“You know what the three most exciting sounds in the world are? Anchor chains, plane motors and train whistles.” – George Bailey [It’s A Wonderful Life]
Taking inspiration from James Stewart’s character in the Hollywood Christmas classic, Anchor Chains, Plane Motors and Train Whistles is the highly anticipated new EP from Lebanese-Grenadian artist Skydaddy – known in day to day life as Rachid Fakre.
Beginning life in early 2023, Skydaddy grew out of the artist’s previous project Spang Sisters, creating quite a stir before even having released any music. Touring with the beloved Black Country, New Road prior to the arrival of his first single, ‘That Morning‘, Skydaddy had garnered a well-deserved reputation on the London music scene by the time his debut Pilot EP came out in February 2024.
While Pilot received positive reviews, praising Fakre for his impressive compositional abilities and beautiful arrangements, Anchor Chains, Plane Motors and Train Whistles elevates Skydaddy to a new level. Working with sound engineer Balasz Altsach of Church studios – who’s previous collaborations include Katy J Pearson and Central Cee – the collection is gorgeously produced and composed, with classical strings and a modern guitar sound interwoven to create the perfect tug of war between a world once known and the world that is still unfamiliar and developing.
It’s theme themes, at its core, that the EP is struggling with; the tired, vapid nature of living in such a terrifyingly modern world, and how to cope with it. Fakre tracks the emotional ups and downs that come with existing in a time like this, as the songs swing from existential crises to international tragedies, via a love of garlic.
‘Mushrooms’ is gross, crass and vulgar in its majesty – a grand spectacle hides the darkness at the core of the song. Inspired by the horrific chemical explosion in Lebanon in 2020, the song descends into terrifying choral screams and synth screeches – as the “fucking huge mushroom brings a tear to my eye”. In contrast, the upbeat bossa nova tune ‘Albert Bridge’ is sung from the perspective of an embittered city person, who ominously sings “no one knows my name // and I’m glad I came” as he’s “straddling the edge of the Albert Bridge” – evoking a scene reminiscent of the 1946 blockbuster which inspired the EP’s title .
As the 5-strong tracklist comes to a close, James Stewart’s dialogue rings out over ‘Age (Reprise)’, a stripped back acoustic number with fascinating harmonics in stark contrast with what’s been heard from the rest of the EP. As George Bailey excitedly proclaims the wonders of the modern world, the song – and the EP as a whole – takes a step back.
In a world which feels increasingly unstable, Anchor Chains, Plane Motors and Train Whistles provides both a crucial examination of a world replete with faults and a beautiful artistic interpretation of what it is to fear a world that cannot be escaped, only lived through. Skydaddy has captured this perfectly – and what a wonderful gift it is to have such art to keep us going in such a time.
