With his score for Yorgos Lanthimos’s gothic fantasies Poor Things and Kind of Kindness, Joscelin Dent-Pooley (aka Jerskin Fendrix) has proven that his skills in sonic storytelling are excellent. His quirky and elaborate instrumentals capture the restless nature of the former’s protagonist, Bella Baxter, a woman with the transplanted brain of an infant, who explores the good and bad of the world.
Composed largely between the artist’s film score work, Once Upon A Time… In Shropshire is an attempt to soundtrack Dent-Pooley’s own life story. Raised in the West Midlands, the songs are infused with references from his formative years, restoring the memories in detailed lyrics on the opening ‘Beth’s Farm’: “We kiss beneath the apple tree / And I’ve never felt so in love until now / Daisy-chain the night sat on the farm / Play Kanye, play rosey, play Mulan”. Despite the American hip-hop musician mentioned, the rustic idyll is conveyed through an anthemic melody and vocal line, somewhat reminiscent of Coldplay from their Viva La Vida period.
Naturally, the film work infiltrates the texture of the album – some tracks have distinct strains of the Poor Things score. Similar, droll and at times dramatic effects are achieved through a combination of strings and electronic sounds, seemingly extracted from a Buchla synthesizer. While drawing from childhood memories of family gatherings, for example, this album is a sonic fantasy world, whose colourful and dense arrangements underscore the nostalgic element. Still, it’s not escapist. Certain tracks, like the pensive ‘Mum & Dad’ are written as a response to the passing of dear ones (Dent-Pooley lost a few friends and family members, including his father, while working on the album). It starts as a ballad featuring impressionistic piano and the artist’s velvety baritone vocals and elevates with a sudden crescendo halfway. The choir here doesn’t sound very far from Poor Things, so the real and cinematic worlds merge even further. Nevertheless, the effect is striking.
Other bits of the album reveal Dent-Pooley’s penchant for experimentation. The first seconds of ‘Freestyle’ are a patchwork of samples giving way to a tight and propelling track that shares its dark allure with 90s alt-rockers Morphine. Punctuated by bass saxophone, the spoken-word vocals are articulate, bringing to mind Howard Devoto at his best. While the song marks a sharp contrast to the rest of the record, it contributes to the structure, making an excellent follow-up to the aforementioned ‘Mum & Dad’. While memories and death are underlying themes, there is an alternative take on the latter. Once Upon A Time… In Shropshire celebrates moments in time which one can warp and connect to by means of music.
