Highwire Magazine

Following on from their recent LP release, Cowboy Flying Saucer are set to drop a double-sided single today, April 2. ‘Mascara’ is headlining in this instance, followed by ‘I Threw Something Awful On It’. This is a strictly limited physical release with only 25 copies of the 7″ available (and already sold out at the time of this review!), with artwork designed by local visual artist Danny Neon (Daniel Barnard).

‘Mascara’ is strides away from the highly experimental, industrial concept heard on the March 5 release IsoMusik, but is still very recognisable as Cowboy Flying Saucer’s best efforts. It’s described as “a tale of dishonesty” and was penned especially for a performance at the Essex psychedelic rock festival Up In Her Room 2019.

If you listen ever-so-carefully to the track, you may be able to pick out some vintage influences, drawn out into the modern world with a much more contemporary spin put on them. This may be a nod to the fact that the track was recorded at the old Granada Cinema in Walthamstow, which is said to be “haunted by musical ghosts.” (The Beatles, Little Richard, and Buddy Holly all played there in the 20th century, to name a few).

Lyrically, ‘Mascara’ is in your face in a way that lives up to its theme of deception; it’s a gritty, determined piece of music, with lead singer Bobby “BK13” Kennedy demanding, “they should learn to speak the truth!” Meanwhile, the instrumentals are sizzling, and each section lends strength to the others in a way that ultimately presents solidity across the board.

While ‘Mascara’ has previously been released on record, with a live version on 2020’s Live In Leyton, the B-side ‘I Threw Something Awful On It’ is a new recording. It delves back into Cowboy Flying Saucer’s avant-garde side, lyrically drawing on the history of BK13’s home county, Durham. Slated as “The North East at its worst”, the funky dark-pop melody compliments the brutal honesty of the words on this track.

In short, the two songs are excellent additions to the Cowboy Flying Saucer discography; certainly something to tide the local fans over until we can once again see the band grace the stages of pubs, venues and festivals and play these tracks live.