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Fragile Diamond

by Howl Griff

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    Howl Griff's previous album The Hum received nationwide coverage and caused BBC 6 music's Lauren Laverne to describe them as "Bloody lush... a new band we love." This new set showcases an extraordinarily broad variety of styles and influences and has been ecstatically received by reviewers – see below the tracklist for quotes and details.
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1.
LYRICS To bypass the lonely heart, you get one phone call I'm tired of watching the paint drying up on the wall "You gotta love animals," she said, "You gotta love 'em all" I thought you'd be taller but you're really quite small And not so clever at all But you don't have to leave on your own 'cos God made me You don't have to leave on your own, just don't leave me You wait to be analysed hang around for a drink You're tired of listening your mind is on the blink A voice in your head it says it's time for a re-think And you bought a load of therapy Off that backstreet shrink in that looting sink But you don't have to leave on your own 'cos God made me You don't have to leave on your own, just don't leave me
2.
LYRICS Janet walks the planet perpetual as granite Gentle as the rolling hills Digging through the layers, all she's got to say is "Man, we'll have to pay the bills" Shining undermining, lift the silver lining Running through her opal veins Searching through the rubble, push will come to shovel Finding the last remains But it may seem that she's steady as a rock But her heart is a fragile diamond Isla is a minor, delicate as china Found inside a Russian doll Call it elementary, treat a creature gently Precious as a gangster's moll Hammering a sickle, flood becomes a trickle Drinks you out of house and home Coal will turn to diamond if you give it time and Leave it to age alone But it may seem... Fools' gold that the hangman sold Were true veins of gold with a diamond soul
3.
LYRICS Hey all you skaters, the ice rink opens at five Then at the disco, it's homicide staying alive And I will come to your assistance When you need to kiss the life Come to your assistance When I see sharkfins in the sky It's a frenzy, an attack with no heart to give Hey I'm seasick, I'm dying, better kiss me quick And I will come to your assistance... I don't need a pacifist to tell me that the war's a fight I don't need a danger sign to tell me that the end is nigh And I will come to your assistance...
4.
LYRICS Find me something to do now my hands are untied United we stand, together we fall, side by side And I build a building each day Fire up the radio Turn on, tune in, drift away Catch me or let me go It showed me love, displayed me peace, its reveal flying high And under this bird of freedom's wings we wave goodbye As I leave my building each day Fire up the radio Turn on, tune in, drift away Catch me or let me go To this Revolution Radio
5.
Runaround 02:57
LYRICS See the girl with the red dress on Drowning Sailor Jerry all night long She's a runaround in her playground Vanilla girl she's in charge She's a tattoo permanently drawn in my thoughts Are you talkin' to me? Can you see what I can see? Do you wanna be free? She's a runaround See the girl in commotion move Travelling into hullaballoo without you She fed me from her smorgasbord Then the love that she threw overboard in the fjords Are you talkin' to me...?
6.
LYRICS Motoring down the fast lane at high speed No right turn, distorted reality Take control the driver going blind In vertigo his labyrinthine mind Turn around, don't want to meet my maker, what more can I do? Turn around and fight for freedom, what more can I do? Needle and thread to stitch me back to life Emergency averted through a knife Highway girl held me up in arms Stand and deliver you're safe from harm Turn around...
7.
LYRICS I was a goldfish swimming round your mind Looking for things to find An impulse in your life And you were working on a Saturday Your boss was always on your case And you were anxious and afraid We could be together in our shell See the predators go to hell A rock to hide beneath And laugh, grinning at their joyless souls Incompassion and rigid clothes And white shark teeth This is puppet operation, puppet operation time Not in control of your destiny or mind Marionettes controlled by invisible strings Don't let them wear you down, don't let them drag you in I was a light in another town Shining on the ground with no one in my beam And you drifting on a Saturday Looking forward to nothing much Evening dinner on a tray This is puppet operation, puppet operation time... When the snowstorm falls inside your room When the blizzard covers your TV When the radiators are not doing their thing You never notice me but I'm always there Puppet operation, puppet operation time...
8.
LYRICS She phase down, pulling up her fader She compress every little thing Makes it sound not a little smaller Crisp and bright, ten killer watt rig Load it up, run a little hotter Melting my headphones in the fray Fast guitar, lo-fi little keyboard Drumming loud with big man's fists But she knows, she knows her way home again If God made fools, he'd make 'em like that again She got made up and made up her mind again She walks on by the flame She's a moth attracted to the nightlife Burning up, waiting for the rain Down corridors holding up a candle Up in flames and living by her name Not one word, supersizeinjunction There's a fire burning through the night As the neon shines on the dysfunction Personality's an oversight Celebrity is always in the right But she knows, she knows her way home again...
9.
LYRICS Rolling, feet don't touch the ground, fighting every mother's son Folding another dreadful hand, reaching out to anyone Chasing dreams that start to fade, this old heart won't settle down Making promises I'll stay to a girl in another town Friday the ship goes out to the one I love: Will you marry me? Monday my boat comes in, she'll look after me - the Rose of Emily Strolling, sunset in my stride, walking down the road to roam Bowling down a dusty lane, a stranger never known Twisting, turn another card, chance another thrill Lying, say that I'll return, though I know I never will Friday the ship goes out to the one I love: Will you marry me? Monday my boat comes in, she'll look after me - the Rose of Emily
10.
LYRICS Release me into the wild I'm an alien in disguise Do not conform to stereotype A battle of wills to ignore the hype Voices echo in their distress The warning man he did his best From the first time to the last time Semaphore your message loud To make you stand out from the crowd This great white duke is bold and bright His spaceship is gonna land tonight Voices echo... What do you take me for?
11.
LYRICS I'm changing my mind and I'm crossing the line Making the time up to you Tonight turns today and tomorrow's OK Setting a date with you It seems so much brighter And it feels so brand new And I turn one day younger And it's not hard to explain And it's not hard to replace I'm changing my mind... We'll move so much closer We'll turn into the sun We'll leave what was older And it's so nice to rotate And it's so nice to replace I'm changing my mind...
12.
Everything 06:02
LYRICS We gotta move on through the cyclone We're raising another Arizona storm We found a replacement in a second-hand store Went down to the basement and we lifted some more But love changes everything And love is all you need to bring We gotta move on through the psych zone Twisted tower of silence that carried us home We feed off each other, devour to the bone I take it or leave it and I die alone But love changes everything And love is all you need to bring

