Welcome to yet another Loosies Of The Week, a wrap-up of this weeks singles, throwaways, leaks, and any other loose tracks I find. A wide range of genres this week, with a well-rounded level of quality. There's sure to be something you enjoy.
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In 2016, after a two-year release schedule that functioned like clockwork, Beach House decided to drop two LP's, Depression Cherry and Thank Your Lucky Stars, a mere two months from each other. This was a godsend that harbored a disappointing realization that Beach House may not be back for a while. A year and a half later and expectations were dashed with the announcement of a Spring release, along with 'Lemon Glow.' The duo of Victoria LeGrand and Alex Scally can do no wrong. As of right now, the praise for 'Lemon Glow' is overwhelming, as another sonic shift for the group, much in the same vein of 'Sparks'' Shoegaze, has occurred. Both LeGrand and Scally have a noticeable edge this time around, the former in her theatrical presentation, the latter in his progressive instrumentation. While most certainly Beach House-esque, which at this point should basically be the name of a Dream Pop sub-genre unto itself, 'Lemon Glow' ditches the hazy drawl they've perfected in favor of a more immediate punch. I'm not yet sold, as my preferences lie in their lighter melodies ('Lemon Glow' recalls Bloom the most), but there's no denying their quality and commitment to their craft has gone nowhere.
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Take Audrey Hepburn, one of the most revered actresses of all-time, her all-consuming beauty, and the prized pen by which Johnny Mercer wrote, Henry Mancini composed 'Moon River,' and update it to the modern era with one of its greatest singers in tow, releasing it on Valentine's Day, and you have a classic in the making. That's what we have in Frank Ocean's version of 'Moon River,' a single released by itself as a standalone piece, but one that should soon not be forgotten. There is just something about the various sections on display here that, when united, form a composition that puts anything released under the Alternative R&B header of the past half decade to shame. Ocean's voice, with the slight vocal fluctuations that we saw on Blonde and Endless, drifts like a torn heart with blood flowing from it. There's just so much hope and desire emerging from his lips, surely on account of the gorgeously poetic lyrics Mercer created however many years back. But what makes Ocean's 'Moon River' powerful is what it eventually evolves into, with multiple vocal layers, an angelic choir, and some plodding synths, breathing discernible life into the piece without ever saying anything different. One of 2018's best songs thus far.
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Upon the announcement of Lotta Sea Lice, a 2016 collaboration between Courtney Barnett and Kurt Vile, I knew exactly the type of album we'd be getting. Sure enough, that expectation was reached. It was one that surely played into Vile's hand, but also Barnett's, as behind her rugged demeanor and self-depreciative stance, one could see a musician falling in love with her words and guitars. Despite that album's inherent laziness, I wasn't worried about Barnett's follow-up to 2015's Sometimes I Sit And Think, especially with the sole Barnett track being offered, 'On Script,' equating to the best and most provocative piece Lotta Sea Lice had to offer. On 'Nameless Faceless,' Barnett goes for first impact, turning in one of her punkiest Garage Rock efforts yet, one that hinges on a strong societal critique. Truth be told, much of 'Nameless Faceless's' success, and curiosity, can be attributed to Margaret Atwood and her quote "men are afraid that women will laugh at them; women are afraid that men will kill them." Barnett interpolates that for the hook, interspersing her intrepid fears of walking alone at night, for a real guttural punch that dumbs down a deep-rooted concept using language anyone can understand. As for the music itself, there's a reason I barely mentioned 'Nameless Faceless's' production. It's unquestionably by the books, and easily the single's weakest aspect.
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With only one album under their belt, one would be privy to questioning Kero Kero Bonito's sudden rise to fame in the Internet's odd Alternative Pop scene. Truth be told, the aesthetic the group led by Sarah Bonito borrows, one that absorbs the anime-gone-global schtick, is one I'm not remotely accustomed to, despite surrounding myself with online communities who find the curious Twee and Bubblegum Pop the next wave. A definite case of being out of my element, the one Kero Kero Bonito song I've heard, 'Trampoline,' left me dazed and confused over the group's swelling popularity. Frankly, 'Only Acting' doesn't alter expectations as much as it drives further into the aesthetic they so precariously hinge upon. Unlike 'Trampoline,' where Sarah Bonito's lyrics and vocals diminished the quality with sharp force, 'Only Acting' finds the oddball lead shining with simple melodies and a kindred spirit that reveals her inner conflictions ("I thought I was only acting, but I felt exactly like it was all for real"). Over some wonderfully catchy Noise Pop, one that's regrettably, and predictably, ruined by needless art pomposity wherein the latter genre is subtracted from the dynamic, leaving cheap Noise elements that are about as lazily managed as one would expect from a amateur school project.
