Track By Track: Walt's Frozen Head - 'Walt's Frozen Head' EP
Leeds’ Walt’s Frozen Head recently released their self-titled debut EP. It’s a release that takes listeners down the rabbit hole and into their decapitated mind. They took a moment to talk us through the record, track by track.
Mungo Take A Ride:
This is a deceiving little ditty. On a first listen this track seems to be a cartoony slice of English whimsy. On further examination the lyric spits more venom than a cobra in a tumble dryer. Like many tracks on this schizophrenic EP there are often dark, bitter and sometimes raging lyric set to playful tune and arrangement. The song features a running lyrical theme of my disdain with man's abuse of power. The protagonist of the song is rendered dysfunctional and depressed until the darkness is turned into art and a euphoric rebirth ensues. The original title was "Shits That Won't Flush" It's probably fair to say all our lives feature someone who we wish would piss off!
Pacing Navigator:
Gigantic reverb drenched chords smash the doors open on this stomping romp. The verses pounding and pouting 70's glam rock riot strutts against a deep Iggy Pop-esque vocal. The spacey synth bass solo during the middle eight leads the way to the Ennio Moroconnie banshi squeals. Tripped-out lyrics guide us through the fairytale and fable voyage of the subconscious on the Marrie Celeste. All aboard me hearties...you'd better shotgun the life rafts!
Hot Sauce:
This love song with a difference Bouncess and squelches along and invites you along for a pracing "flash in the pan" romance on acid! As the melody twists and turns like a bowl of spag bol. Floating through space via a bloated pompous psych pop mellotron lead break. As the trip ends so does the romance. You are then invited on a magic roundabout back to terra firma.
Walts Frozen Head:
Based on the myths that Walt Disneys had his head cryogenically frozen in order to be brought back from the dead in the future. The chorus sets the scene when Walt is brought back to life. I was hoping this track would stake it's place on Halloween playlists along with the Monster Mash. I would categorize this track under progressive pop as this track swerves all over the motorway with changes in feel, instrumentation, dynamics and time. We felt we'd set our own benchmark with this one.
Dealers Tears:
This is the oldest track on the EP. The subject matter was inspired by a friend that developed a cocaine addiction. It led me to wonder if drug dealers felt any remorse if a client OD'ed. Drug abuse can often be born out of boredom. Days we choose to do nothing except watch mindless TV. The list section at the end of the song was the result of an experiment/fresh approach to the "cut up" technique of lyric writing. Armed with pen and paper and a TV remote I randomly flicked up and down the chanels and wrote down the first words I heard, i wonder if anyone else has written using this method? I love the bendy riff , it's somewhere between Nirvana and a Tarantino soundtrack.
Low Hum:
So back to disappointment, rage, disdain and abandonment. Low Hum refers to the room tone when one is sat alone. There's no such thing as silence and we all know it can be deafening. Lots of dramatic James Bond mellotron strings on this one. The chorus has a wailing vocal of "Inveigh"(speak or write about something with great hostility) set against a motown rhythm section and glam rock chants. I wanted the chorus to invoke the desperate last gasps of a drowning man. I tried to sing with my head submerged in water... It kinda worked? the most memorable moment from the sessions.