It Drove Me Mad In A Good Way

Chad VanGaalen “Chronograph #1” – Most of this song passes by in a slo-mo haze, as though the narrator is attempting to force time to stand still through sheer force of will. VanGaalen maintains the effect for a few verses, pushing his voice to its physcial limits with a tremulous falsetto and extending a moment of sentimental nostalgia until he seems to shrug it off and shifts into a gentle instrumental outro. (Click here to visit the Chad VanGaalen page at the Flemish Eye Records site. The album will be released domestically in August on Sub Pop.)

Cocorosie “Noah’s Ark” – This seems to be Cocorosie’s version of a modern pop song, at least in the sense that it has a strong, steady 4/4 beat and an obvious, catchy chorus. The conventional structure suits them well by grounding their old-timey affectations in something more immediate and accessable, thus placing the emphasis on the gorgeous melodies rather than distracting the listener with stylistic excess. (Click here to pre-order it from No Karma.)