Fonty – No Love for the West Side
Genre: Pop Rock, Indie Rock, Garage Rock
Most would-be artists hope that they will use their travels, a love affair, or a near-death experience to write a great philosophical novel. Usually, they don’t. Most shouldn’t try. And the best thing that the vast majority of us could do but won’t is come up with a stand-up routine or a clever pop song. Fonty is one of the few who figured it out.
The problem with writing a door-stopping oeuvre is that the world doesn’t much care about it. You’d have to actively beg people and bribe them in order to take the time to soak up your knowledge. But if you’re knowledge is enough to get folks excited, laughing or stamping their feet in time, you may be able to share your wisdom after all.
Fonty’s “No Love for the West Side,” is just as you expect, a big, silly pop song. It’s entirely memorable, and the storytelling makes it all sound like the failed relationship that the singer is lamenting here was a worthwhile sacrifice. Creativity can mean entertaining others, and this is what Fonty does here.
Otracami – Fold
Similar artists: Indigo De Souza, Tomberlin, Tirzah, Adrianne Lenker
Genre: Folk, Alt Pop
Call me old-fashioned, but I used to love hearing pop stars make a bad or great record all on their own. Now, you’d have to direct your ire or admiration toward the army of employed tasked with making it seem like the star possesses a glimmer of unique personality traits. Otracami’s “Fold” sounds like it was made by the young songwriter all on her own, and it shows.
Choosing individuality is bound to lead you down a lonely, lengthy road. This is especially true if you’re looking to make music nowadays. Modern audiences and the PR rep suppliers usually have to describe what they are about to hear using the most basic form of comparisons.
Otracami’s “Fold” is an intriguing look into an artist’s psyche that is disguised as a pop song. Sure enough, the soulful vocals are convincing, as is the production. But the really interesting things happen when Otracami takes the unchartered road. The lyrics, the arrangement and the visual presentation, help conjure something that pure pop formulas would never be able to deliver. Quite a success!
