Russell Joslin – Streetfight (2022)
A city can become a completely different place when night falls. This is something that Russell Joslin brings to life with the post-punk and electro-folk tones of his single ‘Streetfight’. Through the single, he draws listeners into a late-night cab ride through the dark and dangerous streets of Londo,n while considering how the often lawless nature of the streets affects the night workers of the city.
Using a fuller sound, Joslin takes his music in a new direction through this track, drawing on the electronic tones of the 80s and gritty nocturnal photography. On this track, he is joined by Sarah McCraig (vocals), Rolfin Nyhus (bass) and Alyson Frazier (flute). Continuing to mark the departure of his sound from the stripped back acoustics many know him for, this single tackles issues larger than you are first led to believe.
‘Streetfight’ grabs you from the first twang of the opening with a flow that has you bopping and tapping to the rhythm. While there is an addictive vibe from the first note, this is woven into a late-night city vibe. You can almost see the streetlights flashing past the window as you traverse the dark streets of the city. The electronic tones weave between the organic tones, adding a dark wave touch to the post-punk instrumentation. As you drive through the after dark feeling of the music, there is a building tension that creeps into your shoulders. It is like you can feel eyes on your back and need to be aware of your surroundings because anything could happen.
While you move through the darkened streets of London, the lyrics pull you into the story of a late shift worker heading home. Through the opening verse, you are drawn into the travels and can see the open and closed buildings of the city. As the single progresses, the tension of the melody makes its way into the experience of the narrator as the lawlessness of the night starts to cause anxiety. While there is a very personal feeling to the vocals, they touch on issues greater than the journey of the lyrics. Joslin brings anxiety, urban violence, alcohol abuse and guilt into the soundscape and threads them artfully into a story that is all too familiar for many people.
Russell Joslin takes us on a journey of tension, anxiety and the lawlessness of late-night London in the thumping tones of ‘Streetfight’. The music grabs you and pulls you into a journey home through darkened streets. The vocals bring the experience to life, while touching on a number of larger topics.
Find out more about Russell Joslin on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
