The band played a series of gigs at Manchester's In The City festival. James Mudriczki, Neil McDonald, Anthony Szuminski and Kevin Matthews met on a bus on their way to watch the Stone Roses play at Spike Island. Matthews watched the Stone Roses' Gary Mounfield play bass and Matthews bought himself a bass guitar.[citation needed] The rest of the members followed suit and bought the necessary equipment to complete a band, although they had little to no musical experience or training.
Through much practice their music developed and they decided on the name Puressence, a name instantly identified by most Mancunians for the paper letters 'P'-'U'-'R'-'E'-'S'-'S'-'E'-'N'-'C'-'E', which were plastered around Manchester city centre, on derelict buildings, and on bridges (the most notable being the railway bridge opposite the Haçienda).Manchester independent record label 2 Damn Loud released two singles and there was a further single with Rough Trade Singles Club.
The big breakthrough came a couple of years later, when the band signed to Island Records.
In August 2003, after more than ten years with Puressence, guitarist and founder member McDonald left the band. He was replaced by Lowell Killen, who is originally from the Isle of Man. He has played in other bands and left Manchester band Dry Riser to join Puressence.
In 2004, the band played at The Witchwood in Ashton-under-Lyne.
In 2006, the band released a single titled "Palisades" on new Manchester label Reaction, followed by an album, Don't Forget To Remember, in September 2007.
On 10 and 11 September 2008 Puressence played their first shows in the US. The first was at the Mercury Lounge in New York City. The next night they played the Apple Store in SoHo. The opening song at the Mercury Lounge was "I Suppose". They passed out free CD singles of "Don't Know Any Better" to many fans around the United States.
The band split in late 2013.
The band currently consisted of:
James Mudriczki: Vocals
Lowell Killen: Guitar
Kevin Matthews: Bass guitar
Tony Szuminski: Drums / percussion
Let Down
Puressence Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now I've made myself clear twice,
The way he was felled was oh so tragic for him and his Lady wife,
Who said life always turns out right,
I'm sorry to blow your expectations you always said I'd go far,
But you know that times are hard,
There's no need to give no explanations I'll see you back in the bar,
Now can you hear me?
Yeah can you feel me?
Can you feel me?
And I know I've been a let down,
Another coma in a dead town,
And I know I've been a let down,
I've taken the job down memory lane now I don't really rate the pay,
But the view's as clear as day,
I'm been bowing my teeth out with your pliers come back when you've more to say,
Now can you hear me?
Yeah can you feel me?
Can you feel me?
And I know I've been a let down,
Another coma in a dead town,
And I know I've been a let down,
Yeah,
Yeah,
Yeah,
Yeah, yeah
Poor Mr Brown was oh so tragic he didn't deserve a try,
Now can he hear me?
Yeah can he feel me?
Can you see me?
Can you hear me?
Can you feel me?
Can you hear me?
(And I know I've been a let down,
Another coma in a dead town,
And I know I've been a let down,
Another coma in a dead town,)
Can you see me?
Can you hear me?
Can you see me?
Can you hear me?
Can you see me?
Can you hear me?
Can you see me?
Can you hear me?
Can you see me?
Can you hear me?
Puressence's song, Let Down, tells a tale of regret and disappointment. The song opens with a description of someone named Mr. Brown, who was a romantic figure, but unfortunately met an untimely death. The singer then proceeds to apologize for not living up to the expectations of someone else, perhaps a former lover, and admits to being a disappointment. The lyrics suggest that the singer feels trapped in a dead-end job that doesn't pay well, and resents the fact that they've been made to feel like a failure. The final lines of the song seem to be directed to Mr. Brown, as the singer questions whether he can hear or feel them.
The repeating chorus of "And I know I've been a let down, another coma in a dead town" further emphasizes the disillusionment and unfulfilled potential that the singer feels. The lyrics are raw and emotional, and it's clear that the singer is wrestling with feelings of failure and disappointment. The song conveys a palpable sense of regret, and it's clear that the singer is struggling with a sense of loss and missed opportunities.
Line by Line Meaning
Poor Mr Brown was so romantic he didn't deserve to die,
Mr. Brown was a romantic and undeserving of his death, which was tragic for him and his wife.
Now I've made myself clear twice,
The singer has made their intentions or message clear twice.
The way he was felled was oh so tragic for him and his Lady wife,
The way Mr. Brown died was tragic for him and his wife.
Who said life always turns out right,
Life doesn't always turn out the way people expect it to.
I'm sorry to blow your expectations you always said I'd go far,
The artist apologizes for not meeting the expectations of someone who believed they would be successful.
But you know that times are hard,
The singer acknowledges that times are difficult.
There's no need to give no explanations I'll see you back in the bar,
The singer doesn't want to explain anything and agrees to meet someone back at the bar.
Now can you hear me?
The artist is asking if the listener can hear them.
Yeah can you feel me?
The artist is asking if the listener can feel their emotions or understand what they are saying.
And I know I've been a let down,
Another coma in a dead town,
The artist acknowledges that they have disappointed someone and feel like they are stuck in a place with little hope.
I've taken the job down memory lane now I don't really rate the pay,
The singer has been reminiscing about the past but doesn't think it's worth it anymore.
But the view's as clear as day,
The artist has a clear view or understanding of the situation.
I'm been bowing my teeth out with your pliers come back when you've more to say,
The singer feels like they have been in pain or suffering at the hands of someone else and wants that person to come back when they have something worthwhile to say.
Poor Mr Brown was oh so tragic he didn't deserve a try,
Mr. Brown's death was tragic and he never got a chance to try or succeed at something.
Can you see me?
The singer is asking if the listener can see them.
Can you hear me?
The artist is asking if the listener can hear them.
Contributed by Mia W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Ericka Chris
Great stuff! Thanks for uploading this song. One of my fav puressence tunes!
Maggie
not unknown to us Greeks...we ADORE this band!!!They have been coming for gigs to Greece for years!!!They are amongst Uk's gems and its a pity they havent got the attention and praise they deserve!
jon galloway
I was lucky enough to see these 3 times.
Problembeing
Absolutely! The Greeks appear to have a better ear for music than here in the UK. It is criminal that this band were largely ignored in their own country.
Marky
Excellence
WhiskyDrinkerUK46
Mr Brown part 2 - amazing
jon galloway
I thought that!
TmaadHMD
His voice kinda reminds me of Rush... -H-