknowledgement to my previous music and to give way very quickly to something more joyous and up lifting.

Out of my Mind

You’re Only Winning Cos We’re Singing hypnotic blues riffs and synths with a hip hop beat. Mule’s rich baritone sounds at his soulful best. Mule says, “The title is a play on a football chant and cryptic way of saying those who think they are in charge, who have power and believe they are winning are only doing so because the rest of us have leant them our voice, which of course can be taken away at any point.”

You’re Only Winning Cos We’re Singing

Picnic is a laid back swaggering groove of a love song. More blues riffs and hip hop beats, and Mule once again delivering lush soulful vocals. Mule says, “Everyone who is in love should at one time or another picnic on a hay bale and drink champagne.”

Picnic

Balance begins with an edgy hypnotic bass lines. You think it is going to turn dark, but the song unexpectedly explodes with beauty of kaleidoscopic synths that lift the spirit. The middle gives way to a piece of introspection where Mule ruminates on the barriers we put up to keep others out before the synths return with sitar and lush heavenly harmonies. Mule says, “This track begins the spiritual section of the album. An admission to recognise your faults and to accept that it is okay and that there is something more than this out there.”

Balance

Ladder continues the theme with more dreamy synths, magical instrumentation and Mule’s voice sounding like he is sitting high up on a mountain in a cave. Mule says, “This track really got under my skin. For a long time it had no words, and I really liked it and thought it would be an instrumental, but then the words came to me and it made sense to do it in such a way that it almost sounds like a prayer.”

Ladder

The Seed is possibly the high point of the album. It’s certainly the pinnacle of its spiritual side. Mellotron and acid rock with a solo by Damian Cook who seems to conjure up the spirit of Maggot Brain. Throughout Mule delivers a sermon and reveals real life miracles before proclaiming we and everything in the universe is one. Mule says, “I love Funkadelic. It’s not just great music, but they have great humour and a lot of profound wisdom that they choose to share, this id something I aspired to with this track, and Damian who wrote all the music and played all the instruments on it is a special talent. I believe he is the best guitar player in the country, and I hope one day people get to discover his music.”

The Seed

Live Life is all keyboards and percussion, an uptempo tune with the repetitive instruction to “Live Life”. Mule says, “Live life. It’s a simple command and everybody should have the chance to do it, and we have enough money and resources in the world to enable that. That we don’t is the greatest pity of our time and something will judge us harshly on, I’m sure.”

Live Life

Honey Love, Psycho begins like a pop song and Mule sounds as sweet as his subject as he sings of love. Then the love goes wrong and the song enters a nightmarish period of paranoia and madness while still sounding hugely addictive. Mule says, “All you need is love, but love can damage also, and so we need to be kind to each other.”

Honey Love Psycho

System Built On Fun musically sounds like something Brian Wilson threw away when making SMiLE that has been given a modern twist. Lyrically playful with a spiritual edge, Mule sounds a little like Smokey Robinson. Mule says, “The lyrics are old and I originally recorded them for an album that I have completed but abandoned in favour of what I hope is a more accessible sound to my previous incarnation.”

System Built on Fun

The Reality Could Not Be Further From The Truth has minimal lyrics. It’s just the title repeated a few times. Musically it is subtly disorienting as a rocking guitar and drum patterns shift slightly while keyboards keep you hooked in. “I heard someone say the title and I thought it was wonderfully funny and fitting for these crazy days we live in. I could not not use it.”

The Reality Could Not Be Further From The Truth

Singer songwriter specialising in Acid Folk and Folk Rock. I love music and I love making music. My influences are varied, and you can hear them in my music.

The Reailty Could Not Be Further From The Truth

Impossible Mule