Hailing from the region that brought us the 2-tone movement including ska greats The Specials, The Selecter and The Beat – West Midlands singer-songwriter Ryan Arlo presents brooding new track ‘My Last Fiasco’.
Inspired by the diverse range of music he grew up surrounded by – Birmingham-based Arlo takes ska music elements and combines them with a pop overtone. ‘My Last Fiasco’ is dark and brooding in both lyrical content and sound.
In this bid to win over a new love interest – Arlo takes the listener through an introspective and candid tale of his character. With the admittance of a bad past reputation and getting into trouble before..
“I’ve been like this since my last fiasco / Yes, I am a rascal”
Arlo’s clever lyricism illustrates a more vulnerable side to his persona and a need to prove his worth to this potential (yet perhaps doubtful) flame..“You ain’t up for games”
Despite this, there’s an assurance that things would be different if he were only given a chance.
The track holds an oscillating sway in its rhythm, with haunting synths reminiscent of the impending doom of The Specials 1981 hit ‘Ghost Town’ – yet somehow strangely darker and more unsettling. Supported by a bassy backbeat throughout – Arlo’s vocals alternate between a deep and accented sprechgesang and some truly powerful, soulful vox. It’s an interesting juxtaposition of verses tripping off the tip of the tongue and the slow, smoothness of the chorus. An echoey backing vocal gives an even fuller feeling to the track whilst retaining that sulking moody vibe.
‘My Last Fiasco’ gives us the chills. In a good way. If you’re a fan of clever word-play laced with an alt-ska-pop flavour – this fiasco is for you.