There is no doubt that Charlie Clark is a prodigious talent – ‘A Bridge To Your Idol’ is his second solo single over the last twelve months and both singles have been majestic pieces of sparkling indie pop, infused with a deeply personal narrative.
Indeed, this track is a heartbreaking sequel to his previous release ‘Don’t Have A Cow Man (reviewed by me here) which documented Charlie giving up his life in LA to come home and care for his terminally ill father. As the inevitability of his father’s passing became clear, Clark wrote ‘A Bridge To Your Idol as an immensely moving tribute. Clark says:
After losing our Dad last Summer and becoming a Dad just months later myself I have so much gratitude about how lucky Kevin (Clark’s brother) and I were to have such an incredible father. I’d written this song before my Dad died but with the mindset it was coming sooner rather than later… The video was filmed over the last month of Dad’s life when he had all of his family around him, which was him at his best.
The pace is elegiac and profound – Clark has captured the quintessence of mourning – the feeling of loss that is yet leavened by the celebration of the indelible impact a person can have on you. Crystalline, jangling guitars play underneath a mourning piano line while Clark’s voice drips like honey with a deep melancholy – you’re getting old, man, you’re getting old . There is just a hint of humour and a lot of love amidst amongst the raw nostalgia:
‘A Bridge To Your Idol’ is off Clark’s forthcoming debut solo album: ‘Late Night Drinking’, to be released later in 2021 via Alan McGee’s new label venture It’s Creation Baby. ‘Late Night Drinking’ has been produced by Jason Shaw from Cambodian Space Project and mastered by Mark Gardener from Ride.
Clark will be making his first live appearance of the year on 15 April 2021, playing alongside Geography of the Moon and beaming live from Glasgow. The livestream show promises a ‘two-way interactive experience’ for audiences tuning-in. For more details and tickets head here
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