Fluxblog Weekly #251: Tame Impala • Strawberry Generation • Beach Bunny • King Krule
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February 16th, 2020
Feeling All Kinds Of Different Things
Tame Impala “Is It True”
Tame Impala started off as a band that fit rather neatly into the box of “retro psychedelic rock band” but have gradually mutated to the point that their songs all seem to exist in the blurry space between genres. “Is It True” is mostly grounded in a Liquid Liquid/ESG post-punk space disco aesthetic, but the ambiance is as hazy and psychedelic as anything Kevin Parker’s ever done in this band. It’s sort of shocking to me that this song wasn’t selected as a single for the new record since the hooks are immediate and bold, whereas the last couple singles were a lot more vague and sedate. It also helps that the lyrics register more clearly than usual, as Parker tends to sing in a high coo that blends into the midrange occupied by his many layers of keyboards and guitars. He’s singing from the perspective of someone who isn’t quite ready to make long-term promises to someone who seems to have fallen in love with him, and while you could certainly read this as a sort of fuckboy anthem, I feel like this comes from a more sensitive and gentle place. He’s not willing to set up expectations he can’t deliver on, but he’s not exactly unwilling to see things through. It’s a “let’s wait and see and not ruin the moment” sentiment.
Buy it from Amazon.
February 17th, 2020
Together In October
Strawberry Generation “When You Were Here And I Was Sad”
There’s never been any shortage of fey indie-pop bands aiming for a sunny-yet-melancholy twee sensibility, but there has been a relatively low number of bands who I feel have the songwriting skill to nail this type of song rather than just sort of set a vibe and call it a day. “When You Were Here and I Was Sad” is nearly perfect iteration of this type of song, from the contrast of the bright and crisp lead guitar lines and the more hazy ambiance of the chords in the chorus to the particular lilt in Valerie Zhu’s voice as she sings her instantly memorable verse melodies. This band is clearly steeped in the history of their subgenre and have learned all the right lessons from all the right bands – I would be pretty surprised if these people are not Velocity Girl fans – yielding an expertly crafted song within a tradition.
Buy it from Bandcamp.
February 18th, 2020
Sick Of Counting Tears
Beach Bunny “April”
“April” is a song about months going by while you’re stuck in an emotional stasis, hung up on a relationship that’s long over but is idealized in your mind beyond all reason. Lili Trifilio sings the song with a plaintive but slightly defensive tone, as though she’s a little embarrassed to feel this way but honors her emotion too much to side against the part of herself that might be like “oh, please, shut up about this, this isn’t healthy.” Maybe the sentiment here is a bit pathetic, but only if you’re looking at it without much empathy or the emotional intelligence to notice it’s all just processing an experience to learn what you actually want and need. Not for nothing, but the most melodically and emotionally resonant bit of this song is when she’s declaring what she wants in the future: “Sometimes I just want somebody that reminds me that they’ll always love me.”
Buy it from Amazon.
February 19th, 2020
Deep In Society’s Hole
King Krule “Underclass”
Archy Marshall’s early songs as King Krule followed tighter, more traditional songwriting trajectories but as he’s moved along he’s drifted towards less obvious structures that nevertheless follow intuitive emotional paths. “Underclass” sounds almost improvisational, like Marshall’s just writing a jazzy ballad along with his train of thought as he ponders his feelings about a relationship that keeps drawing him in despite his apparent ambivalence. The form suits the theme in as much as his character here is passive and seems to just go along with the moment despite his better judgment, and so you get this contrast of more tentative chord changes at the start, and a more loose and swaying section with a saxophone lead once he loosens up a bit. The most interesting trick of the song is in how Marshall conveys all this uncertainty in a song that still sounds incredibly romantic and sexy. “Little did I know I had this feeling,” he sings near the end of it, as if he’s confused to discover the reasons why he falls so easily under this person’s sway.
Buy it from Amazon.