Review Wednesday: How To Dress Well - "Lost Youth/Lost You:

How To Dress Well

"Lost Youth/Lost You"

Care

Weird World

"Change is hard," Tom Krell moans at the beginning of the song, emphasizing how hard it is to keep up with caprice. But leave it to Krell to make your typical moaning into something romantic and aesthetic, as he continues in the next line, "When you can't feel close even though that's what you need the most". Appetency or longing is usually the major theme of Krell's songs, and even if it isn't, Krell's music is able to induce the same feeling. While "Lost Youth/Lost You", the first single off his latest album, Care, is clearly about losing, regrets, and strong desire to get some thing that's already gone, Krell's able to craft it into something that somehow sounds more "cheerful" than his previous songs, a solid proof that Care is the most joyous album that Krell has ever made. Before Krell speaks in "Lost Youth/Lost You", there's an evanescent static sound, as if a sign of disconnection from his previous significant other. In a way, "Lost Youth/Lost You" reminds us a lot of "Repeat Pleasure", and it can be put nicely in his 2014's What Is This Heart?, a continuation of his masterpiece. "Lost Youth/Lost You" ends with more static voice, another sign that he finally has let go of everything and decided to just go, "Lost Youth/Lost You" may not be Krell's best songs, but even so, it surely can wreck up your year-end list. 

Review Wednesday: Faiha - "Cari Pokemon"

Faiha

"Cari Pokemon"

Single

Sani Music Indonesia

Best New Track

Tidak dapat dimungkiri lagi dangdut merupakan genre musik yang paling adaptif terhadap perkembangan zaman. Terbukti dengan adanya fenomena sosial terkini, para musisi dangdutlah yang paling peka dan liat dengan adanya isu-isu terkini, seakan-akan menjadi kritikan sosial terhadap budaya masyarakat Indonesia yang cenderung ikut-ikutan. Seperti hebohnya fenomena Valak dari The Conjuring 2 yang sempat merebak di Indonesia, dangdutlah satu-satunya yang berani mengangkat tema semacam ini dengan diluncurkannya lagu, "Seperti Valak" dari Ika D'Academy. Dangdut jugalah genre musik yang dapat menyentuh segala kalangan usia, mulai dari muda hingga tua, kemampuan musik dangdut untuk menghipnotis pendengarnya tanpa terkecuali sudahlah terbukti. Selihai apa pun anak-anak perkotaan menghindari dangdut seperti wabah kusta, mau tak mau mereka hafal sejumlah lagu-lagu dangdut terkenal, seperti "SMS", "Keong Racun", dan "Kopi Dangdut". 

Kombinasi mematikan antara fenomena sosial paling mutakhir dan kemampuan musik dangdut untuk membuai setiap segi dan golongan masyarakat inilah yang dimanfaatkan Faiha, biduanita cilik yang independen ini, yang beberapa hari terakhir menjadi buah bibir, seiring dengan kepopuleran Pokemon Go. Ini sebuah langkah yang berani untuknya karena banyaknya musisi dangdut cilik dapat dihitung dengan jari. Ketika mendengar "Cari Pokemon" pertama kali, orang mungkin akan berpikir bahwa ini hanyalah tipikal lagu dangdut yang kerapkali mengambil judul dari meme terkenal akhir-akhir ini, seperti "Sakitnya Tuh Di Sini". Namun, setelah mendengar "Cari Pokemon" berulang kali, selain ternyata lagunya yang mudah dicerna dan dihafalkan, "Cari Pokemon" menyimpan sesuatu yang lebih mendalam. 

Diawali dengan suara Faiha yang menggemaskan yang meneriakkan "Pikachu" berulang kali, ia mengawali lagu "Cari Pokemon" dengan memperkenalkan sejumlah Pokemon ikonik yang menjadi lambang trademark dari game Nintendo, sebuah metode yang sangat efektif untuk membuat anak-anak lebih familier dengan monster-monster saku ini. Dengan lagu "Cari Pokemon" ini, Faiha juga menepis kegusaran orang tua yang khawatir dengan dampak "kekerasan" yang mungkin ditimbulkan oleh Pokemon. Komposisi yang digunakan Faiha dalam "Cari Pokemon" sedikit mengingatkan akan eksperimen yang dilakukan oleh Belle & Sebastian dalam album Girls in Peacetime Want to Dance, penuh dengan nuansa disko tahun 1970-an yang membuat Donna Summer iri. Bagian chorus merupakan epitome dari lagu ini ketika Faiha berkali-kali menekankan, "Pokemon Pokemon di mana kamu? Ku mau kamu jadi milikku." Tak hanya merepresentasikan hasrat Faiha untuk catch 'em all dan be the very best, bagian chorus ini membuktikan bahwa renjana dan kerinduan yang mendalam bukanlah melulu monopoli orang dewasa. Dengan "Cari Pokemon", Faiha mengingatkan kita bahwa seorang anak pun bisa memiliki kerinduan yang sama. 

