"Snow Globe" by Anthony Gliddon

I really ought to have known better when I wrote my comments the other day about Levi Washing releasing a Christmas single after Christmas as now Anthony Gliddon has made his surprise release of "Snow Globe". I would herald this as my final review on 2023, but given the calibre & subtlety of the artists I cover, presumably there may be more to come even in these final hours of the year.

A true solo track (Anthony wrote it, plays all on it & produced it), it may have appeared out of the blue (or slate grey as far as Leamington goes) but it's the customary classy & mature fare we'd expect.

Personally I think it's his first solo release since "No Place That I'd Rather Be" which came out last November (and which is also on ‘Hot Music live Presents Volume Nine') but with guerilla musicians of this sort, I'm always a bit nervous that I might have missed a particularly covert track.

By "mature", I'm trying to capture not only his experience as a musician which he brings to bear upon the composition (I appreciated the brief guitar intro which evoked festive bells to launch the song and then disappeared long before the effect had outstayed its welcome, though it does occasionally poop back up) but also the grown up themes of his lyrics which have always been a feature and thankfully transcend the tropes & cliches associated with the time of year and the subject matter.

The latter (favouring as I like to do the writer's own words) is ".. about breaking the addiction to someone after love. The song takes the viewpoint of feeling trapped inside your own head. Wearing a smile when there is not much happiness hidden behind it…."

What adds icing to the cake as far as I'm concerned is Anthony's use of humour: I always rather suspect an artist who never uses it or cannot….. it's not always appropriate but I like to know that writers possess it and can use it to add emotional nuances as necessary. In this case, the metaphor of being trapped is applied to the titular snow globe and the description of trying to use a hammer to break through imbues it with a freshness which some (over convoluted) metaphors stumble over. Add in the aspect of the cold storm which is in there with him…..

At the end, he expresses the idea that "it's alright to miss the final kiss" which I choose to interpret as a sign of his optimism that a cycle of obsession can nevertheless indeed be broken & he certain sounds hopeful. 

As such (assuming I've understood it right), I think an expression of optimistic hope for the future at the tail end of a less wonderful experience, constitutes a good way to sign off in 2023 for "Hot Music Live" reviews. 

All the best to everyone for a wonderful & creative 2024.