The impeccably monikered Carol Hodge is back. Not that she has been away…
Hodgey is in great demand. Last year saw her tour with Crass legend Steve Ignorant’ s Slice of Life, the subline Ryan Hamilton and the Harlequin Ghosts & Julia Othmer as well as playing her own gigs and recording new material. Phew.
Towards the end of last year, the supremely talented Hodgemeister teased us with some videos on Facebook of her working on some new tracks. The fruits of her labours were shared with her followers before the turn of the year and are now available to stream on Bandcamp for all the world to hear.
Savage Purge
The three tracks are a welcome preview of her upcoming album Savage Purge, the follow up to 2018s stunning masterpiece Hold on to That Flame.
The heartfelt torch song feel to that album continues in the first of the tracks previewed, Stop Worrying Baby. “If I’ve just one life to live, and If I know I’ll die alone, then just stop worrying baby and go and do it all on your own” It seems somehow to be appropriate be posting this blog on what is deemed to be Blue Monday.
Her proclivity for a touching lyric demonstrating the fragility of the human spirit alongside a beautiful melody continue into the unadulterated beauty of Waving Not Drowning
The former Bad Taste Barbie and Crystal Grenade chanteuse ramps things up a bit on the thumping rocker I Still Love Me. Hey, we all have to live with ourselves, so we better learn to love ourselves. “I love me and there’s no-one else I’d rather be”. We love you too Carol.
The album is due to drop Springtime 2020. Something to look forward to, in the meantime these tracks will more than suffice.
If you’re heading to Scotland Calling this year, be sure to catch her playing keyboards for Steve Ignorant and his Slice of Life again as they treat us to some Crass classics.
See you there Hodgey!