Speak Easy Circus – Gros Michel (2023)
Celebrating the strange and intriguingly obscure, Scottish band Speak Easy Circus weaves funk, jazz and indie-rock in a kaleidoscopic tapestry of sound. Drawing together the diverse influences from each of the four band members, Speak Easy Circus is brimming with eclecticism and innovation. Compared to Earth, Wind and Fire, Frank Zappa and The Libertines, the group might be considered perplexing but also enchanting. With critical acclaim from numerous publications, such as Music For The Misfits, Sinusoidal Music, Get To The Chorus and Turtle Tempo, to sold-out performances and airtime from various radio stations, Speak Easy Circus is reaching audiences far beyond their UK borders.
Following their well-received track ‘Sewn Up’, Speak Easy Circus continues their exploration of the absurd with an awesome soundtrack in ‘Gros Michel’. As with ‘Sewn Up’, the theme behind ‘Gros Michel’ appears amusing and light-hearted, but a much deeper significance is found under the surface. Adopting a tongue-in-cheek lyrical style, this song about bananas is actually an exploration of the exploitation of the banana industry. Songwriter and vocalist Jack Avison explains:
“Over a period of a few weeks last year, I became weirdly obsessed with bananas and watched as many videos and documentaries about them as I could. I was amazed and shocked that something people loved – bananas – could be sold by companies that were so evil – La Chiquita. Some of their transgressions include poisoning communities, causing birth defects in children, funding terrorism and massacring workers. Yet, we still eat bananas…”
‘Gros Michel’ oozes poignancy and depth in the entertaining but dark lyricism; however, it is not only the intriguing words that push the severity of exploitation within the banana industry. Powerful guitars match pounding drums in an urgent, biting way. Jack Avison’s rich vocals have a bold authoritative quality while demanding answers from society in a forceful staccato. For me, it is always the saxophone that nudges Speak Easy Circus onto my list of favourites. Jon Wallace inserts a groovy vibe with his sax but the brash blasts weave ferocity into the mellifluous sound.
For more from Speak Easy Circus, check out their Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
Find some fantastic funk-rock songs on The Other Side Reviews’ Funk Rock playlist:
