Cutting Through An Open Space

Beabadoobee “Switchblade”

A lot of Gen Z approximations of Gen X rock sounds rather flat to my ears – all the expected signifiers of various alt sub-genres cut and pasted in, but not much depth or dynamics. Not so for “Switchblade.” Beabadoobee’s arrangement places its emphasis sharply contrasting textures, and there’s a sickly sort of swing to the bass groove. It’s a very vivid production that makes every moment of the song feel alive and somewhat surprising despite how closely the songwriting sticks to alt-rock conventions. And unlike a lot of contemporary indie, the vocal and lyrics seem like secondary concerns: The guitars are the most emphatic and emotionally articulate aspects of the music, and by contrast singing feels more ambivalent and mutable.

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Osees “Hecate’s Reflection Is A Trick”

Osees are a classic “always different, always the same” band where the pleasure of following them in the long-term depends on noticing the way they incorporate new ideas into their immediately identifiable sound. In this case, I can feel them gesturing towards making their own Fela Kuti song, even if it ends up sounding much closer to Tago Mago-era Can. At any rate, the groove has a nice jolt to it, and there’s an alluring dark undertow to its insistent beat.

Buy it from Bandcamp.