Track 10: Cutthroat Business (Theme Of Lackadaisy) (11/13 Version)
Artist: The Twisted Kerchiefs
Originally Composed: 2011, but not completed until 2013
Much like Be Alive Again, this song is very bittersweet for me; conceptualised as a theme song for the amazing webcomic Lackadaisy (
lackadaisy.foxprints.com/comic.php?comicid=1), this was originally supposed to be the title track of an entire EP’s worth of Lackadaisy tunes, and was also originally going to try and adhere strictly to instruments that would’ve been used at the time the comic takes place- although that idea was nixed when I realised a) jazzy organs are always a joy, and b) the style of the song could hardly be called contemporary 1920s jazz. The “bitter” of the bittersweet comes from the fact that despite taking three years to finish, there are still bits that sound a little flat and phoned in, and the main hook/“chorus” of the song is just a bit too crowded sounding; it’s a blessing the piano kinda gets lost in the mix otherwise it’d just sound too cluttered. But, on the “sweet” end of things, there are LOTS of improvisational (well, “mock” improv anyway) touches across the track, across the piano, bass, and strings, and I still really like how a lot of all the little jams across the song sound. I am also still, even two years on, proud of how cinematic sections like the intro, a couple of the breakdowns, and the “solo” section towards the end of the track; they may not be perfect, but I think they capture a real sense of noir-ish charm. And, much like Decon Theed was birthed by Be Alive again, my Twisted Kerchiefs alias was born solely for this one track, and has continued to live on as a result of the styles and ideas I tried out here. Even with all the blemishes, I’m still extremely fond of this song and what I set out to do with it, and I am looking forward to having another go at it- and maybe making a start on (and finishing) the Lackadaisy inspired EP it was to be the title track of.