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Helvetica

by Laurie Shaw

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    Get all 73 Laurie Shaw releases available on Bandcamp and save 50%.

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality downloads of HELP, Dove From Above, Any Questions, Neck Of The Woods, Music For Garden Centres, Bottlenose (Single), Satellite Towns, Rollover, and 65 more. , and , .

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  • "Helvetica" Limited Edition CD
    Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Helvetica on CD in a lovely printed sleeve.

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1.
The ballooning plumes of ink Following the ocean liner Plumes of smouldering soot And a Factory poster circa 1981 The sunset shimmer foxes had already been set upon By the top hat shop frequenters And the dogs bit hard Impatient claims and names in a hat Look what the cat dragged in, A shower of dingbats Mooching 'round the bins Lets hang them on a jousting pole Like a flag or a shopping bag Broken windows Let the blackbirds out A cabal of widows draw pentagrams on the floor Of the community hall While the bobbies on the beat In white shiny helmets Make their way down to Brighton Beach Why can't it be any time I want? Any time? If you need someone by your side I could shed some light on myself I could shed some light (Rain on down)
2.
3.
Living underneath a dome I'm blind, running fifty feet up I'm back on the heavy stuff But my friends are cracking up A paler thief and me Hanging from a tree Flyers floating through the streets Ripped up and scattered like ashes on a bus seat There's going to be a vote Does your father hear himself? "There's a war on!" "There's a war on!" You must be joking The turmoil of it all They took her head off clean And they sold it on a stall ----- ------ ---- She was a bride to be She was found three feet Deep in seeping earth I'm sprawled on the curb Like a fox that got hit by a truck I'm talking to the rats While they're licking up my blood Kick me off the road I know it's a long shot I know you're on your way To a dogging spot I'm living in a ballet box Does your father hear himself? There's a war on There's a war on
4.
Pleased to meet you Think we've got bats living upstairs Oh where? Guess they went out feasting I'm released and I'm released Now the dogs are digging up the creek Get out the way, get her out of the way It's all going to end in a second for me And the dogs are digging up the creek And the dogs are digging up the creek And the dogs are digging up the creek And the dogs are digging up the creek While the cat's away, Going to come around to your party Going to have too much to drink Going to try it on with your sister But then I had to swerve I had to swerve I had to swerve I had to swerve And the dogs are digging up the creek And the dogs are digging up the creek And the dogs are digging up the creek And the dogs are digging up the creek While the cat's away, Going to come around to your party Going to have too much to drink Going to try it on with your sister But then I had to swerve I had to swerve I had to swerve I had to swerve
5.
Where do they keep you? Logged in a bet? We're getting out of here Be it hung, drawn and quartered Who do you pray for? How do you do? We're getting out of here, Be it hung, drawn and quartered I'm going to reach you Let down your hair Burn down your father's house Getting hung, drawn and quartered Getting hung, drawn and quartered Getting hung, drawn and quartered Getting hung, drawn and quartered
6.
Yeah, we had another plague While your were in the Big Brother house Rats the size of 80s mobiles All emptied out the Thames And chewed the line to the rodent killers And up our commemorative pillars that we Erected after the exit And after the war The sky opened, like a slit drain And flooded the ports And we all went carnivore on each other Deep clear, human light There were times... Yeah we had another plague While you were in the jungle It's great you've got your big break Sorry it's at such a bad time In eight months you'll be back to distributing the plague masks I'm sick of the smell of the anti-bacterial gel And the sound of the funeral bell Yeah, we had another plague While you were in the big brother house And it burnt the capital to the ground And thick plumes of smoke arose up and hit the clouds I hope you got my musical birthday card Sincerely L James
7.
8.
Wink Wink 03:09
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10.
Foxes 01:37
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14.
Bag For Life 03:28

about

Although Laurie Shaw has lived in Ireland for the last 14 years, he still sounds like he just got off the ferry from Birkenhead. Well, what does he think of the country where he was born? This album is an exploration of just that.

Helvetica eh? The font on a million documents. Sleek and gentrified. But with it comes a cultural sea change and how does this togetherness effect a country so longing to be singular and defined? Just something to think about. Well, put it this way, as far as statistics and voting information are concerned, that little country is all for rejecting togetherness in favour of the good old days and explicit self-definition.

Well, Laurie Shaw doesn't think that's such a great idea. But whatever. He hasn't come here to preach just extract some poetry out of the propaganda. The setting is England. From Albina's first born to the great warring factions of Remain and Leave. All of it, crashing in on itself. World Wars, plagues, fires in the capital city, council calls, mods and rockers on Brighton beach, Who Wants To Be A Millionaire and Vaughan Williams. Why not? Now is as good a time as any.

credits

released October 31, 2019

All songs written, performed and produced by Laurie Shaw
Recorded in his bedroom at his mum and dad's in Kilgarvan, County Kerry

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Laurie Shaw Kenmare, Ireland

Laurie Shaw is a Wirral-born songwriter and producer. He now dwells in Ireland where he records from his mountain retreat. He often gigs in Cork, Dublin and the Merseyside area. He has released around 100 albums to date (all of which are available on request). ... more

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