Skip to main content

Gotye's New Video Is Worth A View Or 100 Million

By now, it's inevitable that you've heard of Gotye and his viral-turned-global megasmash Somebody That I Used To Know.  That song's video is closing in on a staggering hundered million views on YouTube, where all this hoopla began.  Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on your outlook), his latest album Making Mirrors isn't a one-trick pony.  That is, unless you're looking for an album chock full of heartbroken anthems.

What Making Mirrors does have in spades is rhythm.  A student of 80's Peter Gabriel and Midnight Oil, Gotye never shies away from a beat, organic or otherwise.  In fact, rhythm is just about the only constant on this album; it veers from straight-up rock (Easy Way Out) to propulsive politico rock (Eyes Wide Open) to 60's Motown (I Feel Better) to Kid A-style electronic clusterfuckery (State of the Art) to painfully gorgeous Wintersleepian soundscapes (Bronte).

If any song on Making Mirrors has a shot at slaying the one-hit-wonder dragon that's soaking Gotye's world in flame, it's Easy Way Out, and Gotye's gone balls out to give it an amazing video.  In what appears to be a continuous spinning shot, an army of Gotye argue, smoke, type, shit, shower, and in at least one case die by blunt force trauma.



Making Mirrors is out now via Universal Republic.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Year in Rock 2025

  Alright, I've got some explaining to do.   By now anyone who's visited this blog is well aware of how infrequently I've used this space in recent years; aside from the occasional fertile year of content, I really haven't posted all that often over the last five years or so. There are many reasons for this, which have already been outlined in previous apology posts; but, essentially, it boils down to my own laziness and the cold reality that blogs are, like Refused (again), fucking dead. So, I wouldn't hold my breath for a triumphant return to reviews, or even semi-regular posts, but:   a) I feel like Year in Rock posts have always belonged here and, even though I've experimented with different methods of presentation recently and been satisfied, the "blink and you missed it" unveiling via Facebook stories this year was perhaps ultimately a disservice to the records I lauded. After all, cramming the list into short videos isn't too far off from ju...

Year in Rock 2014: And the Winners Are...

It's been a long year, and another great one for rock n' roll. While the pop charts were overrun with barely legals obsessed with their asses, rock soldiered on undeterred even as pundits (hell, in some cases even rockers themselves) mourned the genre. Sure, rock didn't dominate the money game in 2014, but that shouldn't evoke sad nostalgia and eulogies. Even for as little perceived impact rock music made, a hell of a lot happened if people had only paid attention. From grizzled vets adding jewels to their crown (Springsteen, Petty) to new beginnings (Against Me!, Antemasque) to happy returns (Faith No More, The Tea Party) and all points in between, rock continued to thrive, evolve and thrill in 2014. Enough talk. It's winning time. Your Year in Rock winners for 2014 are...

Year in Rock 2023: Album of the Year #10-1

Now we're getting somewhere; the top ten, where there are no duds or mids, only bangers. Also, no more teasing it out; let's wrap this up!  What I've learned this year from my ten faves this year is that it is indeed still possible for a dude approaching his fifties to more or less stay up to date on the new school. Of course, there are some listed here that got a boost from playing tribute to the old school, but there is an undercurrent happening in rock that points to the future. But, I'm getting ahead of myself; here come the champs. 10 MILITARIE GUN Life Under the Gun June 23, 2023 • Loma Vista Highlights Very High Will Logic Never Fucked Up Once Rising from the ranks of the still-potent L.A. hardcore scene, the debut record from Militarie Gun (following a trio of EPs) bears a dash of polish that's expected with backing from a larger label; the tension and energy remain, though, resulting in one of the catchiest hardcore albums I can think of in recent years. 9 ...