Fluxblog #178: Noname, Lana Del Rey, The Cure, Magic Potion
September 18th, 2018
Incredible Emptiness In My Body
Noname “Self”
Noname seems so calm when she raps. Her words spill out at a relaxed but deliberate pace, like she’s extemporaneously speaking about something she knows everything about. In the case of “Self,” it’s processing her feelings after breaking up with someone and finding out she’s a lot more confident coming out of the situation than going into it. The track is nearly as chill as her voice – the keyboard parts have a smoothness you’d expect from D’Angelo or Erykah Badu, and the beat is remarkably unhurried and casual for a song that doesn’t even break the two minute mark. Near the end, she starts repeating the word “pussy,” and each time she says she sounds a little more comfortable and empowered by it, like she’s reciting an incantation to make her feel more confident. The song seems to just stop when the change sets in.
Buy it from Amazon.
September 19th, 2018
The Darkness, The Deepness
Lana Del Rey “Mariners Apartment Complex”
Can you save someone you love from depression? That’s the idea behind “Mariners Apartment Complex,” a country rock ballad in which Lana Del Rey offers support and guidance to a man who mistakenly believes her to be as miserable and messed up as he is. She tries to give him perspective, she tries to show him the bright side of life. She tells him that she believes that people can change and that life can get better. She’s so earnest and sweet in this song, but also grounded and mature. She’s not offering any sort of false hope, and this isn’t really an expression of romantic love. It’s just pure compassion, and in the context of Lana’s body of work, a signal to the audience that she’s moved on from some of the darker feelings from her earlier records. The wistful vibe of the song and the firm, frank tone of her voice indicate that she doesn’t have any illusions of what’s going on here – she knows she can only help him so much, and that there probably isn’t much future to this relationship. But she truly cares, and she makes you care too.
Buy it from Amazon.
September 20th, 2018
Stranger Than I Ever Thought
The Cure “Six Different Ways”
“Six Different Ways” has the hooks and bright melodies of a pop song, but not the shape of one. There’s an awkward sway to it, like someone trying to seem casual and cool at a party but betraying their nervousness in jerky little motions and pulling on their hair. The verses and hooks come at odd intervals – the sound is always pleasurable and the mood is always perky, but it keeps you off balance and unsure of what part could be next. That’s not a bad thing, though. If anything, it just makes the best moments pop a bit more, like every time the song circles back to Robert Smith’s voice going higher on the line “I’ll tell them anything at all,” or seems to click back into focus when he sings “this is stranger than I thought.” The strangeness of it all seems to be the point of the song. It’s a little celebration of happy uncertain feelings and the joys of being surprised by the moment. The song makes you feel ready for any kind of fun, romantic weirdness.
Buy it from Amazon.
September 21st, 2018
A Jaw Full Of Gum
Magic Potion “Shock Proof”
Magic Potion sound so casual it’s vaguely surprising the songs even hold together, as if the players might all drift apart musically at any moment, or the drummer might literally get up and walk away to get a beer or something. It takes some effort and intention to sound this chilled out! “Shock Proof” ambles along with a weird grace, and Gustaf Montelius sings the song with a slightly bewildered tone. He seems so guileless and sweet, like everything he sees is at least a little bit fascinating to him. It’s a good vibe, and it has a way of skewing your senses to match their pace and perspective. They bring you into their world, and you just stroll along with them.
Buy it from Bandcamp.