Soft Hearted Scientists present “The Phantom of Canton”
Ladies and Gentlemen! At last he is here!
Soft Hearted Scientists have released the first half of their 16-track double album, “The Phantom of Canton,” available now on Bandcamp. The full album is available for pre-order and will be on sale on June 6, 2025.
This psychedelia infused concept album, deals with alienation, lost love, and the sometimes high personal price of obsessively pursuing creative projects, or indeed any job or calling.
However, it is often very upbeat and hopeful, even joyful, and acknowledges that the highs outweigh the lows and that the protagonist wouldn’t really have it any other way.
Yes there are times of reflecting how life might have been different, but unravelling all life choices is rather pointless.
“The Phantom of Canton” is universal and is for anybody who has felt a sense of identity loss during times of crisis, but also for anyone who has experienced the immense rush of joy felt when things get back on track.
Bright colours in the darkness
Musically, “The Phantom of Canton” might be the Scientists’ most ambitious album yet. Even the darker songs are painted in bright colours and are infused with an hallucinatory element.
Electric and acoustic guitars and a vast range of keyboards and sound effects and sound events illuminate the lyrics.
Influences include 1940s big band music, 1950s doo wop and rock and roll, 1960s psychedelia and folk rock, early 1970s prog rock, punk, post punk, electronic music and sound track music.
As was said by an astute listener about the last album “Waltz of the Weekend,” the pop songs have got more action packed with detail and hooks, and the longer tracks stretch out more than before.
It is essential to have several of those quick fix compact pop songs on the album to give the listener an entry point. Then the longer, more abstract tracks make more sense. Not that writing an 11 minute track is necessarily harder than writing a 3 minute 30 second pop song, where not a second can be wasted. In fact the pop songs are often harder to write.
Order “The Phantom of Canton” here.
The songs
- A Phantom Hello 00:28
- The Phantom of Canton 03:40
- Foxgloves Song 08:29
- Hello, Hello 05:12
- Fly By Dragonfly 07:03
- Approaching the Canyon 00:24
- The Canyon (Smile of the Sun Eyed Woman) 11:51
- Wonder Girl
- The Cloud Parade
- The Trapdoor Opens
- Trapdoor in the Sky
- The Laws of Physics
- The Cloud Parade (Submarine Reprise)
- Song For My Sunflower
- Golden Times
- A Phantom Farewell
Songs and lyrics written by Nathan Hall
Arrangements by Nathan Hall
Music written by Soft Hearted Scientists
Engineered and Produced by Frank Naughton at Ty Drwg studios, Cardiff
Mixing by Frank Naughton with Nathan Hall
Soft Hearted Scientists are
Michael Bailey – bass guitar
Nathan Hall – lead vocals, backing vocals, electric and acoustic guitars, keyboards, electronics, sound effects
Paul Jones – 6-string and 12-string electric and acoustic guitars, mandolin
Dylan Line – keyboards, electronics, sound effects, some backing vocals
Frank Naughton – keyboards, sound effects, some backing vocals, and all drums