This lead single from a new album is a lengthy track, a slow burner but ultimately a banger (you have to wait) which really shows off Dot’s amazing vocal expressiveness. While her music is currently featuring in the BBCTV series ‘Annika’ (a track co-written and performed with Anton Newcombe) this track and the forthcoming album ‘Consciousology’ (easy for you to say – etc!) was recorded at Castlesound, Edinburgh and features strings (recorded at AIR London) and a few other musicians helping out, but it’s basically a Dot Allison solo album.
At over five minutes it starts with just vocals and quiet acoustic guitar strum, with Dot emoting softly about “waiting for a sign” – it sounds like a bit of a love song at this point, actually with a similar quiet grace to some of Constant Follower’s recent work. The next section has more of a gospel feel with multiple layered vocals harmonise on the ‘Unchanged’ refrain, and some moothie in there as well…
A further verse adds finger clicks and sythn wash to more whispered vocals, then a hesitant “always the same, always unchanged”.
The percussion then begins to build and the next chorus adds guitar feedback, more backing vocals and a kitchen sink (possibly). By this time it is now more like an anthem, before it goes into further minor key variations and progressions on the main theme – a synth pulse then stirs and along with a screaming feedback loop gives the last few bars a slightly techno banger feel, before the whole thing subsides, its work done.
Moving between subtlety and sheer passion, and with a classic structure, this track bodes well and is some of Allison’s best work to date.