Music that has been shipwrecked... a crossover of bossa-nova, folk gospel, and Britop-gone-Americana. Everything old, yet something new. 　　 　　Shipwrecked Liner Notes (December 2008) 　　 　　Shipwrecked names the style of music on the album - a mix-mash of latin and folk, gospel and britpop, the flotsum and jetsum of acoustic genres. It also refers to the shipwrecked of the modern world, those who leave their homes and get stuck in a place they thought was just a stop on the way. For all of those people, this music is for you 　　 　　1. How the Story Ends 　　Style: 50s Latin 　　Themes: Tragic Love Story, Literary 　　Key: F 　　Chords: Work Them Out Yourself 　　 　　Happy endings are important to society. For some, a demand; others, a request. But a brave few don’t need them at all. This finale is open-ended: in that the listener gets to decide for themselves. 　　 　　The song has a few cultural references, at once obvious and yet also obscure. In the latter bracket is Lobley Hill, infamous in the author's hometown for its skinhead gang in the 70s, and the scene of some massive inter-school scraps on Foggy Friday (last day of school). 　　 　　“Exit, pursued by bear” is an infamous stage direction from ‘A Winters Tale’, and of course the daffodils come from a line in Wordsworth. 　　 　　The Hapsburgs were a ruling European family. Their portraits adorn the galleries of Europe… but they all look strangely similar. ‘Eastenders’ is a soap opera about impoverished Londoner 　　 　　Won a national songwriting competition in Japan in 2008. 　　 　　2. One More Chance 　　Style: Britpop Anthem 　　Themes: Fate vs Decisions; Love Triangle 　　Key: G 　　Chords: G Bm7 C Cm6//C Cm G E7 Am7 Bm7 D7sus4 　　 　　Creating your own providence by way of consciously and calculatingly choosing whether to go left or right, run walk or pause, or laugh or cry, rather than being blown unwittingly along by life’s capricious, callous breeze is the nitty-gritty of this tune. 　　 　　One More Chance tells a long-running story that’s rich with imagery. The song embarks on a rose-tinted journey of life through youth – innocent, bewildering and full of intrigue, and continues to traverse through the mashing of a first abject failure. Making up for this and the passion involved getting back on track actually creates another chance, when accepting defeat (fate) mayhave been the easier choice. 　　 　　It confronts the contradiction in the credence of proverbs and maxims. For every piece of wisdom that speaks to your situation there is another that negates it, rendering them all meaningless nonsense: 　　In Carpe Diem vs. Fools Rush In 　　Many hands make light work vs. Too many cooks… 　　All good things come to those who wait vs. Shy Boys get nowt (A Geordie proverb) 　　 　　The story ends with God handing the runaway lovers a second chance in reward for them trying to live life rather than hide from it and then complain. 　　 　　3. The Mountain 　　Themes: Karma, Judgement Day 　　Key: A 　　Chords: A C#m7 F#m D E7; F#m Dmaj 7 E7 　　 　　A man dreams he is wrongly being sent to Hell, only to awake and see the reason why. A cheerful song, it delves into the points system of Karma and Catholicism. It mentions the time Kev pulled an unconscious man off the train tracks in Tokyo. It doesn’t mention his semi-belief that now, having clocked up immeasurable Karma points, he can get away with anything. Be afraid! 　　 　　4. Bald Headed Blues 　　Style: Island Music, Lounge Blues 　　Theme: The Unspeakable; Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow 　　Key: F 　　Chords: F Gm7 Am7 C7 　　 　　The old version of this track featured some wonderful sax by Arnie Baruch, but the new Medici version capitalized on the comic theme, with a vibraslap and chicken-dance beat. 　　This is a feel-good song, not just for those with hair, but for those who love a bit of fun and folly. 　　 　　Thanks for listening 　　 　　Hemlock Music 　　January 2009