Album of the Week - Vol.5

Like Drawing Blood GOTYE (2006)
Week: Sun 13th August to Sat 19th August
Format: CD
Producer: Francois Tetaz
Track listing:
1. Like Drawing Blood
2. The Only Way *
3. Heart's a Mess *
4. Coming Back *
5. Thanks for Your Time *
6. Learnalilgivinanlovin
7. Puzzle with a Piece Missing
8. A Distinctive Sound *
9. Seven Hours with a Backseat Driver
10. Night Drive
11. Worn Out Blues
TOTAL RUNNING TIME: 47:50

I was a little late to the Gotye party. Well, if I'm being honest, really really late. When Heart's a Mess was all over JJJ and RAGE, I was like "meh". When Somebody That I Used To Know set fire to the world, I didn't even listen to it for almost a year after it was released. I wasn't oblivious to it being around, as the song was making headlines for topping the JJJ Hot 100, winning a Grammy and being featured on Glee(!). I just hadn't heard it. Not much of a radio listener, me. Or a TV watcher. Free-to-air, that is.

When I finally did hear the track, I understood what all the fuss was about. Despite its level of saturation over popular culture, it's catchy as heck and the production is killer. Kimbra's vocal contribution is an interesting choice to me, because it's not really a duet. Unless I'm misinterpreting the track, it's a break-up song and they're not singing to each other. Are they possibly bonding over their similar experiences with an ex-lover? Are they two halves of one person? Am I totally off course? Anyway, what I'm saying is that I don't think a second vocalist was really necessary. However, when Kimbra's voice soars off into the chorus after her verse finishes, it's pretty sublime.

But I digress! I'm not here to debate the merits and shortfalls of that particular track. I'm supposed to be talking about Like Drawing Blood. So, I eventually listened to the Making Mirrors album, and I really enjoyed it. What struck me was the variety of genres he dabbled in. There were moody ballads, electronica, faux soul, upbeat pop, squelchy rock and folk infused tunes. It was during my time with this album that I finally 'got' Heart's a Mess. I absolutely love it now, but I only had a copy of the radio edit on the Triple J Hottest 100 Vol. 14 compilation. So, when I stumbled across the full album version of Spotify, I dug it even more. It's got such an eerie atmosphere, but it's strangely calming. The extended drum sequence is a great bonus too. 

I'd only listened to a couple of tracks from Like Drawing Blood before I knew I had to buy it. I was quite surprised how similar it was to Making Mirrors in terms of structure. There are a few tracks that have themselves a sister on the other album. For instance, the excellent ode to being stuck on hold during a phone call, Thanks For Your Time, is similar in feel and production to State Of The Art. Learnalilgivinanlovin and I Feel Better employ the use of a keyboard horn section, each of them giving off a classic R&B/soul vibe. Both albums' second tracks, The Only Way and Easy Way Out, come after short introductory pieces (both are the albums' title tracks too!) and have a driving beat on par with the other. Coincidentally, the big singles from the two records, Heart's a Mess and Somebody That I Used To Know, are both the third track as well.

The biggest difference setting Like Drawing Blood apart from Making Mirrors is the instrumental tracks. One of these, Seven Hours with a Backseat Driver, is quite hypnotic and features many melodic hooks with some unusual instrumentation. A big album highlight for me is the musique concrète piece A Distinctive Sound, which reminds me of a more coherent and concise Lumpy Gravy (Frank Zappa). 

Anyway, to sum up, if you wrote Gotye off after you heard Somebody That I Used To Know umpteen times, you owe it to yourself to check out Like Drawing Blood. Whether you empathise with the giddy narrator of Coming Back as his lover returns, or the optimist keen to spend time with their special someone during a Night Drive, there's sure to be something here for any music appreciator!