Hooten Tennis Club – Queen City Sounds and Art

SEATBELTS1_sm — Seatbelts, photo courtesy the artists

Produced by Edwyn Collins, “Black Spring” by Seatbelts was inspired in part by Henry Miller’s classic work of the same name. It tackles the issue of great changes that hit us whether we’re ready or not. It challenges the often spurious notion that one must embrace all change because it’s inevitable. But is it always for the positive, must it be welcomed in all circumstances? Do some changes that seem beneficial at first eventually become agents of a negative upheaval? The tone of trepidation and skepticism that imbues the R&B inflected melody seems warranted given how the modern world in the West has meant shrinking prospects for dignified work that doesn’t bleed over into all hours of the day with you being on call much of the time at the behest of customers in a way that isn’t adequately compensated but what else is there for some of us? The dubious promises of a better life for all with Brexit and cutting taxes for the ultra wealthy and for some reason imagining ensuring the so-called donor class being allowed to hold on to greater shares of unearned largesse will translate to better economic conditions for all when history consistently shows the opposite is the backdrop to this introspective and gently scrappy song. Listen to “Black Spring” on Soundcloud and follow Seatbelts at the links provided.