Today’s Song: Parisian indie band takes us through a Salvador Dali-esque tropical landscape in ‘Asc. Scorpio’
Based in Paris, the trio is composed of childhood friends Lewis Lazar, Christopher Willatt and Finnish musician Julia Johansen. My new favorite recent discovery, you can’t help but adding some bounce to your step when you hear this song. Reminiscent of some of Coast Modern’s songs, this dreamy, tropical groove is optimistic and otherworldly, with jangling bells, catchy guitar riffs that sing in perfect harmony on the scaffolding of a bouncy bass riff.
The single, which was released March 11, 2020, right in the peak of Covid times, is less than 3 minutes of music, but it’s like snatching the best part of vacation; the golden sands, sparkling blue ocean and warm breeze, and just replaying it on repeat. The sunny melodies however, hide a less sunny lyrical disposition. ‘Hum along, I heard a scream. You got it wrong, It’s not as it seems.’ Painting somewhat discomforting portrayal of a modern landscape ‘a power grid, and thunder, a tenement, which number,’ we get disjointed images of fragments of a story which is insinuated to not be all it seems on outside. Painting photos of something desolate with the use of bright colours inspires images similar to a Dali painting, with elephants strolling along on a barren wasteland and a clock dripping over a ledge.
Despite the underlying mystery of the lyrics, the melody produces an undeniably catchy groove which feels like a trip in a 70s decorated living room complete with fragments of orange and yellow and pink floral wallpaper and crystallised bead curtains. The band said in a recent interview when asked what they’d want people to take away from their music, ‘Liberation of mind, body, and soul. We’d like people to feel uplifted’. Uplifted is definitely a key emotion in the experience of this song, and one that I will be having on repeat in the drearier winter months to add some colour to my day.
SydneyLaura.com 