Evil Friends’ stunning closer is a must-listen

[Weekly Listening, Week 2]

This week has seen some continuation from last weeks most played songs, as well as some old tunes that have come back for more.

Smile

by Portugal. The Man from Evil Friends

6 plays (26:11)

This week saw a return of the previously mentioned Evil Friends, an album that will no doubt be the defining collection of tunes for this period in my life. The big hit for me this week was the climactic and suitably epic album closer Smile, a track which rounds off the album in scintillating style if you listen to the whole album from start to finish (which, by the way, you absolutely should). It starts softly, with some beautiful freestyle vocal lines over a hushed acoustic guitar. The song progresses into an almost regal-feeling chorus, characterised by the occasional triplet on the snare, with a notable quote of the album’s opener Plastic Soldiers on the synth – songs referencing other songs is part of what makes this album so great. I’ll admit it’s not an incredibly catchy hook, but its not supposed to be – this is a song designed to be mulled over, not danced to. For a song with the named “smile”, the lyrics provide a surprisingly profound critique on what it is to be happy, and are in my opinion the best lyrics on the entire album. Things get turned up a notch when you reach the grand finale, with the thought-provoking seriousness of the first part of the song set aside as we modulate to the major key for an anthemic send-off. This time the repeated mantra “I’m sorry for the love you lost today / But I thank you for the love I made today” is wonderfully infectious, and I’ve been playing it as loud as I possibly can on piano all week. Things finish abruptly without leaving you time to get your breath back after what has been a masterpiece of an album. Smile may not be great single material, but in the context it was designed for works beautifully – so well that it rivals Vulfpeck’s superb Outro as the go to end-of-an-era song. Which is better? I can’t decide.

Splitting Colours

by Lemaitre from Relativity 2 – EP

6 plays (23:50)

Splitting Colours is the definition of a teenage bedroom banger. A no-nonsense four-to-the-floor, rasping synth bass and ethereal choral vocals that formed a trademark of Lemaitre’s formative early years, this is a song that demands to be turned up to full volume. Without a funky bassline or even a significant drum part, Splitting Colours is almost punk-ish in it’s rejection of musicality, trading it for a barrage of exquisite instant gratification. It’s catchy, simple and raucous – best enjoyed with strobe lighting, smoke effects and the loudest speaker possible.

On My Knees

by Middle Kids from Lost Friends

6 plays (21:24)

After trawling through several “breaking” alternative songs, On My Knees stood out to me. More inclined to the rock end of the spectrum, it features some impressive punk drum fills and a very recognisable synth that can be heard right from the start. Whilst its not the best tune I’ve ever heard, the chorus is worth a good sing-along. As with many songs, this one is it’s breakdown, which works as more as an outro at the end of the song. The melody works well an octave lower and teases us, showing the this song could work even better in an acoustic version. However, with it’s rebellious electric guitars and synth, I think I’ll stick to the original for now.

Heat Wave (Edit)

by Snail Mail from Lush

4 plays (18:17)

Another fresh alternative song discovered earlier this week was Snail Mail’s Heat Wave, although I’ll admit I still haven’t got round to listening to the original yet, only the “edit”. It’s unlikely to be a song you’ll see again in this series of posts next week, but lead singer Lindsey Jordan’s lazy vocals are uniquely beautiful and after a well-constructed breakdown, this song improves greatly as it reaches its end. The groove seems to suit the title well, with its chilled groove and guitars.

D.A.N.C.E

by Justice from Justice

4 plays (16:09)

The only reason this song doesn’t have as many plays as my other songs this week is because my first listen to it was only last night. Since then it has proven to be a persistent earworm and aptly dance-worthy hit. I’d heard of Justice as being one of Lemaitre’s biggest influences, and immediately upon listening to D.A.N.C.E Lemaitre fan’s will be able to hear clear similarities. The funky basslines, sharp drums and jazzy chord sequences are all there, but this song has more than a hint of disco to it. Literally everything in the vocals is a hook, and a good one too. The French duo toy with the theme well to keep interest, whilst keeping that textbook French-touch disco sound. I may be over 10 years late to the party, but D.A.N.C.E is perhaps the perfect song for a late night boogie.

Hit and Run

by Larkins from Don’t Leave the Light On – EP

4 plays (12:51)

Catchy single Hit and Run shows Larkins know how to produce a classic alternative track. It’s the lead guitar riff that will end up stuck in your head after listening to this one, rather than the occasional absent lead vocals. It’s a bouncy and bubbly tune, with another neat little breakdown to lead into the final chorus. I found myself begging for a return of the vocal melody over the guitar riff later on in the final chorus, but just when I thought I was going to get just that, Larkins serve up a disappointing stop-chord style halt in the groove, which, whilst interesting and memorable, missed out on what I think could have made the song far better.

Returning from last week

Here’s an overview of the tracks that were fully analysed last week, but were good enough to gain more plays this week. (Number of plays are in the brackets)

• Talking Straight (7) by Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever – this song remarkably gained even more listens this week and became the most listened-to song of the week. The spoken verses are certainly not my thing, but the chorus is simply superb.
• Batshit (5) by Sofi Tukker
• Blow Your Mind (Mwah) (5) by Dua Lipa – played many times earlier this week, but the bugging slight lack of flare in the chorus has caused this one to drop from favour.
• Control (4) by Lemaitre
• I’m Not Ok (4) by Weathers

Some other notable newcomers this week have been:

• Continuum (3) by Lemaitre – still an unforgettable beast of a song
• Dangerous and Tides (both 3) by The xx – I’ve been trying my hardest to get into The xx this week, but maybe their atmospheric indie style isn’t quite for me.
• Dangerous Woman (3) by Ariana Grande – the new single No Tears Left to Cry may not be my thing, but Dangerous Woman is a fantastic, sleezy stadium-filler.
• Evil Friends, Hip Hop Kids and Holy Roller (all 3) by Portugal. The Man – the best tracks of a May revival of the classic album