Parenthesis by Rob Dell

Parenthesis is a collection of songs born in the aftermath—after the safeguarding call, the staffroom sigh, the slammed door, the quiet walk home. These lyrics were first written as fragments, field notes, muttered phrases captured between meetings, bedtime stories, and burnout. Eventually, they found their rhythm.

Musically, Parenthesis weaves complex polyrhythms in the spirit of Rush—precision layered with urgency, momentum against restraint. The arrangements move with intention, but not always predictably. Across the album, strong but vulnerable vocals carry stories that might otherwise stay hidden: of children falling just short of the threshold for help, of exhausted educators held together by willpower and tea, of neurodivergent minds making sense of a noisy world, and of fathers trying to learn when to hold on—and when to let go.

These aren’t protest songs in the usual sense, but there is resistance in them. Resistance in tenderness, in showing up, in staying. Every lyric is a snapshot of someone trying: to understand, to keep going, to protect what matters without losing themselves in the process.

Parenthesis is what we put around the things we’re not sure how to say. It’s a bracketed breath between roles. And in that breath—there’s fire, humour, sorrow, and something close to hope.

R. Dell is a UK-based songwriter and headteacher who turns real school-life moments into catchy, heartfelt songs. Blending humour, nostalgia, and honesty, his music ranges from funky pop to gospel and glitchy electronica – always with a story to tell and a chorus to remember. Inspired by assemblies, playgrounds, and the magic of music in education.