Song and Subtlety.
Spot the Devil.
A music lesson today. Be grateful I won’t ask for an essay afterwards. Or charge you tuition.
On subtlety.
Three songs. Put your headphones on and head to my Spotify playlist. Do it now.
First the example. “Orestes” by the gloriously synthetic A Perfect Circle.
A band that claims much, right from the start. Bloodless, as I have said, but let’s move beyond that. Orestes, man of violent passions and madness, do you hear anything like that in this song? They strive for subtle, for a more modern interpretation, sterile, like you can control madness with medication. No. You can only put it to sleep for a little while. Sweet beginning, but words given out like script, this is a very controlled kind of madness, it doesn’t exist. He can no more feign insanity than he can love, thou’rt a robot, Meynard, let it be. Sing of what you know, cold machines. Having said this, it stays on my playlist.
Next, the Powerfully subtle. “Dorian” by the Divine Agnes Obel. Find her perfection in my Book.
A creature of many moods, she sheds her beauty and dark light in the farthest corners of Hell. I have her often, in my room, lit only by firelight, perfect for her. A creature of my stealing. With her, I made a nameless ghost that taught me something I didn’t know, about something of mine. You can imagine how hard it is to get one up on Satan, I live in every heart, I know everything about you. Listen to her incredible voice, her delicious words, the most subtle harmonies you will hear from a woman in your lifetime. Is there evil in this song? Lovely, delicate, just a glimpse, feel the relentless heartbeat. A Masterpiece.
Last, you have heard it before, I will recommend it forever.
The Eternally Subtle. “Knives Out” by Radiohead, the Gods of Despair. The gods of rhythm, the gods of Bleak, Maestros all, your hat had better be off at this moment, lowly peon. Take it off in your mind, immediately.
Dark song, naked ugly, served in the smoothest, finest, most sensuous sauce. Let it pour over you, all your nerves will thrum with this one. Your blood will rise, the sinister words, utterly at odds with what your senses are feeling. This will drive you a little mad, cognitive dissonance will wrestle you to the ground. You will start to think of understanding the darkness, facing it, whatever it is. Then that luscious, sexy guitar will lure you to trust. Subtle? The bass line is a masterpiece of subtlety, the rhythm so perfect I am short of words. Listen again to this conflicting, enchanting song. Ah, that simple guitar riff, a musical dream. Aela has been known to- well, find it for yourself.
Can we forget the Fascinating Thom? Master of Obscurity. He doesn’t claim madness for himself, he doesn’t have to. Now there’s a channel, I’ve been tempted, but I’m a lone Devil at heart, his head is very crowded. Your solo stuff, my friend, incomprehesnsible. By me even, and I tried. Stay in your magic circle Thom, with that keyboardist who knows how to conjure up worlds with just his mind and his fingertips. Stay together Masters, and give us something new. Just a song, that’s all. This God knows you’ve done enough musically. He just needs one more hit in the head.
The band has so much to say, in so many ways, if they aren’t considered the Best Band in the world, they should be. It will stay that way until something better comes along. Good luck finding that.
Meet the Contender in my next blog.