"better" by Euan Blackman
Review
Euan Blackman has today released a new single called "better".
I'm afraid that I don't know any background this time but since Euan is proceeding further down the road of accessibility and more direct story telling (he seems to be phasing out the blurry artwork too, though the lower case titles seem here to stay), the ambiguities which tended to have me peering through the mistiness of his writing (which was definitely an intended characteristic) are melting away.
He seems comfortable these days with a more populist aesthetic and not only is he as good at it as he was with wistful melancholia but it seems to be bringing its rewards in terms of media attention & live profile. Which is good as far as I'm concerned.
The jauntiness is appealing but he's not sold out to the forces of Mammon as lines like "I hope your life's not better than mine" give this song an agreeable edge which elevates it above the cynically commercial.
I notice some other fan has suggested that "better" is his best work: which is fair enough. It could easily become his most streamed & it's getting mainstream airplay already.
I wish him success.
