SOUNDTRACK: SYLVAN ESSO-Tiny Desk (home) Concert #24 (May 21, 2020).
Is it possible to make dance music while sitting on a couch? Is it possible also to dance to that music while sitting on a couch?
These pressing questions are answered in this Tiny Desk Home Concert
Sylvan Esso, the Durham, N.C., couple of Amelia Meath and Nick Sanborn gives us three songs from their home couch using modular synths, a rhythm machine and Amelia’s heartfelt vocals.
Sanborn sits in front of box with all kind of wires patched into it. It’s an unholy mess and he manages to make the melody by pushing the buttons between those wires.
Meath sits in front of another box and supplies most of the beats. It’s neat watching her sing verses and then push a button as the drums enter or leave “Die Young,” a fun dancey song. She answers one of the above questions in the middle of this song which has a “dance break” as Meath waves her arms and gently bounces on the couch.
“Rewind” is a slower song. Sanborn walks off camera while Meath starts the simple drum rhythm. I assume he’s playing a synth, although midway he picks up a guitar (how frustrating that he’s off camera–c’mon Esso!).
In keeping with Tiny Desk tradition, bands I actually like–like this one–do a set that is less than 15 minutes, while artists I’ve never heard of or don’t especially like ramble on for over 20.
So they have only one more song. But before playing it, they plug their new release
This home concert stands in sharp contrast to Sylvan Esso’s remarkable new film, WITH, which features a host of their dear friends reshaping and reimagining their brilliant catalog of songs during the duo’s 2019 tour. Add that to your list of things to do while sitting on your couch, hopefully with someone you like.
After some technical troubles (the sound is totally wrong), they start “Radio” a very familiar dance song. There’s more couch dancing and even some dancing from Sanborn as his finger move all over that cluttered machine.
[READ: May 20, 2020] Five Years #6
This issue makes everything seem like things are going according to plan, there’s even a lot of levity.
We see Rachel in Russia. The morgue attendant, Yana, has brought her home. They speak Russian, although Rachel’s Russian “sounds ancient, like something she only heard at university once or twice.” Yana wonders why she is not dead.
Rachel doesn’t die.
Then some short scenes:
General Cade (who we saw earlier as a proponent of the Phi Bomb) is being brought in by the military police (on Christmas no less). It had better be important.
Next on a ski slope one of Tambi’s women (Stephanie Kelly–the one who gave Katchoo the papyrus) interrupts Professor Foster. I don’t know if Moore intends for there to be comic effect as the professor plops down the hill, but “plop” and “bonk” are not particularly serious sound effects when someone has a major crash.
But some lightheartedness is needed in this serious issue.
Fortunately there’s a little more with Tambi training at the gym and intimidating a man with a frankly ridiculously large and over the top beard. Casey tries to get her to be friendly to people (which goes as well as can be expected).
It’s all good until a phone that Tambi’s never seen before is on her bed. Casey answers it and a woman in Russia asks how many graves she will have to dig for all of the women that Tambi sends there.
So that’s Zoe (who we think is still alive), Rachel (who we know is alive but who everyone else thinks is dead) and the third? Well, Tambi just sent Katchoo there.
Holy crap. Four issues left.
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