Disco and heartbreak go hand in hand, like Britney and bad weaves. And with the genre having itself being one of the sounds of 2020, UK singer songwriter Tom Aspaul struck whilst the iron is hot from a COVID fever and dropped his Disco heartbreak album. His debut. Black Country Disco.
What the fuck is a Black Country and why is this white man's album called that?
Good question.
Black Country refers to an area in the West Midlands, which was one of the most industrialised parts of the UK during the industrial revolution of the 1800s. The area got its name in part due to the black soot which blanketed the area like the fog from Silent Hill. Black Country is not just one city or borough, but an area which covers multiple; one of which is Wolverhampton, where Tom Aspaul is from. Black Country Disco sounds far more elegant than Wolverhampton Disco. And is easier to work with textually. Could you imagine that *points to album cover* with Wolverhamton Disco?
Gurl.
Black Country Disco is not an album about late night shags in the coal mine, and sharing stolen hand holds behind the chimney during lunch-breaks (although this would be AN ALBUM). It is instead the tale of a London romance which fell to shit and had Tom return back home, re-told to a backdrop of Disco influenced cuts. Because contrary to what Carrie Underwood says, a bitch can cry pretty, and don't nothing cry prettier than Disco.
Whilst many are sure to compare Black Country Disco to Madonna's Confessions on a Dance Floor, Duolingo's Future Nostalgia and selected albums within the Wham and George Michael discography - the album Black Country Disco shares a closer likening to is Kelela's grossly overlooked 2019 album Take Me Apart. Both albums are from artists who were putting out music long before their debuts. Debuts of which felt long overdue, but also right on time. But the biggest tether between both albums is how they chronicle the start and end of a relationship, with the songs running in a very particular and deliberate order. Both albums touch on the fragility of love, and how easy it is for us to not handle it with care, and then be left hurt because we didn't. And then all of the decisions that are made in the wake of the wreckage that you played a part in causing, whether you're at a place to admit it or not.
The songs on Black Country Disco aren't as simple as being blissfully in love and then heartbroken out of it. In a similar way to Kelela's Take Me Apart, even the moments of being in love are fraught with anxiety and a tension of going into something knowing that it might not work out of sheer fear. It's this acknowledgment which makes many of the songs on Black Country Disco touch home, because it speaks to the truth of love for many and the dramatic ways in which its depicted in films and on TV. Love being the thing so many people want, but are scared to actually have. And even when you choose love, you're always ready to brace for the crash.
The appeal of Disco for me has always been how dark and dramatic it can be, and the contrast it presents. Songs like Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" and Donna Summer's "MacArthur Park" are both beautifully tragic songs about hurt and pain, but with four on the floor grooves that you can't help but dance to. Disco really be having you crying in the club and thinking about that piece of shit ex that you were in the club to forget about in the first damn place. Tom Aspaul plays with this a lot on Black Country Disco, creating a contrast between what you hear, what you feel and what your body feels.
"W.M" is upbeat with a 'Yeah, let's hit the club' vibe. But underlying it is a story about somebody being so heartbroken and done with their life, that they decide to up and leave it all behind. "01902" is about a hot fling, but one that's only really happening to assuage the pain of a broken heart. "Carnelian" is a nice lil' synthy bop with a happy disposition that you can jaunt to, even though the song is about the hurt Tom is experiencing concerning his boyfriend fucking somebody else, and the anxiety of what he may with this other person that he doesn't have with him. (Side note, the song "Enough" on Kelela's Take Me Apart was a song on a similar topic). "Dead Already (Save Yourself)" sounds like music from Animal Crossing, but the song is about the realisation that the relationship is dead and that you've gotta cash in those Nook miles and bounce. Every song feels like a smile through pain, which is 2020 in a damn nut shell.
