Music
See Your Shadow Produces Another Hit with Latest “Whatever On the Rocks”
Songwriters Michael Coleman and J. Richard Murray otherwise known as See Your Shadow have delivered us their latest single Whatever On The Rocks. A country song by any other means, but also something slightly different. Whatever On The Rocks is a veer from See Your Shadow‘s typical thematic approach in that it is more open to interpretation than previous pieces. The illustrious use of metaphor in this track took me a little off-guard as I was expecting a more traditional country song infused with spiritual connotations resulting in the quintessential topics See Your Shadow usually explores. Now, I may be completely off track with this interpretation, but this is my privilege of being an unbiased reviewer. I feel this track is about acceptance, about understanding that everybody has their own unique pain, and demons they are wrestling with. Whatever On The Rocks thus becomes a metaphor for giving people anything they require to ease their burdens and cope with the pain regardless of faith, conditions, or beliefs. If I am on to something here, I have found a newfound appreciation for the power of songwriting, as this theme is not so very present, but a lingering impression left long after the song has been consumed. The performance as well leads to this acceptance theme as each cadence is resolved on the downbeat with a lower vocal articulation. This method of singing lends to the emotive display of finality and less to the possibility of challenging the overall status quo. By staying true to the country music archetype of alcohol for pain relief, yet offering ambiguity to what is in the glass, See Your Shadow has in turn taken a simple archetype and turned it around into a complex emotive piece of art worthy of this discussion.
Whatever On The Rocks is a great contemporary Country song with hints of traditional elements. The production of this track is well-executed, the vocals are crisp and clear while the melodic form which takes up the majority of the instrumentation contrasts the vocals with ease. I feel this track could have used some more bottom end to help push the groove as Whatever On The Rocks plays more in the treble range of the frequency band. This is not a bad thing, as this song does possess an uplifting presence and the choice to not push a main funk helps keep the feeling and power of this track as an inspirative piece. Of course, like everything else See Your Shadow produces, the commercial aspects are always present. A hit single by any other means, perfect for Country, Middle-Of-The-Road, or Adult Contemporary radio formats. The singing, musical performance, and phrasing of the choruses give Whatever On The Rocks a sure replayable aspect, and hopefully, give you the listener a new meaning with each listen.
Album Review
Cognitive Constellation Corps blurs humanity and technology on “Thank You for Your Feedback (I)” album
In a world of notifications and automated responses, algorithms, and feedback requests, Cognitive Constellation Corps finds something unexpectedly human inside the machinery. “Thank You for Your Feedback (I)” is an alt-pop exploration of connection, isolation, communication, and the increasingly complicated relationship between people and technology, transforming familiar procedural language into something else.
Created by Brooke Tamsin Clevenger, a Belfast-based artist, the project’s principal composer, lyricist, producer, and conceptual director, the album is deliberately constructed around what happens to human emotion when our lives are increasingly structured by systems that process information rather than necessarily understand feelings. The album opens with “Opening Loop (i),” which introduces that world through the idea of repetition, linking software loops to the habits we humans learn in modern life.
Followed by “Signal Received (i),” the track becomes more fragile, a mix of bubbling electronic movement and the promise of waiting for a response. It picks up the strange emotional weight that can be behind something as simple as a digital signal. “Thank You For Your Feedback (i)” examines the pressure to be constantly evaluated, and “Echo Chamber (i)” reflects on how digital interaction creates intimacy and amplifies alienation. “The Curve of Clarity (i)” is a road toward understanding where data and human realization begin to converge.
On the production side, the project explores electronic textures without allowing its technological concept to overwhelm its emotional core. “Threadbare, Threadshare (i)” turns the fatigue of constant communication into an interesting concept. “The Response Loop (You’re Still Talking)” injects a sense of urgency with a faster, more club-friendly beat that mixes early-80s electronic music with state-of-the-art sounds.
“Harmonic Distortion (i)” continues the album’s obsession with emotion that has been filtered, and “Always (i) [Sevahem]” is an appropriate closer, reflecting on organic feeling and ancient human knowledge through the prism of digital sound. “Thank you for Your Feedback” is a tech-driven concept that is always aware of the person behind the screen. Cognitive Constellation Corps is cerebral and electronic and conceptually ambitious while remaining emotionally accessible.
Artist Spotlight
Shawn Brown raises the volume on love, loss, and survival in “What a Way to Go”
Shawn Brown’s new single, “What a Way to Go,” is a guitar-heavy rock-pop anthem that makes doomed young love, instability, and survival something ferociously cathartic. The single, produced by celebrated musician and producer Grecco Buratto, fully embraces the scope of its story. Brown doesn’t turn heartbreak into a quiet, inward experience, but he energizes it, giving it drive and urgency.
“What a Way to Go” is a relationship against impossible odds, and the emotional tension is the clash between a world that feels like it’s falling apart and the stubbornness of two people who won’t let go of each other. That tension is what makes the song dramatic, but it also allows Brown to aim for a bigger, more explosive sound.
Recorded at The Trench in Portland with engineer Gregg Williams and the full Shawn Brown Band and trusted creative team, including Ben Landsverk, Jeff Langston, Ned Failing, Tiago Becker, and Juan Garcia Petri. Their combined presence adds to the muscular, expansive character of the single that one would expect from an anthem of this magnitude.
Brown handles the emotional commitment with confidence, true to its survivalist spirit, and pairs the guitars with a performance that feels immediate rather than remote. “What a Way to Go” is one of Shawn Brown’s most electrifying releases, blending raw rock power with the emotional openness of a love story that won’t go quietly. It’s raw, loud, passionate, and unapologetically alive.
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