Greetings, sunbeams! Wanted to pop in to give an update on the tunes ravaging my brain as it snowed last night -- that's right, snow on the edge of April! -- in case that actually is a sign of the apocalypse and I can't write again. First up is a bit of an oldie, 2009's debut from Swedish synth-pop artist Miike Snow. Maybe it's just the goofy, gleeful mood I've been in lately or the weather finally turning to spring (last night's dusting excepted), but this album's been on endless repeat the last month and change. (Here's to people inviting themselves out on a Saturday night and changing everything, making you break all your tried-and-true rules for dating...)The album has you from the opening, a sunny remake of the reggae standard "Animal" that somehow comes off sounding entirely fresh and new. (I'd bet most people don't even realize it isn't an original tune it's so reconfigured, overflowing like so many other tracks with Snow's bright vocals, upbeat synths, and killer electro-beats.) The album doesn't look back after that, running roughshod through winners like "Burial," "Silvia," and "A Horse is not a Home," each sing-it-to-the-heavens pop gems. Snow balances these with songs like "Plastic Jungle" and "In Search Of," tunes that showcase absolutely lethal flourishes, the beats stuttering and lurching through your brain as relentlessly as Frankenstein's monster.
A perfect taste of what Snow has to offer comes with "Song for no One," combining all of the above elements in four minutes of pure sunshine. Great vocals, syncopated rhythms, and a bright, shining melody, this one's a perfect welcome mat for the impending summer. Crank it up and belt it out -- summer's almost here...
Next up is the debut from British DJ James Blake, a 20-something dubstep artist, which would normally be enough to send me running for the hills -- dubstep's giant bass lines often lie in stark contrast to the cold, empty atmosphere they charge through, full of twitchy synths and electro sounds that make for a listening experience that's less inviting than a naked embrace with a frozen Eskimo. On his eponymous debut, though, Blake has created something entirely new, the equivalent of a dubstep soul record -- at turns sexy, slinky, and self-assured, the album sounds like a cross of Massive Attack, Bon Iver, and Al Green, mixing the best elements of trip hop's spacey, throbbing beats with Iver's naked vulnerability and R&B's sensual, urgent croon.Blake's voice is fantastic -- warm, inviting, and surprisingly soulful -- and it carries that glow throughout the record. This being dubstep there's still acres of open space here -- if something like The XX's debut is considered expansive, this makes that feel like a shoe cubby in someone's closet. Yet unlike so many of his other colleagues' work, this space never feels isolating. Blake's slow, methodical beats and undeniable voice beckon you along, like flickering candlelights in a darkened tunnel. Songs like "Give me my Month," "To Care (Like You)," and "Why Don't You Call Me?" all simmer like polenta in the pot while "Measurements" is pure electro-gospel, with double- or triple-tracked harmonies dancing above a spare bass line.
Nothing surmounts Blake's cover of the Feist's "Limit to your Love," the masterful execution of the aforementioned elements and easily the album's best track. Blake's voice is phenomenal, the constant hovering above the pulsating bass and hushed piano that drop in and out, Soulful, sexy, and entirely new, this one is a standout. Check it out here:
We'll close with a couple of singles, pure blasts of retro magic that've been captivating me of late. Like I said, maybe it's because I've gone goofy for a gal, but these mixes of 60's simplicity and zeal sound perfect right now, all sunshine and high contrast home videos in my head. First is a tune from Austin's The Strange Boys, the lead single from their second album of the same name, "Be Brave." This one's a great mix of garage rock guitars, delirious children's choir backing vocals, and lead singer Ryan Sambol, who continues to sound like the reincarnation of a young Bob Dylan. A great track from a pretty solid album in its own right -- check it out here:
And we'll close with a sweet little ditty from Cass McCombs and Karen Black, "Dreams Come True Girl," which marries McCombs' simple strumming and heartfelt lyrics with Black's soaring harmonizing to evoke a song that wouldn't sound out of place at a 1960s prom. So grab your gal and slow dance the night away at your own Enchantment Under the Sea ball, this one's pure heart. Until next time, amici...
