Love This Giant
Love This Giant Reviews
I'm tired of the bland musical product that oozes through corporate pipelines. There's a deadening sameness about the fuzzy guitars and humdrum drumming and affectless vocals of contemporary pop. In this environment, the deliberate creation of an unusual album feels like a gust of fresh air. David Byrne of Talking Heads fame has teamed up with another brilliant nonconformist, St. Vincent (Annie Clark, formerly of Polyphonic Spree), to write and record songs set to danceable electronic beats by John Congleton, accompanied by the complex, swooping, angular orchestrations of a very funky horn section. Both artists sing lyrics of ambiguity and anomie that recall some of their quirky songs as solo performers, but "Love This Giant" doesn't rehash their previous work. It's is a one-of-a-kind hybrid, and I like it. Byrne and Clark open with the first single, "Who," a very propulsive, rhythmic track on which they duet, but then they start alternating lead vocals. Clark sings the even-numbered and Byrne the odd-numbered songs until they reach "Lazarus," when they duet again. Clark takes over for the next two tracks, while the final two belong to Byrne. The album has an arc to it, beginning with high-energy music -- jumpy and jagged on the first three cuts (I especially enjoy "Weekend in the Dust") -- then dialing back the energy somewhat for three songs whose dreamy intros bring to mind minimalist composers like John Adams, Philip Glass, and Steve Reich, particularly on "I Am an Ape." With "I Should Watch TV," they leap back for a couple of tracks into the jangly, dissonant sounds that opened the album. When Clark takes over on "Optimist" and "Lightning" (another favorite of mine), a cool, pensive atmosphere prevails. The penultimate song, "The One Who Broke Your Heart," has a cheerful, lively tone that blends the music of two more collaborators: the soulful Dap-Kings and the afro-beat band Antibalas. The last track, "Outside of Space & Time," is simply a gorgeous love song. There's a lot happening on this recording. It's often sharp and chaotic, yet occasionally smooth and calm, so it really calls for careful, conscious listening. I've heard it all the way through three times now, finding my interest renewed each time. I'm sure to listen several times more to absorb what's going on, which makes this release a clear "buy" for me.. this is my Love This Giant reviews
Love This Giant Specs
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- Price for all three: $35.86
- Buy the selected items together
- This item: Love This Giant ~ David Byrne Audio CD $9.99
- The Next Day (Deluxe Edition) ~ David Bowie Audio CD $13.99
- People, Hell & Angels ~ Jimi Hendrix Audio CD $11.88
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