Written by Niamh Katherine Downes
The trademark effect of Joy Crookes’ music for me is that it transports me to a fairly small and completely empty room, where the lady herself is stood, singing directly on front of me and looking firmly into my eyes while she does it.
Joy Crookes is never one to shy away from confrontation and this comes across not only in her lyrics but also her image. A quick glance through her Instagram or her press shots portrays this. She is often seen stood proudly, staring directly into the camera with a complex expression that is completely unflinching, unbothered and unshakeable. Joy’s writing is painfully honest and this couldn’t be more central in her first release single release of 2020. The track is titled ‘Anyone But Me’.
The song starts and ends with some simultaneously impenetrable and vulnerable lines. “Love me or leave me and let me be lonely. Inside my head there’s a voice that controls me, I’d rather be somewhere else with anyone but me”.
The three minutes follow Crookes’ inner monologue that gives you no room for respite. In a recent post about the release, she said: “Music has a way to soften the blow with topics like mental health – it can make situations that seem completely out of reach, tangible”. I agree with the latter in what Joy says, as a listener. This song packs a hard punch rather than soft blow. This is an overwhelmingly personal and exposed track. Crookes’ wants to break down the boundaries she has experienced in talking about mental health with those close to her.
Check out Anyone But Me here
About the Guest Writer
Niamh Katherine Downes is a Scottish-Born, London-Based singer/songwriter. She is an ever present on the London folk scene and has released some lovely tracks in recent months. Niamh played in our second showcase event in January alongside her musical other-half ‘Frankie Morrow’.
Check out this week’s interview with Billy Nomates here.
I caught up with New York’s Ollie Chanin last week. He is fresh off a collaboration with Eminem. If you still have some reading left in your eyes, check that one here.
About ‘The Sound Sniffer’
The Sound Sniffer is a music blog which is still only a baby – Founded and run by Kevin Coakley in early 2019. He is a music writer and ghostwriter. ‘The Sound Sniffer’ has also run showcases in London since Oct 2019. The showcases are picked from artists we find in our submissions inbox.
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