October 25th, 2004 2:41pm
There You Are, Here I Am
The Beautiful People “Want You To Want Me” – I have a major weakness for homemade stadium rock. Part of the appeal is in the implication of a huge sound using decidedly low tech production values. In this case, the percussion sounds suspiciously like a busted garage door and the guitars sound as though they are being played in a room somewhere down the street from the closet where the lead singer is yowling away earnestly. That might sound like a joke, but this song most certainly isn’t – in spite of the band’s obvious limitations, this is a rather beautiful and affecting song. There’s a certain desperation to this recording that serves the song well. It sounds like the band are trying to get across a feeling much bigger than they can possibly communicate, which is actually the most perfect way to express the lyrical content of the song. (Click here to visit The Beautiful People official site.)
Frausdots “Soft Light” – This is like the slick Hollywood version of the The Beautiful People song. Instead of awkward emotional naturalism, this song is all about the grand romantic sweep of perfect moments that barely feel real even when they actually happen. It’s the kind of song that feels like the soundtrack to a life far more dramatic and glamorous than the mundane existence that the most of us live. One day, you might for a moment feel just like the chorus of this song, and you’ll be able to play it on your iPod immediately afterwards so that you can relive the feeling while at the same time distancing yourself from it. (Click here to buy it from Sub Pop.)