Even if you have been hiding under a rock for the last three months, chances are you still weren’t able to elude hearing \u201cSomebody That I Used To Know\u201d at least forty-seven times.<\/p>\n
The single that propelled the Australian-Belgian artist Wally De Backer (better known as Gotye) has dominated the radio waves en route to claiming the #1 spot on the Billboard Top 100, and with its unique and unbelievably catchy melodies and percussion, it’s easy to imagine \u201cSomebody That I Used To Know\u201d earning play years down the road.\u00a0 The moment that xylophone sequence infected my brain, I immediately realized I was in for a new experience \u2013 scattered synth samples accompany bitter lyrics, as De Backer swaps verbal jabs with a frustrated ex-lover (precisely portrayed by guest vocalist Kimbra):\u00a0 \u201cYou didn’t have to cut me off \/ Make out like it never happened \/ And that we were nothing.\u201d\u00a0 The single provides hitherto unheard styles that carry an offbeat appeal that swells with each listen.<\/p>\n
But enough about what you’ve already heard \u2013 what of the remainder of Making Mirrors<\/i>? Many of the albums tracks maintain the novelty achieved by the hit single (which, it turns out, is the apex of the album), while others borrow heavily from \u201880s pop, with upbeat rhythms, synthesizer-heavy instrumentals, and vocals frequently compared to the likes of Genesis or Sting.<\/p>\n
The album blooms magnificently with its opening title track, as a delicate introit of flute and bass samples back Backer’s whispering vocals, constructing a mellow, dreamy atmosphere.\u00a0\u00a0 \u201cEasy Way Out\u201d then explodes into grooving, electronic beats mixed with guitar riffs and an array of percussion (xylophones, harps, tambourines), leading seamlessly into the previously discussed \u201cSomebody That I Used To Know.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0 With each new phrase in the album’s first three tracks, Gotye affronts the listener with a fresh, dizzying amalgam of instrumentation, effects, and vocals.<\/p>\n
Then begin the influences from decades past.\u00a0 \u201cEyes Wide Open\u201d and the peppy \u201cIn Your Light\u201d maintain brisk rhythms and \u201880s pop instrumentation, but each with subtle touches (steel guitar here, brass section there) to give the tracks extra depth.\u00a0 \u201cI Feel Better,\u201d meanwhile, curiously adopts a Motown style and uber-cheerful lyrics (\u201cThat’s when you gave me a reason \/ To make me smile again \/ I only have to see you and then \/ I feel better\u201d).\u00a0 An interesting twist, to be sure, but it feels forced and out-of-place within the context of the album.\u00a0 The tail end of the album slows considerably, with low-key, almost ambient tracks like \u201cGiving Me A Chance\u201d and closer \u201cBronte.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other times, Gotye again aims for the idiosyncratic, with less success.\u00a0 \u201cState Of The Art\u201d boasts a parade of widely varied synth effects and a catchy chorus, but the song is all but ruined by its bizarre verses, veiled in AutoTune.\u00a0 \u201cSmoke And Mirrors\u201d begins and ends with a downright awesome jam, with an unforgettable hook on keyboards and layer after layer of percussion, abated only slightly by Gotye’s occasionally distracting vocals.<\/p>\n
Without a doubt, though, Making Mirrors<\/i> will be known for the single that propelled Gotye to global indie music fame.\u00a0 While the remainder of the album can be praised for its widely varied percussion\/keyboards and willingness to experiment, its scatterbrained nature tends to derail the listener from time to time, preventing it from being as celebrated as it could’ve been.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":84,"featured_media":30936,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"artist":[8836],"rating":[5614],"class_list":["post-42615","review","type-review","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","artist-gotye","rating-rating-c-plus"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/42615","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/review"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/84"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=42615"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/review\/42615\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/30936"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=42615"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"artist","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/artist?post=42615"},{"taxonomy":"rating","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyvault.adishjain.in\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/rating?post=42615"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}