The Weekly Froth – with a new song by The National!

The National

Track of the week: ‘You Were a Kindness’ by The National

I heard this when they played it live for the very very very first time, and it was just as amazing then as it is now when hearing it behind my laptop. Berninger’s baritone is just lovely, so filled with sadness. The slide guitar, when I heard that live, that was brilliant. Stroke of genius. Best thing is, this is nothing like what they did on their High Violet album this year. Not that the album was bad, but somewhere in the back of my mind I was wondering what would happen if they got even more bombastic… would it possible?

But it’s OK: here, they’ve come back with a restrained heartbreaker full of self-doubt. I love the reference to Tennessee Williams’ A Streetcar Named Desire (Berninger sings: “You were a kindness when I was a stranger”, which I think is taken from “I’ve always relied on the kindness of strangers”, otherwise “kindness” in the first sentence is grammatically incorrect). It’s one of the best songs I’ve heard all year.

http://hypem.com/#/track/1191849/The+National+-+You+Were+a+Kindness

‘Hand Me Down Your Love’ by Hot Chip (Todd Edwards Micro Chip remix)

You know, I kind of like Hot Chip until they go into ballad mode. But what they can do is make a party – if they just play ‘Over and Over’, I’m game. This remix by Todd Edwards sometimes sounds a little bit too 8-bit Nintendo-ey though, and it does tend to grate – at times I find this remix to sound the wrong sort of unhinged, leaving me glad when it goes back to basics. I would’ve loved it if this song had just a bit more punch. Or, since it hasn’t, if it were about two minutes shorter.

http://www.lagasta.com/hand-me-down-your-love/

‘Days of Our Lives’ by Restless People (Joe Karaoke mix)

This is a track originally recorded by Restless People, which has here been covered by Primary 1 (interview here) under the Joe Karaoke moniker. I like this better than the original – it adds a touch of melancholy to the summer jam. Maybe that means that I’ve got to get out of my room more often and head to the beach every once in a while – but I loathe the beach, so scratch that. I love that this reworking barely resembles the original,too; not that the original was bad, but I love it when people don’t just slap a bass on it and say, “voila, here’s a remix!” – I’ll take it.

‘She’s a Superstar’ by Aeroplane feat. Chromeo

Oh, how I’m regretting not catching Chromeo when they were visiting my little country, because what they’ve been showing the world this year has been quite impressive. This is a number they did with Aeroplane, a lovely stomper of synthy glam. The vocals are great, as can be expected from Chromeo, and Aeroplane just makes it work. Work! I love the musical-like chorus of “she’s a superstar, superstar!” too, after which we get the piano and the beat again. Aeroplane and Chromeo have pulled off a track as great to listen to as to dance to. And I’m always in for a hint of glam.

http://chromeo.net/blog/2010/08/chromeo-vs-aeroplane-aeroplane-vs-chromeo/

‘First in Line’ James Yuill (Dan Lissvik remix)

I’m a bit on the fence re: James Yuill. Some of his stuff I really like, but a good deal of his work doesn’t really connect with me. When this track started I thought, oh no, African drums! I’m not a big fan of those. But luckily that is pushed into the background in favour of a restrained melancholy. I think Lissvik has  really made something that complements Yuill’s voice, as both the music and voice have the same atmosphere. I imagine this will be lovely to bob your head to at night while the train is bringing you back home.

http://hypem.com/#/track/1192502/James+Yuill+-+First+In+Line+Lissvik+Remix+

‘Fuck You’ by Cee-Lo

I don’t think anyone is disputing that Cee-Lo has a good voice, because he has. It’s just that out of his previous songs this year, the choice of song here is a bit poor – this just doesn’t have the punch Gnarls Barkley and Danger Mouse had. Cee-Lo is belting it out, but the music itself just feels a bit insipid. It doesn’t have the bing and the bang and the oomph. It goes a bit big-band retro for my ears, but not quite enough to be mad enough. Where are the horns, hmm? It just feels Cee-Lo is pulling the cart with all his might, and the music is hobbling along. It isn’t a combination where one part strengthens the other, and the use of “fuck you” gets a two point deduction. It’s an overused, meaningless, all-too-common phrase in my book. It might’ve been bold and provocative in the ’60s, but now it’s the reverse. Boo you, Cee-Lo.

http://hypem.com/#/track/1196353/Cee+Lo+Green+-+Fuck+You

No related posts.