But whilst the songs play out the unfolding of a relationship, every song can also be spun in a different way, depending on the order in which you play them and how you interpret them - because not every song feels literal. "Close 2 Me" on a first listen is about sending out a warning during a courtship that you could end up hurting them if they choose to get close to you. But it could also be relevant for people who are introverted, struggle to make friends or have been so hurt before that they come up with a million reasons to warn people away as a defence mechanism. A song like "Traces" on its surface is a "So Sick" Ne-Yo-esque type song about always being reminded of your lover even when you are apart. But it could also be about losing somebody close to you. Coming to terms that you'll never really move on from losing them, but instead learn to live with that loss and eventually feel it less.
Black Country Disco is an album which is a reflection of some of Tom's influences, but not at the expense of Tom not showing himself. The songs are raw and honest, but also sprinkled with so many super specific details and references that tell the listener exactly who he is without him actually saying it. The album title for one. The gender use letting you know that he's a gay. The mention of Euston station placing part of the story in London. The mention of the M6, the Midland Metro and the dialling code 01902 placing part of the story out of London. Trainers, not sneakers, letting you know that Tom is a Brit. You may have to Google what some of these things mean (I had to Google what the fuck carnelian was), but it never takes away from the sentiment of the songs, and Tom provides enough context that you at least get the jist of what these things are even if you don't fully know what they are. It's a risky thing to do, but it speaks to the talent of Tom's song writing, and the faith that he has in his songs. That he won't need to spell everything out and that what he has is a good enough song that it will hold, make sense and resonate in the ways he intends.
The songs run in chronological order as the events unfolded in Tom's life. It can seem strange on a first listen, because the order the tracks run in may not make sense sonically to everyone. For instance, "W.M" and "01902" are the types of songs most would stick at the top of the album, not at the end. It doesn't ruin the album by any means, because all of the songs are so good. But it's something that some may pick up on. Whilst the track order is sequenced in a very specific way to tell Tom's story, shuffling them doesn't hamper the experience in any way. Surprisingly the album is still a good listen on shuffle.
The sprinkling of little details throughout the songs is part of what makes them so replayable, but then there is also the production. Handled by Gil Lewis, with contributions from Tom himself (the sole producer of "01902"). Black Country Disco is a great sounding record. Consistent in its sound, rich, layered and textured. With the album being focused on Disco and 80s synth Pop, there is a real sense of familiarity that rings with each song on the album across generations. Whether you're of the era of Donna Summer, of Wham and Bronski Beat, you're a fan of Kylie Minogue or your introduction to Disco and Synth-Pop was Daft Punk's Random Access Memories or Duolingo's Future Nostalgia; nothing about this album will feel unfamiliar. But that doesn't mean this album doesn't offer anything fresh or new. It's all too easy for albums like Black Country Disco to be all style and no substance, to either be too much or not enough, or taking great production and bog it down with shoddy songwriting - but Black Country Disco maintains a great balance in every song. The only thing it lacks are orchestrated strings. I'm boujie. I live for strings. And bitch, it's Disco. "W.M" and "01902" would have soared with live strings throughout. But this is just a personal preference. It doesn't make the songs feel less than. Just something that would have made the songs feel even bigger and more lush. The only thing I'd flat out knock this album for is the lack of a continuous mix edition. Some songs feature transitions from one song to the next, but not all of them do. It would be great to have a Confessions on a Dancefloor-esque continuous mix edition of Black Country Disco down the line.
Black Country Disco is jubilant on its surface for the most part, and Tom looks confident on its cover and in the accompanying promo shots - but the energy that permeates the album is still fear. Fear of being loved. Fear of not being loved. Fear of catching feelings. Fear of being alone. And I imagine as an independent artist who has been trying to make the music thing happen for so long, there is a fear of if this album will do what Tom wants it to do commercially. This adds an additional layer to the album which makes some of the songs that you relate to feel comforting in one sense, but also uneasy. It's strange. And with Tom also being a gay male, there may be a fear that some who are closeted may have listening to this album, in regards to whether they will ever be able to live as deliciously as Tom suggests. But this is the charm of Black Country Disco. It's a window into somebody else's life, which isn't telling you how you should live yours, or leaving you with some profound anecdote. Sometimes it's just cool to sit in on somebody else's shit for a while, and Black Country Disco is a nice bit of shit to be sat with for half an hour.
