A study in narrative misdirection in the lead-up to double album
| Garrett Anthony Rice’s latest single, “The Prisoner,” continues the sequence of releases in anticipation of his double album Equinox. The release continues the sequence of singles leading into Equinox and stands on its own as the latest unfurling of the project. The song seems to give a subtly musical nod to The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter,” while the verses in “The Prisoner” have an almost monochrome-tight feel to them, they convey the feeling of a person speaking using controlled breaths, which is consistent with this narrative; someone telling a story about committing a crime then shrinking back from it to where reality and imagination are now one. Rice remains patient throughout the reveal, allowing tension to grow inside the empty spaces between lines of the lyric. |
| Listen to “The Prisoner” HERE |
| The chorus finally widens, allowing melody and arrangement to open into something more unguarded. It is the moment where confession rises before the mind has time to restrain it. Anyone who grew up with the great rock storytellers will recognize the move. The guarded exterior, the moment of honesty, the quick snap back into control. Once the outro arrives, everything shifts with an admission of a different kind: “I must confess I made this up.” The line lands with the same sly and unsettling energy as the close of “Ashes to Ashes” by David Bowie, when the speaker reveals the entire framework of the tale. Rice deepens the reference by weaving in a faint backing line that echoes “Do you remember a guy that has been…,” a quiet salute to the lineage he is in conversation with. For listeners who lived through times when there was both a danger and a humanity in the Rock mythology, “The Prisoner” connects on a rare frequency. It does not come off as being retro or a revival; it is from an artist who realises that the past should not be copied but metabolised. “The Prisoner” makes clear that Rice is not chasing nostalgia. He is treating influence as raw material rather than a costume. It is a careful and deliberate piece of writing from someone who seems more interested in depth than immediacy. If Equinox holds to this level of intention, the album may draw attention from listeners who still value craft and lineage. |
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About Garrett Anthony Rice:
Hailing from County Dublin, Ireland, and now living in Greystones, County Wicklow, for the last twenty years with his family, Garrett Anthony Rice intends to make a significant impact on the global music scene in 2025.
EQUINOX is the first double album (18 songs) to be released by a debut solo artist as their second record in musical history, so the task of writing and completing this record was pretty daunting and enormous.
Garrett released his debut album under the alias of (i) CONSULT in October 2023, entitled “Reflections Part II, the very best of……” which was streamed in 93 countries and piqued the interest of UK producer Chris Potter (The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, U2 and The Verve/ Richard Ashcroft) in late 2023. Out of a possible 30 recorded demos, 18 were selected and recorded throughout 2024, both in the UK and Ireland and already, the well-known and esteemed music professionals who worked on this record and who have heard it are lauding this album as the record of this year.
“My Sons” was the first single from the record released on 28 February 2025 which Garrett wrote for Mrs. Peggy Gallagher, mother of OASIS’ Liam and Noel, when they were still estranged. The song ties into the other diverse themes on the album, which industry professionals are already touting as one of the best Irish albums ever made.
This new single, “Property (An Ode To Roger Syd Barrett, a genius, 1946-infinity),” is a tribute to Syd Barrett from Pink Floyd, and it attempts to reverse the tired narrative that he was an artist to be pitied and avoided rather than the influential and brilliant songwriter he was. “EQUINOX” will be available to pre-save closer to the time of release on vinyl and all platforms.
