FFO: Dawks – Celebrate (Things Could Be Worse)

Hartlepool’s DAWKS returns with Celebrate (Things Could Be Worse), a sharp, emotionally grounded single that builds on the full-band sound introduced in Arc De Triomphe. Produced by Danny Blackburn (Adult DVD), it balances clarity and punch, marking a continued move away from lo-fi roots. From its bluesy opening riff to its anthemic chorus, the track lands with stadium-ready confidence and a solid drivetime tempo.

Here, Dawks tries to encapsulate the sounds within the song using three other tracks…

Gorillaz – On Melancholy Hill

Needless to say, a classic. One of the most emotive and catchy songs of the past 20 years. I think the comforting element of this track are the warm synths pads that are a constant throughout. They give you a giant electronic synth cuddle right from the get go. For a song like Celebrate where the guitars are doing a lot of the heavy lifting, I felt it was necessary to incorporate a droning synth element throughout the track, much like On Melancholy Hill. I’m not quite sure what Damon Albarn is using but my synth weapon of choice is a Moog, again, a classic.

Alt J – Left Hand Free

There’s much to be said about guitars being played in drop D, dark, mysterious, tasty. For me, writing in different tunings are a great way to tap into different feelings through music. In this example, I think Left Hand Free sounds kinda westerny and I’ve been told that Celebrate sounds like Clint Eastwood went indie. The riffs in both songs are the focal point, hence why it’s my second FFO choice.

Artic Monkeys – From The Ritz To The Rubble

The lyrics in Celebrate were the last thing to come together and I noticed that this was going to be probably the most story telling/narrative type of tune that I have. So whilst I put pen to paper, I listened to that first AM record, where the story telling is timeless and inspiring. I don’t think I’m quite on Alex turners level, who is? However, I’m kinda glad that this song is more sequenced in the verses. Maybes it’s only me that understands the content but make the words your own by all means.