The last time that we featured C’batch was when the artist put expressive guitar centre stage on Our Little Pooh Pea (The Last Light) 4 – Cinematic, so when we heard that C’batch was back with a poignantly timed Halloween release, we couldn’t wait to listen and share our experience.
If There Was Ever a Fool (One of a Cast of Many) opens with a fierce electric guitar and cinematic 80s and 90s energy. The performance is transcendental, like the opening credits of a massive TV show such as California Dreams. The opus expands with a passionate vocal performance and poetic prowess as we are taken on a metaphorical yet very real emotional journey.
The strings arrangement is next level and really adds to the drama of the track. We love the contrast between the grand, almost theatrical vibes and the darker, occasionally humorous story at its heart. We learn that the song was inspired by a real-life relationship. The lyrics are designed to explore the questionable decisions people make in the name of love, with the title suggesting that there’s rarely just one fool in the story.
What makes this release interesting is its rather unusual journey. The guitar improvisation was originally recorded in 2012, while the lyrics came years later, after C’batch reflected on a friend’s relationship. It wasn’t until 2026 that the two ideas finally came together. The artist confesses, “Sometimes a song takes years to find its story – and sometimes a story takes years to find its music.”
Musically, we hear anthemic, stadium-filling cinematic rock, as the arrangement ebbs and flows between intimate moments and sweeping orchestral drama. For a sync placement, we could imagine the track fitting into The Rocky Horror Picture Show, Moulin Rouge!, or Death Becomes Her. There’s also a place for it in The Favourite, or Cruella. On television, Feud, Pose, Why Women Kill, American Horror Story: Coven and Schmigadoon! feel like natural fits for the song’s theatrical flair and dark motifs.
With more than four decades of musical experience, the New York-born composer and producer has explored everything from R&B and funk to dance, reggae and cinematic instrumentals. This release also fits into his wider The Vault project, which brings older musical ideas into a new creative chapter.
Needless to say, we continue to be obsessed with C’batch, and have added If There Was Ever a Fool (One of a Cast of Many) to our New Music Spotlight playlist, and our TIMELESS playlist, whilst we continue to stream C’batch‘s epic, growing discography.