THINK ABOUT LIFE
To be honest, we aren’t exactly shy of contrasts and comparisons on this blog. Upon hearing a tune for the first time it’s in our nature to immediately liken it’s components to that of other music we’ve previously heard. We all do it, don’t we? Well, how would you like to hear our strangest musical allegory to date? We think we just heard Win Butler, of Arcade Fire fame, fronting The Go Team! That’s what smacked our imagination full in the face upon pressing play on the brilliant tune, Havin’ My Baby, by the excellent Think About Life! Don’t worry though, for the comparison didn’t last long, as the frontman, Martin Cesar, goes on to sound just as much like Tunde Adebimpe, on Johanna, or even Kele Okereke, on the track Sweet Sixteen. He’s backed up by the extaordinary music, which is straight out of The School Of Awesomeness, where these prefects are clearly shaping up to obtain top qualifications. It’s the tinkering bounce in the beat and the tricks up their sleeves, that reveal themselves rewardingly as each tune unfolds, that convinced us to enter them onto The Recommender today. Just like TV On The Radio – with whom they seem to share playful ideals – they seem more than happy to experiment without losing the tune, or indeed the listener. There’s plenty of funk, genial samples and handclaps throughout, planting smiles across the room as they serve up their satisfying soul food. They played Europe’s leading festival of new music, The Great Escape, in our home city of Brighton back in May, which suggested that the UK hasn’t quite caught onto them, following their 2006 self-titled debut release. The Canadian four piece’s lineup has slightly changed prior to their second album, Family, bringing in Caila Thompson-Hannant on bass and vocals, which perhaps explains why it’s taken the sophomore LP three more years to get here. In truth, their label, Alienate Recordings, stuttered for a UK release, arriving on the record store’s shelves of America and Japan before here. We suggest that you now have a flick through the below tunes and consider leaving a comment with your own collection of comparisons. (MB)
Find them here: Myspace
Hear them here: THINK ABOUT LIFE – HAVIN’ MY BABY
Hear them here: THINK ABOUT LIFE – SWEET SIXTEEN
Hear them here: THINK ABOUT LIFE – JOHANNA
…oh, and they’re playing this year’s Bestival in September too, http://www.bestival.net/#/artists/2010-lineup, so check them out if you’re going? (Note – I feel I had to leave this comment before Robin did. lol)
Mike
Damn you !!! They are indeed playing Bestival and shhhhh but I understand a certain Mr Rob Da Banks Sunday Best record label is attempting to secure some sort of deal with the band….
Brilliant! We can always rely on you for some awesome Bestival gossip. I’m looking forward to your Tweets from the festival in September…
Thanks
Mike
Hi guys,
Mike I met you at the Corcorde at the Great Escape on the Saturday, I was with Robin.
I totally agree on how awesome TAL are. They were my main new discovery prior to the Great Escape. I couldn’t understand in an era wher most bands are hyped after two tracks, that these guys had two albums worth of total quality and remained off the radar.
Anyway they are now firmly on the radar and I expect to see them break through.
I’m pretty sure now they ahve signed some deal with Sunday Best. The Sunday Best website lists is certainly listing their gigs.
Cheers,
Peter
best new music for me. . .a song with a sped-up, “chipmunked” sample of frenetic, juice-dripping soul running through it. A more joyous piece of music.
We all should think about life and her nice aspects.