Gotye - Like Drawing Blood (Lucky Number)
5/5
By: Dickon Stone
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There is so much going on in this album I don't quite know where to start. So we start at the beginning.
The title track is a 22 second long introduction of collected noises, with chimes and eastern strings, leading with seeming caution into the explosive Beck-esque bass-soul-funk-cum-folk-uproar; 'The Only Way'. Then 'Heart's A Mess' begins with easy-chair-Sunday-afternoon jazz before reverting to mellow sounds and airy vocals with Indian percussion keeping the rhythm warm and hollow. There are chimes, shakers, pretty harmonies drifting past in this wonderful song with an edge of madness and a whole bag of unrequited love, before everything thickens for the chorus and WOW - his vocals just made my goose bumps go mad.
There are tribal tones to this music from all corners of the world, as well as acoustic surf guitar nods (he is Australian after all), French lounge-y Air-esque hints, a certain Lamb-ness, a lot of Beck, a sliver of Camille and The Avalanches too. 'Thanks For Your Time' even has something of Justin Timberlake to it; both in the stunning vocals and also the old school funk feel of the music. It's easy from the outset to see why Gotye has collected the awards in his cabinets. It's hard to figure out why we haven't heard more of him before.
All of those influences partnered with those curious wobbly synths, sampled vocals and all the world music stuff... this has to be one of the most post modern pieces of music ever... surely? Gotye has taken something from everywhere. And it is really, really good.
Did I tell you about 'Learnalilgivinanlovin'? It's a Motown record. If I didn't know this track was on a modern day album I really could have put it in a box with Smokey Robinson and Marvin Gaye. There's even a bloody bassoon on it. I don't think I've heard one of them since it was so central in Robinson's 'Tears Of A Clown'.
So far Like Drawing Blood is abnormally broad, and enthusiastically...incredible. I mean, this is a stoner's paradise, but so much more than that too; hugely chilled out, but also very beach worthy, mellow, nostalgic, brilliant...the Parisian influence, jazz, lounge, tribal, folk, gypsy music... all so apparent, and working in total harmony. I am really impressed. F**k it, I'm actually in complete awe.
Gotye has seemingly gone to sleep one night under a blanket of starlight and somehow written a dreamscape utopian score on colourful, subconscious manuscript paper; he has managed to realise some kind of heavenly gorgeousness in his music. And I can't fault it one little bit.
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