Being that I am based out of Montreal, I feel I should try to include more music from local artists. And since I am already entirely a fan of Sunset Rubdown, I thought I'd post their newest single (which you've probably already heard since it's old news in the blogosphere).Spencer Krug is an indie rock creative juggernaut; no one else seems this prolific, nor with an equally impressive body of work. His other band Swan Lake just released their Enemy Mine LP, and yet with their 7" picture disc collaboration with artist David Horvitz due out any day now (which includes two non-album singles), plus their upcoming June-release of Dragonslayer, Krug continues to fatten up his catalogue.
Sunset Rubdown - "Idiot Heart"
"Idiot Heart" follows a similar trajectory to most SR songs by building on a melange of ideas, aiming to meld them into a thematic climax. Sometimes Krug tries to squeeze too many ideas into his formidable creations, though, evident in a 5 minute average song-length on most SR albums. However, the listener's attention span is rarely stretched thin since most tracks include his signature prosaic lyrics, at times unpredictable song structuring, and flourished instrumentation.
"Idiot Heart" begins with some simple rhythm guitar lines and glockenspiel, building towards a catchy chorus, frantic drumming alongside peaking synth splashes. Krug sings: "And you've got a heart," sarcastically while the crash symbols are knocked about, and the 6 minute song is over before it has a chance to gain any footing. Multiple listens are recommended, and even still, one begins to think that something is missing. Perhaps the dubious afterthoughts are from a lack of context? The ideas that come before and after "Idiot Heart" on the album are probably key. I actually saw the band play in the fall and they were incredible. Krug and company played a grip of new songs that night, and in the live setting, I thoroughly enjoyed them. Hopefully the same can be said for Dragonslayer when it drops.