Highlights:
■ Close 2 Me
■ Tender
■ Traces
■ W.M.
■ 01902 🏆 J's fave
Black Country refers to an area in the West Midlands, which was one of the most industrialised parts of the UK during the industrial revolution of the 1800s. The area got its name in part due to the black soot which blanketed the area like the fog from Silent Hill. Black Country is not just one city or borough, but an area which covers multiple; one of which is Wolverhampton, where Tom Aspaul is from. Black Country Disco sounds far more elegant than Wolverhampton Disco. And is easier to work with textually. Could you imagine that *points to album cover* with Wolverhamton Disco?
Gurl.
Black Country Disco is not an album about late night shags in the coal mine, and sharing stolen hand holds behind the chimney during lunch-breaks (although this would be AN ALBUM). It is instead the tale of a London romance which fell to shit and had Tom return back home, re-told to a backdrop of Disco influenced cuts. Because contrary to what Carrie Underwood says, a bitch can cry pretty, and don't nothing cry prettier than Disco.
Whilst many are sure to compare Black Country Disco to Madonna's Confessions on a Dance Floor, Duolingo's Future Nostalgia and selected albums within the Wham and George Michael discography - the album Black Country Disco shares a closer likening to is Kelela's grossly overlooked 2019 album Take Me Apart. Both albums are from artists who were putting out music long before their debuts. Debuts of which felt long overdue, but also right on time. But the biggest tether between both albums is how they chronicle the start and end of a relationship, with the songs running in a very particular and deliberate order. Both albums touch on the fragility of love, and how easy it is for us to not handle it with care, and then be left hurt because we didn't. And then all of the decisions that are made in the wake of the wreckage that you played a part in causing, whether you're at a place to admit it or not.
The songs on Black Country Disco aren't as simple as being blissfully in love and then heartbroken out of it. In a similar way to Kelela's Take Me Apart, even the moments of being in love are fraught with anxiety and a tension of going into something knowing that it might not work out of sheer fear. It's this acknowledgment which makes many of the songs on Black Country Disco touch home, because it speaks to the truth of love for many and the dramatic ways in which its depicted in films and on TV. Love being the thing so many people want, but are scared to actually have. And even when you choose love, you're always ready to brace for the crash.
The appeal of Disco for me has always been how dark and dramatic it can be, and the contrast it presents. Songs like Gloria Gaynor's "I Will Survive" and Donna Summer's "MacArthur Park" are both beautifully tragic songs about hurt and pain, but with four on the floor grooves that you can't help but dance to. Disco really be having you crying in the club and thinking about that piece of shit ex that you were in the club to forget about in the first damn place. Tom Aspaul plays with this a lot on Black Country Disco, creating a contrast between what you hear, what you feel and what your body feels.
"W.M" is upbeat with a 'Yeah, let's hit the club' vibe. But underlying it is a story about somebody being so heartbroken and done with their life, that they decide to up and leave it all behind. "01902" is about a hot fling, but one that's only really happening to assuage the pain of a broken heart. "Carnelian" is a nice lil' synthy bop with a happy disposition that you can jaunt to, even though the song is about the hurt Tom is experiencing concerning his boyfriend fucking somebody else, and the anxiety of what he may with this other person that he doesn't have with him. (Side note, the song "Enough" on Kelela's Take Me Apart was a song on a similar topic). "Dead Already (Save Yourself)" sounds like music from Animal Crossing, but the song is about the realisation that the relationship is dead and that you've gotta cash in those Nook miles and bounce. Every song feels like a smile through pain, which is 2020 in a damn nut shell.
But whilst the songs play out the unfolding of a relationship, every song can also be spun in a different way, depending on the order in which you play them and how you interpret them - because not every song feels literal. "Close 2 Me" on a first listen is about sending out a warning during a courtship that you could end up hurting them if they choose to get close to you. But it could also be relevant for people who are introverted, struggle to make friends or have been so hurt before that they come up with a million reasons to warn people away as a defence mechanism. A song like "Traces" on its surface is a "So Sick" Ne-Yo-esque type song about always being reminded of your lover even when you are apart. But it could also be about losing somebody close to you. Coming to terms that you'll never really move on from losing them, but instead learn to live with that loss and eventually feel it less.
