What Kind Of Message This Sends

Of Montreal “When”

I say this with the greatest admiration and respect: Kevin Barnes is a messy bitch who lives for drama. Following his career over the long term means you get the highs and lows of his love life as it progresses through stages happiness and despair. He’s exceptionally good at capturing the best and worst feelings in vivid detail, to the extent that the darker records can be very difficult to listen to. The new Of Montreal record finds Barnes in a fairly manic moment – fresh out of a long-term relationship, newly relocated to Brooklyn, and searching for new connections. I initially assumed “When” was about the collapsed relationship because Barnes was singing “I just wanna fuck you again! / when can I fuck you again??” in the chorus and sounding kinda spiteful in the verses. As it turns out, it’s meant to be heard as an expression of extreme neediness in the context of a new relationship, a desperate plea for affection. I suppose this is a kinder vibe than wanting to have sex despite a relationship falling apart, but in either case, it’s Barnes being radically vulnerable and willing to appear pathetic and ugly.

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The Strokes “Going Shopping”

I like a bunch of songs by The Strokes but have never been a big fan, which I think largely comes down to how quickly their recordings wear out my ears with severe compression and narrow dynamic range. I get the appeal of their intricate, treble-heavy arrangements and sing-songy melody, but I can only take it in small doses. “Going Shopping,” the first single from their forthcoming seventh record, is much more to my taste. The tone is warmer and richer, and there’s a more of a casual feel to it. Like, it’s not loose, per se – they’re still doing their signature tight harmonic interplay, but it’s possible to suspend disbelief and think the leads are made up on the spot. I love the guitar tone on the rhythm part in the chorus enough to let the unneccessary AutoTune on Julian Cassablancas’ voice slide. I’d prefer the song without that effect, but I get the appeal of having this uncanny tonality in the middle of a track that otherwise feels so smooth and natural.

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Sofi Tukker featuring J Balvin “Cook”

“Cook” is a song for the body and not the mind. The track is pure adrenaline and sensation. It probably sounds great in a club, but I know it sounds amazing in a gym. That said, I find it kinda funny that the members of Sofi Tukker are singing innocuous lines about cooking up a fun song and wishing a loved one could see how successful they’ve become while J Balvin raps in Spanish about being a nymphomanic rock star/porn star who’s constantly on a mission to bust. And really, it’s the poignant aside that feels out of place – this is absolutely the most appropriate music for rapping about wanting to fuck.

Buy it from Amazon.