Texas-based artist, Jeremy Parsons, has just released his latest single, Tickin’, and we’ve thoroughly enjoyed several listens here at the Send Me Your Ears studio today.
Tickin’ is a song about time, and how we need to focus our attention on what is important to us. To devote our attention to the things in life which are precious to us – in Parsons’ case, honing his craft as a songwriter.
Tickin’ starts with a very stereo intro with bright acoustic guitar and some sound effects. We absolutely loved how the guitar mirrors the ticking of a clock, and, later in the track, there’s additional percussion to back up the clock noises, reminding us of the ever-moving hands of time.
When Parson’s voice comes in, it is strong and bright. A great Country voice with plenty of twang, but there’s more to Tickin’ than a straightforward Country song. This has some art rock elements as well as just a touch of electronic to make it a thoroughly exciting genre-crossing song that captivated us from start to finish.
At around 1 minute in, the simple tick-tock of the guitar leads into a full band sound with extra vocals and drums and bass. The dynamic soundscape of this track is beautiful with some interesting effects. We love the layered vocals and the inclusion of lots of panning of vocals and instruments. At times, Tickin’ takes on a truly Pink Floyd feeling. Perhaps there’s an Alan Parsons influence in there too.
The chorus is catchy and brings up thoughts of the pandemic and our responses to it.
Clock is on the wall
And it keeps tickin’
Yeah time comes for us all
And keeps on tickin’
The rise and fall in this dynamic track is astounding, and there are lots of different sections to keep the listener utterly enthralled throughout.
We must also make special note of the accompanying video for this single release. The video is animated and takes on an almost Dali-like feel to it with the use of lots of clocks and a slightly disturbing Dystopian feel.
From a production perspective, this track is a clear winner with regard to its creativity and production. A small boost around 90Hz would add to the thickness in the low end. A small cut around 240Hz and a boost around 1.5kHz to fill out the middle frequencies a bit but honestly, to our ears this track is already a masterpiece in innovative and progressive music.
One of our favourites this week, Jeremy Parsons Tickin’, is a highly creative exhilarating ride. We absolutely cannot wait to hear more. For fans of art rock and possibly the occasional country fan willing to hear something a little bit different. Wonderful stuff!