L.A., OK, New York

Fcukers “L.U.C.K.Y.”

Shanny Wise’s deadpan affect is central to the Fcukers aesthetic. She’s a cool, aloof, understated presence at the center of otherwise extremely brash and ecstatic music. She’s a little more vulnerable and warm on “L.U.C.K.Y.,” a poppy house banger with lyrics about being grateful for finding a good boyfriend. It’s very sweet, but the emphasis is placed more on her feeling like she’s beaten the odds than on her affection for him. When she sings “you don’t wanna make me cry, make me mad, make me wanna die” on the bridge she seems relieved, but also a little sad that the bar was so low before they met.

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Mandy, Indiana “Cursive”

When I write about songs in a language other than English I make a point of reading a translation of the lyrics so I have some idea what’s going on there even if it doesn’t have much to do with what I’m responding to musically. I just like to have some context. When I did this for “Cursive,” one line jumped out at me:

Je danse en attendant que le monde disparaisse
I dance while waiting for the world to disappear

It’s the first phrase you hear after a synth part emerges and the energy shifts from anxious and ominous to agitated and frenetic. It sounds incredibly cool, like the song suddenly jump cuts from murky horror film to neon-lit futuristic sci-fi movie. Valentine Caulfield’s vocal part in this section signal defiance whether you understand French or not, but I like knowing that she’s basically asserting her creative power in a world that seems to be collapsing around her.

Buy it from Bandcamp.