Review Wednesday: Preoccupations - "Anxiety"

Preoccupations

"Anxiety"

Preoccupations

Jagjaguwar

Preoccupations'--formerly known as Viet Cong--debut album, Viet Cong, is released last year, but its impressiveness still remains until today. Viet Cong is where outstanding tracks, such as "Continental Shelf" and "Death" dwell, and every single time these tracks are played, there's always something breathtaking from the song that awes us. 

When they choose name Preoccupations as the band's new name this April--due to unintentional subversive and offensive name--they do not carry Viet Cong's torches on. While Viet Cong that most of us listen to is known by their vigor--Mike Wallace's drums are ferocious as well as Munro and Christiansen's guitar riffs--Preoccupations' latest single "Anxiety" somehow sounds more somber. The first seconds of the song are filled with lulling noise--something that's not the distinctive features of the band. However, as the guitars and drums start to kick in, "Anxiety" offers the same "Continental Shelf"'s vibe. The peak is when Flegel's studly voice begins the song, "With a sense of urgency and unease", showing the ominousness of the song. It's no joke how ominous the song is, as Flegel continues in the bridge, "Help has fallen by the wayside/ Nowhere near to finding better ways to be". That way, "Anxiety" feels familiar, yet obscure at the same time. It may not be a perfect summer jam, but Preoccupations' "Anxiety" brings the new taste of summer: a portentous and bleak one. 

Review Wednesday: The Range - "Five Four"

The Range

"Five Four"

Potential

Domino Recordings

When people watch YouTube for fun, watching obscure videos, and dwindling their IQ, James Hinton a.k.a The Range is inspired by them. On his latest album, Potential (out March 25), Hinton digs the depth of YouTube and finds hidden diamond that he can sample for his work. On "Florida", which is released last January--a first taste of Potential, he samples an Ariana Grande cover from this girl. I can say that I'm impressed because Hinton is able to bring something new to the table. "Florida" is a fun song and you can hear Hinton's genius blasted from this song. 

In "Five Four", Hinton samples another hidden YouTube's gem from a real rapper, an acapella video from  OphQi and Superior Thought. Interestingly, "Five Four" sounds like your token electric-rap song. But, it's a song about frustration as you can listen from Hinton's piano and repetitive beat in "Five Four", making this song much darker. Superior Thought capture the frustrating feeling of frustration as he raps, "Scarred from the hard tasks and dreams that never came to pass." Its repetition is also the essence of frustration; when you keep circling the same path but you're not fruitful, that's when the frustration begins haunt your mind.

Review Wednesday: Joanna Newsom - "Anecdotes"

Joanna Newsom

Anecdotes

Divers

Drag City

"Anecdotes" opens the much-acclaimed Newsom's latest album, Divers, and this is the right choice. "Anecdotes" is something that you can imagine from a Disney princess will sing. Its song structure, its harp pluck, and Newsom's haunting voice are exactly what Snow White will do to please her dwarves. You even wonder whether this song will be able to resurrect dead body or not. 

But, "Anecdotes" is so mellifluous that you can't help but ponder if it possesses such magic. It fits as the opening track of Divers as she sings, "Sending the first scout over", like a cartographer or a sailor who wants to start her new adventures in an unknown realm before. In fact, "Anecdotes" is filled with references from your childhood tale. "Camp", "kid with Rufous Nightjar", most of "Anecdotes" tell us about Newsom's nice chat with a bird. It's like what Snow White does, doesn't it? "Anecdotes" feels so fantasy and surreal, it begins a new journey, it's just so pure and wonderful and beautiful and enchanting. The fact that I'm lost at words when I describe this song proves how amazing this song is. 

Divers is just released on October 23rd by Drag City.

 

Review Wednesday: FKA twigs - "in time"

FKA twigs

in time

M3LL155X

Young Turks

This week is really interesteng. It makes all hipster rejoice as several "hipster-darling" gives several pleasant surprises, like Deerhunter's new song "Snakeskin" from their latest album, Fading Frontier, Deafhaven's new song, and of course FKA twigs' surprise EP release. As much as I love "Snakeskin", FKA twigs took the gold medal away this week.

