Ben Farrell recently issued his debut EP via Different Circle Records, which the Irish born-Glasgow based songwriter has aptly titled Tickling the Dragon’s Tail for two very different reasons; the first being that he endorses anarchist politics, which highlight the perils of nuclear fallout; the second is that much of his creativity appears to inhabit the realms of consciousness wherein such dragon-play could be an everyday pursuit.
Farrell describes the sound of the EP as “…The Smiths bumping into Syd Barrett at an anti-nuclear demo before heading off to an opium den,” and though he falls short of distilling the essence of that illustrious union (who wouldn’t?!), he does present some interesting and thought provoking stuff.
‘Lament for the Liquidator’ offers a stark opening to the EP, as it details the task undertaken by the liquidators of the Chernobyl disaster site, and it’s from this grave subject matter that Farrell pulls his strongest, prettiest song of the set with its measured look at humanity beset by tragedy.
‘The Tree’ coasts along on suitably autumnal guitar picking before Farrell waxes lyrical about his love for a tree and its subsequent uprooting, which could be viewed as a metaphor for lost love or simply as an ode to nature as a whole, however the lyrics become a bit turgid in places and could benefit from some of the playfulness of the aforementioned Mr Barrett.
The somewhat trippy ‘The Little Teachers’ sings back to the waking world from the onset of a magic mushroom excursion which, by the sound of the ominously sparse guitar line, could be in danger of generating some bad vibes, as witnessed in Farrell enquiring if it’s safe to watch a movie and the lines “side-effects include euphoria, panic attacks, nausea”: buy the ticket, take the ride, I suppose.
The insistent guitar interplay of ‘Farewell Captain Cauldie’ leads us toward the train tracks where our hero contemplates his fate, with Farrell using the song’s message to give a conscientious voice to the disaffected and unsung members of society; which goes a long way in summing up this eccentric and heartfelt EP.
Tickling the Dragon’s Tail by Ben Farrell
Words: Brendan Sloan
