The Heart Is Lying Low

Battles with Kazu Makino “Sweetie & Shag”

“Sweetie & Shag” sounds like an elaborate Rube Goldberg device built specifically to yield this song. There’s a lot of moving pieces, and it all sounds connected and precise. I love the use of rhythm in this composition — every beat seems to have a cause and effect, the hooks bounce as if on metal springs. Kazu Makino, the lead singer of Blonde Redhead, is remarkable on this track. Her voice amps up the energy, pushing the chorus to ecstatic heights while being only barely comprehensible. The words don’t quite scan, but the feeling is easy to intuit: Excited, a bit lusty, a bit scared. I’ve been bored by recent Blonde Redhead records, and frankly she sounds bored on them. Her performance here is thrilling and alive and I hope that she makes more music with Battles because they really bring out the best in each other.

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