Last Song Syndrome: Wonky Business

Wikipedia categorizes Dan Black's music as part of the "Wonky Pop" movement in the UK, putting him on the same slate as electro-pop artists like Sam Sparro, Passion Pit, Little Boots, and Mr. Hudson. That alone eliminates any need for me to compare Dan Black's music to all of the above, whom I adore dearly.

(Mmmm, Mr. Hudson. Hot damn that boy is bloody fine.... but that's for another entry.)

That said, I wouldn't be remiss if I told you that "Symphonies" is wonky to the point of being awe-inspiring. How else can you explain lyrics about drug addiction (seriously: read 'em and weep) nestled with soaring strings, a droning melody, and a dead ringer for the backbeat from Rihanna's "Umbrella," for good measure? And how else can you explain the presence of Kid Cudi as a surprisingly viable collaborator on the US remix?



And if you thought the live version above was awesome, you should see the actual video:



I already have the regular album version of "Symphonies" on my iPod, along with a Cudi-less version of the video above... and yet I can't get enough of the insanity that is the US remix. Like "everything" bagels and "kitchen sink" cookies, it's more addictive that you could ever bargain for, and way more than any kind of human logic can handle.

PS. Can we talk about Kid Cudi for a minute, BTW? I'd already written him off last year because "Make Her Say" totally underwhelmed me - even with the Lady Gaga sample that carried the chorus - but between "Symphonies" and "The Pursuit of Happiness", I think I'm ready to give him another chance. Guy reminds me a lot of Kanye West before he went off the deep end; let's just hope that Cudi doesn't end up with the same fate.)