By now, you will know that we have been intently waiting for the release of Paul Frazer Clarke‘s EP, Five Coordinates. We have been featuring each of his singles in the lead up to its release, and last shared his exploration of uncertainty, emotional ambiguity and the space between hope and resignation on The Chalk Outline, so naturally, we wanted to spotlight the concluding chapter, Never Been A Smooth Ride, and the entirety of the EP, released in the wake of the full moon in Aries.
Never Been A Smooth Ride opens with a cosmic frequency, expanding with atmospheric vocals from Canadian artist Elle Soren and a dimensional synthscape which feels like a scene from the movie Drive. Elle’s vocals are sublime and as always, Paul’s production is dynamic, emotional and intricate.
As for the message of the song, the existential themes remain, this time with a more self-realized edge. In essence, it is about being caught in a cycle of rushing, chasing success, and always wanting more. In the song, we are invited to recognise that this mindset is making it harder to appreciate life and the people we love. The concept of the steep climb represents how difficult life can feel when we are constantly striving to win. Truly, the song serves as a reminder to slow down, be present, and enjoy the journey rather than treating life as a race. Paul says, “Lyrically, the track wrestles with the exhausting pull of always chasing more — are we addicted to winning?”
Of course, the track is a fully produced and arranged collaboration led by Paul Frazer Clarke. Paul handles the keyboards, bass, drums, programming and most of the guitars, with Louis Ribeiro adding lead guitar. The mix was handled by Clarke and Patrick Carre at Artisan Music Studios in Perth, while Leon Zervos at Studios 301 in Sydney mastered it, and the transcendent guitar solos add an especially soaring, emotional quality to the overall sound.
Speaking succinctly on the release, Paul confesses, “This one felt like the right way to close the EP — a song about the pull between striving and just being present, with a guitar solo that gives the track its biggest emotional payoff.”
There is no doubt that the song holds a cinematic allure, and in addition to Drive, we could imagine it landing sync placements in TV shows like The Shards, Euphoria and Heated Rivalry. We could also imagine it in an emotive scene of a film like the Oscar-winning, One Battle After Another. Fans of The Midnight, Electric Youth, Ellie Goulding, and CANNONS will also be able to connect with the song.
Overall, the EP is a cohesive experience that includes five different vocalists, each adding their own energy, but produced in a way that feels like one singular journey. We have added Never Been A Smooth Ride to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream the entirety of Five Coordinates, and anticipate future releases from Paul Frazer Clarke!