It feels slightly odd writing a review under the headline of Rachel Croft as that is the very last thing that springs to mind when thinking of her. Only certain artists can you remember the very first time that you encountered them and for Rachel, the moment she took to the stage at 229 supporting Jenny Colquitt and dived into "Reap What You Sow" we were putty in her hands.
Sometimes however the artist themselves can be struck by self doubt - and it is this that drives "Failure"
The opening verses vividly portray the feeling of being enclosed and of feeling adrift and alone.
"I hate the way I stand somehow I used to be taller
And if there was a bright side now it feels so much duller
I used to think my world was big but it's gotten so much smaller"
"Sitting at the wheel but I can't set it in motion
Think I took a wrong turn I feel sick at that notion
If worry were the rain then I would drown in an open ocean"
These opening verses are sung out while the background is an almost industrial rock sound of pounding drum beats and prominent guitars making a fearsome combination, only dying back to allow Rachel to deliver those opening verses. The chorus is as absolute explosion of noise as Rachel pleads
"I don't wanna
Feel - Feel like this
Please don't make it - Real
I can't miss (oh)
And nothing broke me like a smile from a stranger
Can't shake the feeling that they know I'm a failure"
Possibly the saddest lines are these two that fuel the paranoia - everyone telling you that you are doing well while you are crippled by self doubt. They are powerfully delivered by Rachel with every ounce of that uncertainty
"I'm on a knife edge of it all (everyone's proud of you back home)
Everyone's proud but do they know?"
For what it's worth Rachel has always delivered whether it be her recorded or live work with a great talent and natural sense of humour that we here at #TEAMw21 have greatly appreciated. We look forward to telling her as much early next month. She is a towering presence anyway, normally assisted by a big pair of boots - which can appear quite intimidating, yet she is one of the sweetest people to talk to on the circuit.
In case you are wondering about the somewhat strange cover it belongs to the accompanying video which is easily worth a review of it's own. In fact even if you don't care for the song, once you've washed your ears out come back and view the video anyway - as it is the result of 3 months of painstaking effort and is a flipping masterpiece. It touches on a number of Sci Fi and Horror films, a bit of Alien, Jaws, X Files but it is the seemingly seamless, endless interactions between real life and graphic that is such a joy to behold and should surely win an award from someone. It is visually stunning and there is something new to spot with each repeated running - Rachel's acting gives it a real of sense of drama in its three and a half minutes that many a TV series is crying out for. Set in some sort of industrial wasteland, it is constantly moving and you truly feel concerned for Rachel's fate as she is chased by this shapeshifting presence!
For those located to the West of London a chance to see Rachel in the most exclusive of surroundings in High Wycombe is coming up in a few weeks - A late afternoon / early evening gig in the most charming of surroundings.