Watch: Chalk by Antony Szmierek

Antony Szmierek Chalk Opening with a deadpan vocal and a low swagger of bass line, Chalk is the latest release from Antony Szmierek. Depicting a game of 8-ball, there is a startling, poetic vividness to Szmierek’s description. Small references to a stack of 20ps (that’s twenty pence pieces, to non-Brits) and the line, ‘The chalk’s just there for comfort’ encapsulate perfectly the feeling of dingy pool and snooker halls. The story telling is combined with a kind of electronic post-punk. Square 808s provide a pulse to Szmierek’s stress-inducing delivery as he says, ‘Everyone can face a crisis, but not everyone can make it home’. Akin to a moment of clarity, cool synths wash the song as our protagonist enters the zone, stating ‘I’m on the edge’. The song pings back into its darker origins, elastic bass bouncing like the balls on the table as he takes his shot. Overall, Antony Szmierek has created one of the most cinematic yet naturalistic pieces of music I have heard in some time. It’s a…