Tahliah Barnett seems to be on fire these past three (or four?) years. After releasing an amazing album, LP1, last year, Barnett decides to surprise her fans by dropping such an expected EP. She actually has teased several songs on music festival before, like "Glass & Patron" or "in time" before, but this sudden EP is somehow still shocking.

Just like most of FKA twigs' previous songs, "in time" still talks about shaky relationship imbued with sensual lyrics and whispers. She starts the song with "In time, you'll learn to say sorry", like another proof that women are always right--while of course, they are always right. She continues, "And I will play tender with you". She exactly knew what her man wants. In "in time" she and her lover are in torturous relationship. She longs for his "hands on my body will resonate through me" and that's what will make their relationship "better" and "stronger"

"in time" is also unique musically. twigs imbued this song with trip-electronic just like what she did in LP1. However, I don't find this song belongs to the album. "in time" is just like a whole new entity and it is another perfect song by her.

You can listen to "in time" starting from minute 7:10.

*Review Wednesday is a song article which will be posted every Wednesdays (hiopefully) regularly. It talks about the stand-out songs that I listen this week*

Review Wednesday: The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die - "January 10th, 2014"

The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die 

January 10th, 2014

Harmlessness

Epitaph Records

I am a big sucker for anything related to myth. Give me a rip-off of Greek and Roman mythology (yes, Mr. Riordan, that is you) and I will swallow it like an Aspirin. That's probably why this song coming from one of bands with the longest name in the world (48 characters, excluding spaces--the record holder is The Rock and Roll Dubble Bubble Trading Card Co. of Philadelphia - 19141 with 58 characters) can be digested easily. I am not fan of emo song, but well, "January 10th, 2014" is really unique and magically it gives me some kind of random tranquility. 

Inspired by a true story in Ciudad Juarez about a female Mexican vigilante who hunted the male bus drivers who killed and abused the sole female passenger, she is depicted as Diana in this song. This is, of course, with a particular reason. On her letters to justify her killings, she regards herself as "Diana, the hunter of drivers". Which is remarkably amazing and creepy and badass at the same time. Well, if Diana--the Apollo's sister--used to hunt for animals and protect the moon whatsoever, this modern Diana is like a female Robin Hood. But, much much more dangerous. 

"January 10th, 2014" tries to capture the retaliation of modern Diana in this song as shown in the video. But what I like the most about the song is the "conversation" between Bello and Shanholtzer-Dvorak. As Shanholtzer-Dvorak portrays Diana and Bello as the man who is being hunted, I feel their conversation and interaction is really intriguing. It's like you are being chased by fierce female hunters, and yet you still manage to have a casual talk with your killer. "Are you afraid of me now?" Shanholtzer-Dvorak sings, and Bello replies, "Well, yeah. Shouldn't I be?" I find this is cool and awesome. 

"January 10th, 2014" is the lead single from The World Is A Beautiful Place & I Am No Longer Afraid To Die's sophomore album, Harmlessness.

*Review Wednesday is a song article which will be posted every Wednesdays (hopefully) regularly. It talks about the stand-out songs that I listen this week. Hope you enjoy it.*

Review Wednesday: Carly Rae Jepsen - "Run Away With Me"

Carly Rae Jepsen

Run Away With Me

Emotion

Interscope

I think the most stunning pop record of the year goes to Carly Rae Jepsen's Emotion. She treats us better than what Taylor Swift did with her last year's 1989. I mean I would not expect that this 80s-infused album will turn out so much better than every pop record that is released this year, far more superior than her last effort, Kiss, which was released in 2012 ago. 

"Run Away With Me" opens the album, and this is such a trenchant opening track. I am not trying to hyperbolize that "Run Away With Me" is probably the best pop song of the year. It is somehow opulent in melody and instruments, making "Run Away With Me" a complete and comprehensive pop song. Who knows imbuing your song with a saxophone can induce something amazing like this? I have some suspicion, though, that Jepsen possesses some secret formula to make a hit pop song. The lyrics are simple and modest and it sounds like a song for elopement, but the beat and Jepsen vocal's when she twists her voice are amazing, and that's why this song is the perfect summer jam. 

*Review Wednesday is a song article which will be posted every Wednesdays (hopefully) regularly. It talks about about stand-out songs that I listen during the week. Hope you enjoy it.*