There's a little thing I like to call the "Krug Factor". It pops its head up in all sorts of places, but its unifying property is that everywhere it goes it leaves a trail of awesome. I am of course referring to manic Canadian Spencer Krug, and the particular instance of his influence I am referencing is the recently released Sunset Rubdown album Random Spirit Lover.
The album is, for want of a better expression, really really really good. Lushious melodies collide with circus carnivals run by pirates. Sombre heartfelt moments smash into over-the-top synths and tribal drumming. All the while the trademark situational yet fantasy laden lyrics dart in and out of the arrangements, sometimes pushing hastily to the front, while at other times happy to sit back and watch it all unfold.
Up On Your Leopard, Upon The End Of Your Feral Days is a chant-along sea-shanty crossed with a fantasy world of leopards and dead birds. The Courtesan Has Sung builds up achingly slowly to a brilliant crescendo. The Taming Of The Hands That Came Back To Life combines it's infectious melody and driving beat to result in an unstoppable force. And with lyrics like...
She said "my sails are flapping in the wind"
I said "can I use that in a song?"
She said "I mean the end begins"
I said "I know, can I use that too?"
...It's easy to see why it is the highlight of the record.
In closing: More records like this please. Sometimes it's fun to freak out and escape into a world that very few can imagine, and fewer still can bring to life the way Krug and the rest of the members of Sunset Rubdown can.
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