Fluxblog Weekly #204: Lloyd Cole/Tori Amos, Tame Impala, Stella Donnelly, Jenny Lewis
March 29th, 2019
In Her American Circumstance
Lloyd Cole and the Commotions “Rattlesnakes”
“Rattlesnakes” is a sympathetic portrait of a woman Lloyd Cole appreciates but seems to barely understand. She’s cool and beautiful and intelligent, but terrified and cautious. He can glean the reasons why she’d feel anxious and under siege, but doesn’t want to presume too much. The song doesn’t indicate much in the way of lost or longing, which is part of why it’s so interesting – it’s all fascination and admiration for this lovely person who seems unknowable, untouchable, and aloof. Maybe Cole is a little bit romantically interested, but the implication is that he’d rather not be another complication in her life. The music is as prim, mannered, and careful as his subject, but also reflects repression on the part of the singer – it renders the moment as musically dramatic, but oddly inert. It’s all just observation and conjecture, and affection felt rather than expressed.
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Tori Amos “Rattlesnakes”
Tori Amos’ version of “Rattlesnakes” dives straight into the gap between Lloyd Cole’s perspective and the experience of the woman being observed. Amos does not necessarily shift the song to Jodie’s point of view, but her Rhodes electric piano arrangement and vocal performance suggest an intimacy that drastically shrinks the scope of the song. Cole’s grand arrangement with melodramatic strings made it feel like he was just watching this woman from a distance like she’s a character in a film, but Amos zooms in on her. She’s right there, a few feet away from you, living her life. Her stress feels more real, and you can see awkwardness in her affectations that just seem effortlessly stylish from a few yards away. Jodie is still something of a mystery, but Amos has a pretty good idea of who she is. There’s a weary tone in her voice, like she’s saying “yeah sister, I’ve been there.” When it comes down to it, the difference between these two versions of the same song is essentially the difference between sympathy and empathy. Both are positive qualities, but there’s just a lot more depth to the former.
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March 29th, 2019
Days Are Shapeless
Tame Impala “Patience”
“Patience” is all pleasant, warm sensations – a tight pocket beat, syrupy harmonies, piano chords that signal optimism, keyboard parts that seem to sparkle and gleam. It’s like Kevin Parker is going out of his way to create a good, positive vibe for anyone who hears it. And just on those terms, it really works. It’s a little more interesting when you factor in Parker’s lyrics, which deal with a tension between wanting to have a chill, carefree life and a desire for direction and meaning. Some real stoner stuff right here, for sure. There’s no contradiction here – this is an emphatically pro-chill song – but I do appreciate that he’s trying to rationalize and reconcile this tension. Basically, he’s creating a very relaxed vibe in which he can ponder how he can give himself structure. Honestly, it’s not a bad idea.
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March 27th, 2019
You Broke All The Plates
Stella Donnelly “Tricks”
Stella Donnelly is particularly good at writing lyrics that sketch out a mundane situation with an underlying tension that speaks to something much darker. In some cases, as with her song “Boys Will Be Boys,” it’s unmistakably bleak. But with “Tricks,” a song about dealing with random dull men who’ve belittled her as she attempts to perform for them, the darkness is very low key and insidious. Donnelly’s voice is bright and assertive, but her guitar is a loose, casual groove – she sounds annoyed but her tone is mostly just dismissive. It’s less “fuck you” and more of an exaggerated eye roll. It’s a day-in-the-life song that gently nudges the listener to wonder why this sort of low-grade bullshit must be a default condition.
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March 26th, 2019
Kitten And Her Majesty
Jenny Lewis “Little White Dove”
“Little White Dove” sounds off-kilter and surreal from the start, so when Jenny Lewis’ voice enters the mix and asks “was it a dream?” it feels like the question really ought to be “is this still a dream?” Beck’s production on the track is extremely wet and occasionally deliberately warped, and there’s so much silence in the mix that the drums sound exceptionally crisp and close to the ear. It’s not too drastic and not too jarring, just interesting enough to make a smooth groove feel odd and dreamy. Lewis’ voice is remarkable here when she slips into the chorus – she’s as loud and bold as she’s ever been, but also very controlled. Beck’s voice shadows her in the final rounds, and he only sounds ragged in contrast with the power and focus of her lead. That contrast is key, though – in the context of a song about a daughter finding it in herself to forgive her sick mother, it’s a show of strength and clarity.
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