By Isaac Siegemund-Broka
Staff Writer
They say two heads are better than one.
David Byrne, the visionary leader of the Talking Heads, and St. Vincent (Annie Clark), one of today’s most avant-garde singer-songwriters, have teamed up to produce “Love This Giant,” which was released on Sept. 11. “Love This Giant” may seem needlessly eccentric at first, but then its sundry horn textures and nuanced vocal ability blend perfectly into a zany fusion of its two creators’ styles.
“Love This Giant” was actually never supposed to happen. Byrne and independently wrote and exchanged chunks of lyrics with the plan of performing them in a limited number of live shows. It was not until these lyrics were finished that the duo decided to add instrumentation and produce an entire album.
The album does occasionally sound suspiciously like a reincarnation of the Talking Heads, but St. Vincent’s buoyant vocals and powerful rhythm buffer Byrne’s new-wave whimsicality. “Love This Giant” also utilizes a mostly brass band of roughly 50 members, including an instrumentalist from the Antibalas Afrobeat Orchestra and the Dap Kings.
The true highpoint of the album is its balance between diversity and simplicity. Many bands either attempt too much or attempt too little. “Love This Giant,” on the other hand, finds a middle ground and, thus, stays relatively focused on one set of sounds while exploring its various aspects.
The album opens with the single “Who,” a jaunty track that features both Byrne’s signature wails and St. Vincent’s clear voice. The mixture of the bouncing saxophone and the snappy drums set a very high standard for the rest of the album.
Continuing with “Weekend In the Dust,” the album takes on a funkier feel. Low brass produces grooving tunes while horns add sassy swells to Clark’s melodic sound. The funk fades slightly to make way for Byrne’s soft voice on “Dinner for Two.”
David Byrne’s excellent lyrics maintain the blend of satirical frankness and worldly concern that they had back in the days of the Talking Heads. On “I Should Watch TV,” he sings, “I used to think that I should watch TV / I used to think that it was good for me,” but this silly narrative turns cynical as he begins to complain about his lack of human connection and compares social interaction to the atmosphere in a hotel lobby. Byrne has the unique ability of sounding insightful and down-to-earth simultaneously.
The album peaks with “The Forest Awakes” and “I Should Watch TV.” Both use the powerful and distinct rhythms that characterize much of St. Vincent’s best work. Though simple, the pounding beats add a hypnotic rhythmic element to the brass layers of sound and help to keep the attention of the listener.
“Outside of Space and Time” is the grand conclusion to the album. A smooth brass chorale lays the foundation for Byrne’s omniscient lyrics, in which he spouts far-reaching lines that inspire appreciation for everyday living: “Everyone’s enlightened everyday / You may each know nirvana when you brush your hair.”
“Love This Giant” is undoubtedly very quirky, but if there are two musicians able to pull it off well, they are David Byrne and St. Vincent.
“Love this Giant” twists and turns with progressive instrumental ingenuity and vocal talent, skillfully dipping into every facet of its brass instrument-infused art rock focus. “Love this Giant” is available in some retail stores and on iTunes for $9.99.
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