Always So Blue is the first release on the uber-cool Gentlemansunion label for Hertfordshire-based songbird Peregrine Brown, taken from the self-titled debut album (released 10th July).
Peregrine Brown is the alias of multi-instrumentalist DJ Carter (Psychic Kids, Silver Shields) and the first offering under the new moniker.
Recorded in the first two months of COVID lockdown, the album is a mixture of whimsical rock, dreamy pop and darker acoustic experimentation that evokes chaos and clarity, reflecting the strange and uncertain times that the nation currently finds itself in – and our battle to ground ourselves, and stay peaceful and well, within these difficult circumstances.
Always So Blue is a downtempo minimalistic track, with woozy, reversed guitars, hypnotic drum and lead vocal that compares to the melodic sensibility of Arcade Fire’s Win Butler.
Or, in DJ’s own words: “Always So Blue is remembering what it was like growing up – a cycle of hazy days followed by a night full of kicks. Those days are sadly missing now. “This song has got a slightly different vibe to the other tracks on the album; a ‘less is more’ kind of feeling. I didn’t want to clutter it with unnecessary noise or instrumentation. The album itself was recorded at home, whilst battling the gloom of melancholy and uncertainty during lockdown, and the threat of the wider global pandemic. Initially, there were no songs in my mind; it was just a case of turning on the computer and trying to channel all of this doubt and sadness into the music to reflect my hopes, and make me feel better. These feelings manifested into songs that reflect better times, future hopes… and the British weather.”
You can listen to the track here: Always So Blue
Jem Girl at the Piano 