Fluxblog #351: The Weeknd • Moonchild • Kodak Black • Blood Red Shoes
Plus a playlist of mid 70s love songs
This week’s playlist is MY HEART'S IN A HUNDRED PLACES AND PART OF IT'S UNDER A TREE, a soundtrack for mid 70s romance inspired by this Yamaha ad from 1974. This one includes some obscurities mixed with fairly deep cuts by some of the most beloved artists of the era – Joni Mitchell, Elton John, Rod Stewart, Paul Simon, Carly Simon, Van Morrison, Todd Rundgren, Neil Young, and Bob Dylan. All of the songs are from 1971-1975. [Spotify | Apple]
Soaking Up The Moon
The Weeknd “Gasoline”
I love that as The Weeknd drifts out further into the realm of new wave he’s taken on an over the top British affect – in the case of this song, “it’s 5 AM my toime again.” Winking at a previous generation of dour synthpop does more to alleviate a tension in the music than spoil the mood, and starting from this point gives him some runway before getting to the extremely bleak lyrics about reaching out to someone while relapsing and pondering what seems like imminent death. A lot of what he’s singing here could easily come off as maudlin, but the slightly playful tone makes it all go down smoother while suggesting that as dramatic as this is it’s all just a routine to him. This is, after all, the guy whose most famous song is also about being wasted and calling someone at 5 AM because “when I’m fucked up, that’s the real me.”
The music, largely composed by Daniel Lopatin aka Oneohtrix Point Never, is a marvel of programming and well selected synth tones. Just as The Weeknd nods to the likes of Level 242 and When In Rome in his vocal without getting too far off from his grounding in modern R&B, Lopatin suggests 80s-ness more than he evokes anything specific from the era. “Gasoline,” like a lot of the songs on Dawn FM, moves The Weeknd from the more overt pastiche of the smash hit “Blinding Lights” towards a more timeless musical expression of decadance in which ’80s synthpop is just one of many spices in the curry.
Buy it from Amazon.
A Kiss Takes The Power From Your Lips
Moonchild featuring Lalah Hathaway “Tell Him”
“Tell Him” feels soft and delicate, but mostly because about trying to maneuver gracefully around tensions. You can feel a bit of anxiety bubble up in the left hand piano notes, but it’s not enough to get in the way of the brighter, more placid chords that set the mood. The vocals by Amber Navran and Lalah Hathaway covers interesting emotional ground – being frustrated in a relationship because verbal communication has been eclipsed by the power of physical intimacy. They’re not unhappy about the sex, but they do feel stifled and disempowered. The best solution they have is to have someone else do the communicating on their behalf, but who knows how well that will go. The song isn’t about telling you how that works out, just letting you linger in this weird space where pleasure and happiness is soured a little by this conundrum.
Buy it from Bandcamp.
Break Her Heart In Fours
Kodak Black “Love and War”
Pompano Puff and J Gramm’s track for “Love and War” is focused mainly on a melodic percussion figure – a mirimba, maybe? – offset by placid guitar strums. Both parts feel gentle but I like the way the busy melody sits against those slow chord changes, like a touch of anxiety that’s soothed out by a bit of zen calm. Kodak Black’s verses play up a different contrast in expressing genuine romantic interest while still requesting nude videos and offering to send a dick pic when he’s horny. I’m not sure if this is meant to be as funny as it comes off, mainly because I think he’s just speaking plainly about the context he’s experiencing this in, the courtship rituals of his day. The emotion of the song strikes me as rather earnest to the point of being cute, and it just works well as a portrait of a kinda gross young guy who’s caught real feelings for maybe the first time ever.
Buy it from Amazon.
Silence Never Felt So Cruel
Blood Red Shoes “Morbid Fascination”
It’s entirely possible that Laura-May Carter’s lyrics in “Morbid Fascination” are coming from a fully autobiographical place, but the scenario strikes me as more of a dark fantasy – finding a recent ex in a bar, sitting beside them in disguise, and hearing them describe you in a very unflattering light from their perspective. There’s a lot of places you can go from this point emotionally, but the industrial glam arrangement – think Garbage, or Goldfrapp, or certain mid-90s PJ Harvey songs – feels bold and brutal, like an armor protecting Carter from the emotional impact. She feels betrayed and angry and wonders if she actually can’t see herself clearly, but mostly the vibe here is “actually, it’s funny.” And part of that is hearing herself portrayed as “someone else,” and part of that is laughing at her own capacity for masochism.
Buy it from Bandcamp.
LINKS LINKS LINKS LINKS LINKS LINKS
• Here’s an interview with Christina Ricci about her excellent new show Yellowjackets by Ilana Kaplan for W. I love that Ricci is lobbying for Fugazi music to get on the show, though that’s probably impossible to license.
• Rob Sheffield wrote a lovely tribute to Ronnie Spector, who passed away this week.
• I love this interview Rachel Handler of Vulture did with Mark Bridges, the costume designer for Licorice Pizza, about the outfits he created for Alana Haim’s character in the film.
• Here’s a new interview with Black Country, New Road in Loud & Quiet, a magazine that’s been extremely supportive of them from day one.