about

Howl Griff's third album has been ecstatically received by reviewers. See howlgriff.com/press.html for more but here's a taste:

The Line Of Best Fit's Steve Lampiris gives it 8.5 out of 10: "HG sprinkle cuteness where it fits into the compositions but leave them alone when it doesn’t... This careful equilibrium carries over into the lyrics... clever puns push the song beyond aww-shucks novelty... further validating Howl Griff’s way with cuteness that their peers seem to lack... effortlessly marrying indie rock and the endearing songwriting. In other words, you can be adorable without descending into hipster irony."

Louder Than War's Adrian Bloxham says "Trust me on this, you should hear this band. It’s an album you should have for the car for that interminable drive to work, it should be playing as you look out of the window on a cold winter's day holding a mug of tea. It’s there for you to hear, and your life will be a tiny bit shinier for hearing it"...

Stuff magazine gives it 4 out of 5: "The perfect antidote to autumn's inexorable onset, the third album by the Anglo-Welsh-American psychedelic rockers (their words) is warm, fuzzy and saturated with summery charm. Stick it on and pretend it's still June"...

Echoes and Dust's Martyn Coppack hails “A cornucopia of delightful songs that straddles boundaries, a smorgasbord of riffs, melodies and psych... A return to the old master style of Brian Wilson, The Kinks and Syd Barrett with an album that doesn’t let up from the get-go. It’s a crime that songs like this don’t top the charts anymore... A splendid time is guaranteed for all... Purely lovely”...

7bit Arcade's David Gould enjoys “A gracious album with much heart and soul… the band revel in the tender simplicity of the songs; a defiant joy resonating throughout all the compositions… soars with exquisite vocal harmonies… a coherent release, both warm and enduring. Here’s to the future of Welsh psychedelia”...

Helen Todner at With Guitars calls it “Deep, rich, and filled with variety. Each song has its own unique signature sound ranging from 70s electro rock to folk to pop. The album evolves as you listen to it, leading you further into the band's life-stories. 9/10”...

The Jitty ask “Is it any good? You better believe it. There are several great moments… all-killer-no-filler, every song rich with hooks in its own style. While it lives up to its psychedelic epithet, the album is friendly enough that it's incredibly difficult not to find something good on there, regardless of your taste”...

Rocksucker's Jonny Abrams says “It delights frequently. Authoritative, neat songwriting... graceful, stately and reflective... smart, energetic jangle-pop... absolutely gorgeous... flippin' marvellous”...

Raw Ramp Mag's Neil Mach says it “Gives each listener a love bath. Aromatic, healthy and healing… retains the noble heart of pop… grand and quite indispensible… hugely gratifying… a classic… perfection.”

credits

released October 15, 2012

All songs by Howl Griff.
Words and music (c) Howl Griff 2012
Recorded at The Fold Studios, London SE23, summer 2011
Produced by Howl Griff
Mixed by The Fold

Vocals, guitars, keyboards: Hywel Griff
Guitars, vocals: Gary Parkinson
Bass, vocals: Steve Kennedy
Drums, percussion: Nick Moore

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about

Howl Griff Greater London, UK

Hailing from Aberystwyth, Bolton, Merseyside and Texas and based in London, UK.

BBC 6music's Lauren Laverne calls them "lush... a new band we love", and The Independent calls them "life-affirming".

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