School of X is Rasmus Littauer, he’s been releasing music since he was 17 and this is a sample track, ‘Bad Design’, from his third album, ‘Seventh Heaven’.
The album marks a new beginning for him, with a new band and a new producer.
Rasmus found inspiration for School of X during his sessions as a touring drummer for the likes of MØ and other well known Danish artists.
‘Seventh Heaven’ means the same as the English phrase and he says it is something he always aspired to, to be happy without pain or worry.
Everyone’s goal I suppose but it is a utopia too far for most, which is the message of the song.
He reveals his ultimate solution, an unusual one, namely that it is to become friends with the darkness, and in that way let the light prevail.
That, and the song title, not to mention another one called ‘Bleak House’ (not an ode to Charles Dickens) suggested to me that ‘Bad Design’ might be a melancholic Nordicana piece but none of it.
It’s notably upbeat with a chorus tune that you won’t easily dismiss from your mind.
It seems to reference a perfect match between two soul mates who for some undefined reason were unable to sustain their relationship, the only hint being that collectively they were a ‘bad design’; a mismatch.
The chorus melody is similar in some ways to a hip hop version of Terry Jacks’ ‘Seasons in the Sun’ and it did cross my mind that there might be a morbid explanation for that outcome but on balance probably not.
Musically the opening precisely plucked acoustic guitar is almost in the same league as an introduction as is the one to ‘Stairway to Heaven’.
There’s plenty of quality here. A quick listen to some of the other tracks tells me there is variety, too.
But this is the stand-out for me and one most certainly worthy of airplay over here in the UK.
‘Seventh Heaven’ was released by Tambourhinoceros on 1st November.
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