cuttingpractice:

DX is on its way from the FRIENDZONE duo.  But for a short, digestable bite of what’s to come, we get “ALWAYS”, a vocal-sample heavy track that fires off quick shots.  For a track by this title, you’d expect a bit more consistency.  And in careful ways, this idea holds.  In others, it doesn’t, giving listeners the time to read a narrative into this instrumental piece.  I hear the story of a woman in love.  I promise I’ll explain.  

When I comment on “ALWAYS’” slight inconsistencies (variations), that isn’t an accusation, That’s praise.  This what forms the “narrative” aspect of the piece.  Your life isn’t consistent.  My life isn’t consistent.  Why should music be?  These variant inconsistencies are what give this piece character.  Necessarily, these diverge from a consistent foundation.  Tightly-strewn vocal samples, though, that wind into themselves carve out this baseline experience to work from.  Treated like drums, these voices clap to the rhythm of a woman (I’m assuming because of the lightness in the voice) unabashedly rattling off all the reasons she’s in love with you.  

About a minute in, though, another, softer voice chimes in, with a supportive lightness whose short stops mimic those clapping loudly.  Like her internal monologue; they have the same character.  She wants to tell you everything, but she can’t pick what to start with.  This voice occasionally trades places with the loudest one, creating a conversation both between the track an listeners and within the track itself.  With this, the track becomes self-referential, in my eyes (ears?).  And in this conversation, there are musical variations that morph the values of certain aspects of the track.  

A snare pitter-patters with the sharpness of a heart in love.  Cymbals shake her up as she settles into the idea of opening up to you.  She’s scared.  But she’s also reassured by a deep bass that evens out the snares momentarily.  Is this our voice?  Is this a calm born inside of her?  I’m not really sure which.  And once this instrument comes in, it remains, soothing the track.  Horns elevate this track to give it importance, we know we’re listening to someone’s deepest most personal emotions.  

And then it just ends.  No fade to black.  No slight removal of certain elements.  No shift in energy.  Lights out.  FRIENDZONE gives us a story to hear, and they give us questions to respond to : What was our answer?  What do we say to this girl?  Do we love her back?  Was she breaking up with us?  No coddling, FRIENDZONE treats us like adults.  We have to make up our own minds.  

I can write all I want, but Svante (Allmungs) and Druture (of Grown Folk) said it best on Facebook (see above).  Look out for DX, coming soon.  

LISTEN/DOWNLOAD : 

-CUTT CZAR (HERONALD REAGAN)

FORMERLY KNOWN AS : FRANKLIN WEATHERFIELD AKA DENZEL SPLASHINGTON AKA PATOIS VUITTON AKA CHUCKDEGAULLE