The Moments We Have

Uffe “As Long As It Lasts”

This song feels like an entire noir film compressed into three minutes, with Uffe packing in so many classy-yet-lurid night time signifiers that it’s a wonder the song still has space to feel airy and stark. I’m particularly fond of the piano bits that sound like they’ve been jacked from an old Brubeck record – that aesthetic can’t help but sound a little lighthearted and goofy, but contrasts nicely with the general vibe of vague menace and sleaze.

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Luísa Maita “Fio da Memória”

This song sounds like it’s taking place in the same dark, surreal dream forest as Björk’s classic “Human Behaviour.” But unlike Björk, who sounded like she knew her way around that wilderness, Luísa Maita sounds anxious and lost, like she’s somehow wandered into the deepest reaches of it without any way to turn back. I don’t speak Portuguese so I’m not clear on the lyrics, though I do know the title loosely translates to “memory wire,” which suggests some uneasy connection between the unreliable nature of human memory and the fallibility of data devices.

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Twist “Can’t Wait”

Twist’s Laura Hermiston has her own version of John Dwyer from Thee Oh Sees’ ecstatic “whoooo!” that signals that his band is about to rock out EVEN HARDER. As she leans into the second chorus she chirps “up!!” in a way that’s incredibly playful and charming, and does a lot to amp up the enthusiasm level of an alt-rock song that’s already pretty upbeat and fun. There’s more chirping later on too, and it brightens everything up. Keep on chirping.

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