JCH (UK) - Head West Coast

Hear The Track Here

There is a lot more to James Crosbie Hancox (aka JCH (UK)) than looking like a character from South Park, which you may discover if you can get over the envy because you don't have a South Park character. Screw you guys, I'ma going home indeed. Still, best not get me started on the finest of American TV entertainment or we'll be here all week because I am an avid fan - of both JCH and SP. This is the guy, you may remember, who made a whole album of songs, each of which was composed entirely of one chord. Doesn't sound that exciting put that way but Painting By Numbers (June 2010) proved to be a very listeneable album, packed with interesting songs. Albeit all in one chord, which is an incredibly difficult thing to pull off. In fact, since I first met him with Home and Dry (August 2009) he has kept up a steady stream of quality tracks.

But then there's always next time...

Head West Coast isn't, as I automatically assumed, an allusion to California's famed west coast. In fact, it's not about America at all, it's a song concerning the doings of those mystical beings the Pharoah's of ancient Egypt, but more exactly about their theories about life and death. The song is about the journey the soul 'makes to the stars and eternal life' according to the man himself. To be blunt, the subject matter doesn't exactly inspire me to listen, but that is to misjudge just how good James Crosbie Hancox is at the job he does with his music, from production to performance.

See, this is a guy who has his finger firmly on the rock pulse, and it shows. About the only quibble I have about this track concerns the hesitancy (or what seems like that) in the vocal. Mind you, that may well be intentional, it's hard to say. Taken as a whole, however, Head West Coast is a melodic, highly infectious slice of rock that - once heard - will prove very hard to get rid of. Don't say I didn't warn you. Again, James shows me that he is an excellent songwriter, regardless of the subject matter because his knack of putting it all together makes it surge into your brain on bolts of lightning. No, wait, that's some other unworldly geezer...

Highly Recommended rock song.