Track Review: Box Time // In My Brain
Hailing from North London, Box Time is a quartet of experienced musicians who finally in 2018 came together to create something extraordinary. Since then, the group has played several shows around London (mostly at The Finsbury), performed in World Zombie Day, been featured in notable publications like Indie Central Music and Right Chord Music, and even made a music video. The latest addition to their discography is ‘In My Brain’.
I’m no musician, but I assume writing a song can bring with it some challenges. While lyrics may be spewing out of your brain, there are other elements that could make the process tiresome. In ‘In My Brain’, John Chamberlain (lead singer, songwriter and guitars), Barny Skinner (lead guitar), Paddy Chamberlain (bass) and Ryan Peek (drums) touch on this issue.
Recorded at Puzzle Factory Studios, North London, with producer Nico Secretin, ‘In My Brain’ is a pop-rock track with a leaning toward indie-rock. Showcasing their combined experiences in different genres, the track is an eclectic fusion of individuality to form a cohesive whole. Does that make sense?
While they note their inspirations as Joy Division and Foo Fighters, I find little similarity to Box Time’s new single. The eclecticism of their sound and suitable expression of the concept make them stand out in my mind. As with Ian Curtis’ brusque, aggressive tone in She’s Got Control when talking about his epilepsy, John Chamberlain’s wearied tone adequately reflects the difficulty of creating original material and overcoming perfectionism. Hey, I guess I found some similarity to their iconic inspirations after all.
John may sound frustrated and agitated, but there’s no lessening of his warm, heartfelt and moving vocals. Sonically, the combination of John’s engaging timbre and dynamic instrumentation makes ‘In My Brain’ a captivating single. Oddly enough, the flowing and soothing effect contradicts the annoyance of life’s challenges. It does, however, go along with the message of fighting back against perfectionism resulting in a melodic and enchanting track.