How Are You Coping with This Century?

This Bird

Blackcurrant Sky

Wallsend Weekend Television

Stitches

1102 (single edit)

Taped Over

Thinkin' Things / Road Signs

Sage Guitars

I'm Glad It's Not Sunny

Rainy

Foam Animals

Magdapio Falls

Paper planets hanging by a thread
and aluminium comets flutter overhead

There's a reason
for the mission
there’s a problem
in the heavens

The cuts are causing cracks around the galaxy 
they’re jeopardising our solar security 
and i find myself eternally orbiting 
the stars are melting down and I can see the strings 

and the satellite is blaring down
a supersonic wall of sound 
shaking all of us around
saturn alarms are ringing out

ooooh, saturn alarms
ooooh, saturn alarms

lego rocket dangles from a star 
by galaxies of sequins on a backdrop far

in the distance 
where I'm searching 
the horizon
has gone missing 

now that I’m free from the pull of gravity
and all sorts of purple is surrounding me
I terminate the contract with the autocrat
escaping before the milky-way’s collapse 

and the satellite is blaring down
a supersonic wall of sound 
shaking all of us around
saturn alarms are ringing out

Saturn Alarms

Life in motion spits you out
need to relax without a doubt
I recommend a weekend spending time for just indulging

There’s a place that would suit you
it offers a fun point of view
it’s quite far out from all the trials and traps of broken cities

Oh, Jaunty View!
somewhere built for you
make of it whatever works for you
stay for a week or two
would you?, would you?

Check in via the sliding doors
the porter guides you to your floor
then your stay is truly just a lottery of amusements

There’s a weird little room in the basement
Disco underground
Then jump for a giggle on the ceiling
Weirdos hear that sound and fly

Stroll in the fields with the tall blooming trees and wonder
Dip in the pool with the water of blue and wonder
How could you ever go back home?
family and friends don't need to know
We care about you
you fit within our point of view
just book a lifelong stay
and watch your problems fly away
it’s up to you…

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credits
released June 26, 2020
Written, performed and produced by Thomas McConnell
Mastered by David Dargahi

Released on the Suddenly On Sea EP, 2020 on Abbey House Records.

Jaunty View

Novelty Island’s hook-filled dream pop channels surrealism and Northern melancholy through classic songwriting. The project is led by Liverpool-based songwriter and producer, Tom McConnell who describes it as “Paul McCartney having an argument with Bernard Black”. Eclectic songs inspired by childhood, motorways, trains, old televisions, cowboys, space, birds and balloons form their first two albums, How Are You Coping With This Century? and Wallsend Weekend Television, which received acclaim from Mojo, Shindig, BBC 6 Music, BBC Introducing and Absolute Radio. The psychedelic, papier-mâché-prop-filled Novelty Island live band have performed at Glastonbury and toured the UK extensively as a headline act and support to Sea Power, The Pale White, Scott Lavene and China Crisis.

In 2025, Novelty Island will release a new album Jigsaw Causeway; a darker collection of lo-fi songs inspired by the fuzzy, woozy production of Grandaddy, Beck and Boards of Canada. Novelty Island’s releases feature McConnell’s artwork in a range of styles from papier-mâché sculptures, lo-fi animation and claymation. The new album will be by accompanied by his first exhibition.

Novelty Island

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