Though the skies stateside remain clear and cloudless, the last several years have seen a storm brewing in the artistic incubator of Melbourne, Australia. Since 2003, a talented triple-threat producer, multi-instrumentalist and songwriter known as Gotye has been gaining impressive momentum and now, with 2011 and his third full-length release entitled, Making Mirrors, it’s clear the world is about to get a taste of something they won’t want to spit out.
Generally speaking, a ‘producer’ will program a track because he or she can’t actually play the instruments, however this is not the case with Gotye; the benefits of his luminary musicality shine on every single track. Among the most noticeable and infectious of these benefits is the groove and placement of rhythm sections, and as though to further enhance the effect of these elements, real drums were performed in lieu of sampled ones for the first time in the history of this artist. (Other organic instruments recorded for this album include pedal steel, bass and cello.) The result is a more natural and more engaging experience between performer and listener – this is music that will make you move, even if you don’t mean to.
Equally alluring is the maturity and power of the songwriting. Touching on topics both poignant and elated, each of these songs conjures emotion through artful placement of words and musical elements. Making use of innovative vocal melodies and an inimitable vocal quality (think Sufjan Stevens mixed with Sting), the delivery of already-strong lyrics transforms mere poetry into a force capable of encapsulating true feeling.
Among the best tracks on this album are “Eyes Wide Open” on which a galloping rhythm matches a percussive vocal melodies and sweeping steel passages to yield a balmy summer anthem. Equally invigorating is “I Feel Better,” a once-sparkly show-tune featuring gritty-sounding vocals and horns evocative of Ferris Bueller’s rendition of “Twist and Shout.”
To be honest, there isn’t a single track on this record unworthy of attention and I urge you to choose your own favorite. This is a well put-together, marvelously written and uniquely crafted album with the potential for massive success.