Black Country Disco is an album which is a reflection of some of Tom's influences, but not at the expense of Tom not showing himself. The songs are raw and honest, but also sprinkled with so many super specific details and references that tell the listener exactly who he is without him actually saying it. The album title for one. The gender use letting you know that he's a gay. The mention of Euston station placing part of the story in London. The mention of the M6, the Midland Metro and the dialling code 01902 placing part of the story out of London. Trainers, not sneakers, letting you know that Tom is a Brit. You may have to Google what some of these things mean (I had to Google what the fuck carnelian was), but it never takes away from the sentiment of the songs, and Tom provides enough context that you at least get the jist of what these things are even if you don't fully know what they are. It's a risky thing to do, but it speaks to the talent of Tom's song writing, and the faith that he has in his songs. That he won't need to spell everything out and that what he has is a good enough song that it will hold, make sense and resonate in the ways he intends.
The songs run in chronological order as the events unfolded in Tom's life. It can seem strange on a first listen, because the order the tracks run in may not make sense sonically to everyone. For instance, "W.M" and "01902" are the types of songs most would stick at the top of the album, not at the end. It doesn't ruin the album by any means, because all of the songs are so good. But it's something that some may pick up on. Whilst the track order is sequenced in a very specific way to tell Tom's story, shuffling them doesn't hamper the experience in any way. Surprisingly the album is still a good listen on shuffle.
The sprinkling of little details throughout the songs is part of what makes them so replayable, but then there is also the production. Handled by Gil Lewis, with contributions from Tom himself (the sole producer of "01902"). Black Country Disco is a great sounding record. Consistent in its sound, rich, layered and textured. With the album being focused on Disco and 80s synth Pop, there is a real sense of familiarity that rings with each song on the album across generations. Whether you're of the era of Donna Summer, of Wham and Bronski Beat, you're a fan of Kylie Minogue or your introduction to Disco and Synth-Pop was Daft Punk's Random Access Memories or Duolingo's Future Nostalgia; nothing about this album will feel unfamiliar. But that doesn't mean this album doesn't offer anything fresh or new. It's all too easy for albums like Black Country Disco to be all style and no substance, to either be too much or not enough, or taking great production and bog it down with shoddy songwriting - but Black Country Disco maintains a great balance in every song. The only thing it lacks are orchestrated strings. I'm boujie. I live for strings. And bitch, it's Disco. "W.M" and "01902" would have soared with live strings throughout. But this is just a personal preference. It doesn't make the songs feel less than. Just something that would have made the songs feel even bigger and more lush. The only thing I'd flat out knock this album for is the lack of a continuous mix edition. Some songs feature transitions from one song to the next, but not all of them do. It would be great to have a Confessions on a Dancefloor-esque continuous mix edition of Black Country Disco down the line.
Black Country Disco is jubilant on its surface for the most part, and Tom looks confident on its cover and in the accompanying promo shots - but the energy that permeates the album is still fear. Fear of being loved. Fear of not being loved. Fear of catching feelings. Fear of being alone. And I imagine as an independent artist who has been trying to make the music thing happen for so long, there is a fear of if this album will do what Tom wants it to do commercially. This adds an additional layer to the album which makes some of the songs that you relate to feel comforting in one sense, but also uneasy. It's strange. And with Tom also being a gay male, there may be a fear that some who are closeted may have listening to this album, in regards to whether they will ever be able to live as deliciously as Tom suggests. But this is the charm of Black Country Disco. It's a window into somebody else's life, which isn't telling you how you should live yours, or leaving you with some profound anecdote. Sometimes it's just cool to sit in on somebody else's shit for a while, and Black Country Disco is a nice bit of shit to be sat with for half an hour.
Highlights:
■ Close 2 Me
■ Tender
■ Traces
■ W.M.
■ 01902 🏆 J's fave
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