here they are:
"Down" by St. Vincent: After her success on adult alt radio stations with the Prince/Bowie-esque "Pay Your Way in Pain," Annie "St. Vincent" Clark continues with work influenced by the two aforementioned eclectic electro-funk-rock masters. "Down" also showcases a Prince/Bowie influence, albeit with one factor that distinguishes it from all other St. Vincent songs that have come out so far. "Down" makes distinctive use of the sitar, as well as the Vocoder (the voicebox thingy Peter Frampton is known for using, which has gained prominent use in funk-rock as well). With all these unique, flavorful elements combined, "Down" sounds anything BUT down, and puts St. Vincent in a place that is too outer space-y to be the past, but too retro to be the future! Far out!
"Motorbike" by Leon Bridges: And speaking of funk music, Leon Bridges is another contemporary musician who has explored the influence of funk in his own sweet way. He started with a record that was a throwback to soul masters like Sam Cooke and Otis Redding, followed that up with a sophomore album exploring more sides of the R & B spectrum, including jazz, funk, and even folk-soul, and now, with a third album on the way, we get to hear Leon exploring...pop-reggae?! "Motorbike" seems to head in that direction, and it is also notable for being Leon's first guitar-less track (if there IS any guitar in it at all, it's barely audible). It's still soul music, as all of Leon's music has been so far, but something feels a little out of place about this one. For one thing, he has enlisted the help of fellow neo-soul musician, Anderson Paak, on this one, and I've never been particularly thrilled with Anderson's style the way I have with Leon's.
"Worry With You" by Sleater-Kinney: It was only two years ago that the fiercely defiant alt-rock duo, Sleater-Kinney, last released an album. However, with the major changes that came afoot the year after, the sentiments expressed in some of their last songs, such as the passionate yet sexually desperate "Hurry on Home," already seem like the products of a bygone era! Their latest song, "Worry With You," could be thought of as a "sequel" of sorts to that song: still spiky, intense, and sexually driven, yet somewhat more subdued, both musically and lyrically, and with the acknowledgment that love life (and life in general) has become more difficult to manage within the space of just a few years. Here, they are not merely looking for someone to spend a naughty night in the nude with, but are instead seeking a more solid form of companionship with someone whom they can feel comfortable mulling over the future with while still trying to enjoy the sparse pleasures of the present. A slightly blues-y garage rock influence on this one, but as usual, this dynamic duo gives it their all!
