Sunday 9 September 2012

The 2kDozen 500: #306 - David Byrne & St. Vincent, "Love This Giant"

You expect some quirk from David, and St Vincent woman, she's not the most straightforward fork in the drawer either, eh?

Some of the tracks sound flirty, in a strange fashion. Or perhaps that's just me. And there's lots of brass. That is always a good thing. "I Am An Ape" almost has a Latin ballroom feel. They seem to take turn on the tracks for the most part, which is a little disappointing. "Who" is a welcome exception.


"I Should Watch TV" swings with a bit of mental menace. The brass mooches about like hungry dinosaurs. It liquids out to fill the available shapes, doesn't it? Molding (or is it moulding?) itself to prop up, inflate or undercut emotionally, as required. "Lazarus" shows it taking on the aspect of magically floating gold waterbed. On "Lightning" the brass gives the action a bit of punch. This has become one long love letter to brass; look elsewhere for your apologies.

"The One Who Broke Your Heart" has another Latin carnival feel to it. A wee bit like a live action Dust Brothers. Would perhaps sounds less middle-aged if it was the result of crate-digging and sampling, but I suppose Byrne is a white-haired Scot; he's probably not that bothered whether he can feel the pulse on his thumb. And that thumb has touched some great tunes in its time.

Rating: Quirky Brass out of The Fork Drawer

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