SOUNDTRACK: SAID THE WHALE-“Gentleman” (2009).
This song starts out simply enough, a folky bouncey song. It’s an almost harmless song, almost easily forgotten. And yet there’s something about it that raises it above songs that typically sound like this. Enough, that is to make me want to listen to it again.
When I investigated the Said the Whale page on CBC Radio 3, I learned that they’re from Vancouver. But more importantly I learned that they have a number of songs with great titles.
Delightfully, “Wanting like Varuna” lives up to its title. It’s evidently on their 2009 Christmas EP. It’s a wild rollicking song with an awesomely catchy chorus, “everybody wants: they want, they want, they want, they waaant.” And about half way through, the song switches directions completely: a new time signature, from a slow pop song to a wild syncopated jazzy motif.
That song appears to be an anomaly as the third song I chose was their most popular on the station: “This City’s a Mess.” It starts again as a slow folky number. But it gradually gets louder and more chaotic. It’s very catchy, and also more interesting than “Gentleman.”
I’m not sure I’d set out to listen to them, but I enjoyed hearing the songs.
[READ: June 15, 2010] “Billy Bennett”
These stories continue to get darker and darker. What does this say about Canadian writers, or people’s opinions of their homeland?
Billy Bennett is a ne’er do well. He has a criminal record, several smashed cars in his recent past and a drinking problem. (more…)
I Just Read About That... 