Next Stop Brixton by Tom Minor comes in as a rightful masterclass in story telling in song, as it combines friendship, consequence and redemption through the prism of the unknown that is the London underground. It is a fast paced indie rock anthem but behind the push and the force is a songwriter transforming lived experience into a song that appeals much further.
The song with its catchy tune and beat captures your attention the moment you listen to it - it actually feels like you are being dragged onto a train, going through the corporeal and emotional tunnels simultaneously. The delivery of the song by Minor is truly selling: full of emotion, with its sharpness and real human conviction, he does not forget the emotional essence of the song.
The guitar playing of Johnny Dalston is certainly worth a mention in this category and the chord progressions and solos shine and cut through the song, enriching the story without ever dominating it. It is all enclosed by producer Teaboy Palmer in a carnival-like mood that is quite theatrical in nature, the song is colourful, bold and incredibly alive.
The difference, though, with Next Stop Brixton is its stratified narration. Minor creates a story that flows through time - carefree youth, prison, release- but all of it seems to be united as a single voyage. Nostalgia and development are placed next to each other and adventure is never too distant.
The outcome is a song of personality: light-hearted, but serious, amusing, but sombre. You can hardly resist being moved by the manner in which it both weighs the seriousness of our decisions and the light of second chances.
It is not hard to hear in Minor’s background that he is grounded in indie rock, punk and new wave but this song is all his, confident, thoughtful and hopeful. It is existential indie at its best and it establishes him as a musician that is worth following with an extremely close eye.
