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Song of the day – 389: Ourself Beside Me

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The description on the Tenzenmen website reads:

“Beijing bad girls take the velvet underground, can and the fall, stick it in a pot of ‘who gives a shit’ and raise the spectre of jim morrison to make out with ari up. then smoke a cigarette.”

You think I’m going to go rushing straight past a description that to find out what the fuck Jay-Z’s been up to this week? You are crazier than you look, boy – and that’s saying quite a bit, what with yr grease-covered Vampire Weekend wannabe hairdon’t. Listen. I know the description is crass, falls right within Worst Music Critic Cliches You Can Name but hey, it’s a fucking press release not a Scott Creney masterwork … also, there’s a reason why folk use that format. It’s to the point. It’s the final four words that drew me in, actually – plus, frankly, the entirety of the phrase made this Chinese trio sound not too dissimilar to my Brighton sweethearts Electrelane, and sure I’m willing to listen to anything that reminds me of … I was going to enter someone’s name here, give the game away, thought better of it, berated myself for cowardice … Electrelane and makes me want to swirl giddy with abandon through the rain-soaked streets of The Gap, laughing at the galahs as they try to shelter under leaves. Or perhaps engage in a game of IT’S NOT DIRT with Isaac until his hands smell 4 on the Roses scale and the blue beat compilation is turned up past tropical storm level.

Either that, or they’re going to remind me of the clank and splatter of No Mas Bodas: doesn’t matter. Either way, I’m on to a winner.

The atmosphere is 1980, West London. The mood is inquisitive, challenging, relaxed. One part of me is climbing a fire escape ladder to the fourth floor, yelling IS THERE ANYBODY THERE?! and collapsing back in the room comatose. This is a fine companion piece to 8 Eye Spy. I am beyond good and evil. Beautiful use of saxophone and melodica and sparse guitar and dub rhythms and downplayed vocals to menace. It sounds a little New Age Steppers in places … and man, that’s a real good and decent thing to say about anyone. The trance-like ‘Holiday’ followed by ‘Medicine Girl’ just goes on and on and on the way I love it when Neu! go on and on and on the way I love it when Electrelane go on and on and on the way I love it when Ourself Beside Me go on and on and on.

Then smoke a cigarette.

The video below has no relation whatsoever. It just caught my eye. I’m loving the purple.

More information on Ourself Beside Me here.

Thanks to Princess Stomper for drawing my attention to this. And, of course, Shaun for releasing the album over here.

3 Responses to Song of the day – 389: Ourself Beside Me

  1. Pingback: What are record labels good for, anyway? | Reinspired

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