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Right off the bat, with their original self-titled in 2015 (under the Viet Cong name), Preoccupations knew how to master atmosphere within the context of pummeling Post-Punk. Their music always has a tendency to sound as if it's about to break, like a machine in a dilapidated factory. It's filthy, clunky, and tends to cause a racket. Even their various Synth Punk endeavors accomplish this style, with the sparkling synths included. That much was seen on New Material's lead single 'Espionage,' even if that song wasn't as impactful as Preoccupations' lead single 'Anxiety.' 'Antidote' aims to correct that, slightly, by reestablishing their walloping rhythms that begins immediately and does not let up through the six minutes, beat switches included. Vocally, Matt Flegel has never been this melodic, nearing Glam Rock territory with a fierce, personable bite. 'Antidote' does veers heavily in the latter third, repeating a fractured line and loop ad nauseam, which leads me to believe it'll work better in New Material's context as it bleeds into the next track. Thankfully, as a standalone piece, 'Antidote' still packs an artistic punch.
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'This Is That' noted David Byrne/Oneohtrix Point Never collaboration many eagerly anticipated when it was announced. See what I did there? Lame grammar jokes aside, after the rather traditional, albeit slightly corny New Wave single 'Everybody Is Coming To My House,' the curious features for Byrne's American Utopia became even more so. Known for his ping-pong Glitchtronics, OPN's style is not one that should work with Byrne's raspy, high-pitched vocals. Then again, his Iggy Pop collaboration, 'The Pure And The Damned,' was one of 2017's best songs, so expectations should be set aside. While I'm still hesitant towards American Utopia's potential, 'This Is That' eases concerns with an artistic statement that grows rather than secedes. Much like the lead single, 'This Is That' starts on shaky ground the moment Byrne begins singing. His lyrics aren't great or all that provocative, and his vocals have taken a serious hit with age. However, as the song settles, gaining momentum through OPN's eccentric production, 'This Is That' ends in quite an intoxicating state.
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Prior to 'Turtle Neck Man,' I hadn't heard of Mount Kimbie. However, after a quick research session, which included learning of their 2010 Future Garage debut Crooks & Lovers and last year's Indietronica attempt in Love What Survives, which included multiple James Blake features and a rare King Krule one, I knew this was a production duo worth investing time in. While the succinct 'Turtle Neck Man' doesn't wow - a difficulty, given the 90-second duration - their groggy bass and screeching strings offer a semblance of artistic curiosity. That, pulsating beneath King Krule who steals the show with a stream-of-conscious rap featuring lines like: "For her five abortions later at the ego center she flashed hot flesh magenta, chewed the regal placenta." I tell you, his coarse poetry is like nothing else, and when he's on, he's on. Whether the abstract lines dotting 'Turtle Neck Man' have any meaning remains to be seen. But what's known is that this Mount Kimbie/King Krule pairing feels effortless.
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Basically, every description Kevin Barnes had for of Montreal's latest album White Is Relic / Irrealis Mood has come true in the two lead singles. They're large, not just in lyrical content that scale over two separate ideas, but in production as well, burping out color vomit in the frame of ElectroPop. Much like 'Paranoiac Intervals / Body Dysmorphia,' 'Plateau Phase / No Careerism No Corruption' (talk about a mouthful) darts around a collage of synths with a similarly-minded drum kit dancing erratically as the backbone. On 'Plateau Phase,' Barnes inserts one of his most direct lyrical statements in quite some time, going so far as to construct a literate sentence about the fears government surveillance inflicts on most of us. "If we put our ear to the ceiling, we can hear the government breathing" represents half of the chorus, as farty bass engulfs the area around Barnes, an out-of-breath gasp used cleverly in-between his silence. It's a trendy song that preys on our society's political discourse and knack of Alternative Dance, something many have done in recent years. While 'Plateau Phase' is a tad over the top, there's enough artistry present to forgive that.
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