Another week, another round of "dancing about architecture" with your friend, the Listener. To counter Frank Zappa's jab at writing about music, I once performed an interpretative dance to express my feelings about the work of Frank Gehry. Needless to say, it did not go well...This week, we have some great new music by Usher, Haim, Kurt Vile, Youth Lagoon, and another guy from Real Estate with a separate band of his own. So, at this point, who in Real Estate does not have their own thing going on? I bet that guy is really bored right now.
Usher & Diplo - "Go Missin:" Last year Usher teamed up with Diplo and released the incredible single, "Climax," with Diplo adding excellent and foward thinking production to Usher's vocals. This year, the pair have returned with a new single. "Go Missin," is less dramatic than "Climax," trading that song's emotional bombast for something much more subdued and tense. Built around a simple droning synth and light beat, the work is left to Usher and his vocals to drive the track. Unfortunately, these singles seem to be a once a year deal at this point ("Climax" was released last Valentines' Day), so we might have to wait another year to see what they do next.
Haim - "Falling:" Haim's soaring songs all sound vaguely familiar even if you have never heard them before. Personally, their music reminds me of the music you would hear in one of those montages you saw in movies from the 1980's. Midway through "Falling," you can easily picture Ralph Macchio making some sort of breakthrough in his training while simultaneously taking a girl on a date at the local arcade (they appear to be having a great time, later the girl is shot looking in the bathroom mirror while talking to her friends about the fun she had). The ending chant of "never look back/never give up" certainly helps my case here. Be sure to put this on while training for your upcoming karate tournament.
Kurt Vile - "Waking on a Pretty Day:" Remember nice weather? Personally, I do not, but Kurt Vile seems to and the result is this sunny 9 minute jam. The first single off of his upcoming album, set to be released in April, sees Vile on familiar territory, creating easy going, spacey folk rock. Vile's gentle vocals drift in and around a catchy guitar line that drones through until it becomes a pleasant part of your headspace. Even with the song's duration, you grow so comfortable in it that you are a little bit sad to see it end.
Youth Lagoon - "Mute:" Having not really paid attention to Youth Lagoon last year, I am rather impressed by what I have seen to date of his forthcoming album. "Mute" shifts the gentle melancholy of "Dropla" into something much more over the top, continually changing with Trevor Powers adding new elements each minute. While seeming like it will fall apart under the weight of everything going on, Powers keeps control of the song and the result is fantastic.
Alex Bleeker & The Freaks - "Don't Look Down," Bleeker is the bassist for Real Estate and his vocals appeared on "Wonder Years" during their last album. Similar to his song on that
Days, albeit a little less restrained,"Don't Look Down," is a simple, easy going, romp. Alex Bleeker & the Freaks will be releasing an album through Woodsist in May.
