The Walters – By The Water
We all, secretly, must believe that our lives are part of a movie. And not just any movie. It’s not the kind of low-budget leftover that nobody will want to watch. It’s a positive kind of paranoia that helps us get by and the kind of thing that helps push The Walters’ sound and vision.
These things happen not only with musicians but also with a group that naturally must maintain a belief that their work and life are extraordinary. You’ll hear it all the time, especially with people who have just done something stupid. “Why did you google away your life savings at the Black Jack table?” The reply is always, “It just felt like I was in a movie.”
The Walters’s “By The Water” is a mysterious, high-budget slice of paranoia-pop. It’s created on the back of a slowed-down, woozy surf-rock guitar sound, and it’s complete with the cool, soulful vocals. Both the music and the accompanying video are supposed to leave you hanging in a pleasant haze, which will have you consider your importance in the world in new, potentially exaggerated ways.
Dama Vicke – Won’t Feel Sorry For You
Genre: Electronica, Indie-Pop
The internet is a magic book of secret formulas and methods to reach your targets quickly, no matter what the subject. It makes only sense that things would function in the same way when it comes to pop music. Instead of reading this, you could just watch one of the many tutorials on how to make beats in 5 minutes and become a multi-millionaire.
The tutorials are there. But they don’t guarantee results. What is even worse is that all of these strict, easy-to-understand methods of making commercial art make everything very predictable. How can we expect something distinctive and surprising from our pop music when everyone is learning from the same rulebook? Why should we expect something with life-enriching potential when most of these things are made in the least amount of time possible?
Fortunately, there are some who still demand a question mark from pop music rather than a full stop. Dama Vicke’s “Won’t Feel Sorry For You” is brave enough to take pop music to places where the rulebooks advise against going. It is a song that utilises the potential of modern production in innovative ways. And its lyrics discuss psychologically complex topics that most pop hits wouldn’t approach. Dama Vicke is looking to bring some sophistication to pop music, and for that, the artist ought to be praised.
