Cougar Stay Famous (Counter)
4/5
By: Liane Escorza
Cougar return with their second single, Stay Famous, from their forthcoming album ‘Patriot’, which includes an exclusive track with Paul Smith of Maxïmo Park.
And it’s no wonder Mr. Smith wanted a piece of this cake. But no vocals by him or anyone else can actually elevate this melodic beauty higher than where it is at already – ‘Stay Famous’ is a wake-up call to the senses.
A loud, aggressive intro of riffing gives way to a quiet emotive and organic melody backed up with a precise, propulsive wave of drums. This dynamic counter-effect is however somewhat lost in the remix by Mike Ladd, an old colleague of David Henzie-Skogen, at the time drummer of the Youngblood Brass Band. His version of ‘Stay Famous’ is raw, dirty, tribal and full of gravitational force, but it lacks the delicacy and elegance of its original.
Thankfully, we do get another shot of Cougar’s savoire faire in ‘Foil Épée Sabre’, with soft banjo melodies twisting and turning like ivy in melancholic dances and captivating near nu-jazz genius.
The electronic fits come with Paul Smith as the lyrical guest for ‘Digit Cleaver’, and even though this is probably the least ‘defining’ track on the release, it is probably the one song that proves Cougar is a band that is not afraid of experimenting with extremes – it effectively and brilliantly manages to blend rock and electronic music without forgetting a unique and sparkling hook.
Artists in this article: Cougar
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