Gotye - Learnalilgivinanlovin (Lucky Number)
4/5
Rejoice, for the king hath returned! Yes, indeed, you would be forgiven for thinking, on a blind listen to 'Learnalilgivinanlovin', that you were witnessing a glorious new cut from some recently unearthed box of James Brown rarities. But no, quite the opposite - this is, in fact, the musical musings of young, white, exuberant Wally de Backer of Merricks Beach, Australia. Everything about him exudes colour and vibrancy - from the multi-hued animation that bedecks this tracks video, through his delightful polka-dot pyjamas so gaily displayed on his MySpace page, to this perfect pastiche of all things good about Motown.
It isn't all his own idea (to be honest, it's debatable whether any of it is his own idea), but his awareness of the fact that he's merely using this song as a means of conjuring up fond and sunny memories works a charm. "It's been done before" he cries; "come on, do it again!" His joy is so infectious, and the backing tracks so meticulously crafted to sound, right down to the crackle that hisses in the background, like the voice of an era, that you cannot help but smile. The choir oohs and aahs, and you find yourself mouthing along, while the brass sidle their way in to switch the focus of your attention. The track gets down its groove early on, herky-jerky funk rhythms being slashed out by the guitars while the bass and drums pound out their beat, and all the while Wally carries on, at once aware and unaware and caught in his fantastic moment.
"Come on, do it again"? Amen, brother.
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