Ladies and gentlemen, the wait is over. The genius that is James Parkinson of One Cure for Man has unleashed his latest masterpiece into the world. “On The Edge” will stun you with its thoughtfulness, brilliant composition, and wisdom.

Inspired by two other great men, actor Richard Burton and poet Dylan Thomas, the lyrics speak to the tragedy of success. It reminds us that no matter how much wealth and adoration one receives from the outside world, such rewards feel trivial and ring hollow when we are hurting within. 

As Parkinson explains:

““On The Edge" is about the actor Richard Burton and the poet and writer, Dylan Thomas. The song delves into the fascinating lives of these incredibly talented men who were both tragically drawn to the edge.  In a Michael Parkinson interview, Burton discussed with him the notion that many creative Celts are often drawn to precipices, sometimes going over them. And that they often have a "death wish" despite their obvious creative talents. Burton said in 1974: "I didn't fancy much staying alive....I couldn't bear it's (the world) richness and beauty ... I thought it's best to leave it."  My goal was to write a song that captured their talents but told the story of how these men very much lived their lives at the precipice.” 

And he has absolutely achieved his goal with this song, the first single from his upcoming EP “We All Pretend.” Once again, Parkinson is doing what he does best; making us think long and hard about the human spirit, while thoroughly wowing us with his musical acuity. He is not an artist that overdoes things, because he knows he does not need to. His beautifully simple musical style fits flawlessly with his lyrics, proving yet again that less is more:

“For the EP itself, I wanted to write and record songs that were more stripped back and that focused more on the voice, lyrics and of course the songwriting. Most of the songs are acoustic with piano, bass, some drums and lots of percussion but I wanted to avoid electric guitars and grand gestures. It's been a great exercise for me as a writer and I've really enjoyed the challenge.”

Longtime friend, John Meredith, who mixed One Cure for Man’s second, third, and fourth EPs, has returned here and blessed us with his signature for those perfect blends. It is easy to see why Meredith and Parkinson work so well together; musically, they are entirely on the same page.

““I feel he's (Meredith) really managed to capture the quality of the instruments and the melodies. I wanted there to be a real sense of timelessness and melancholy as well as a stubborn defiance to not sound "ugly, threadbare and modern.””

With the addition of Roy Turner on saxophone, we get a haunting, low feel, that lends itself spectacularly to the subject matter. The sax solo is spot on, being a highlight but not overshadowing or detracting from the rest of the music. Parkinson plays the remainder of the instruments himself and the combined melodies give the feeling of being built up and up, and taken on an incredible journey, leading to a frighteningly inevitable conclusion.

The accompanying video just adds to the perfection that is this track. Parkinson has chosen the setting and story perfectly, again, managing to avoid any unnecessary flashiness and keeping things gloriously down to earth. 

“The video was shot in one of my local pubs 'The Red Lion' in Earby, Lancashire by my wife, Hazel Parkinson & brother Ben. The video was edited by Jason Marshall who also filmed and edited The Haunted & Too Many Songs. The video features myself acting as a writer in the style of Dylan Thomas, burning the candle at both ends as he very much did with his life. I thought it was correct to film it in a very traditional looking pub that both Burton & Thomas would have frequented in Wales.”

“We All Pretend” is due to land September 23 of this year on all streaming platforms and limited CD release and you can check out the video below.

Author: Harley Houghton

Harley Houghton is a writer and blogger, based in Melbourne, Australia. Her passions include music, especially metal, gaming and comics. Check out her blog www.harleysmadhouse.com and follow her on Twitter.