Song of the Day - Day 799

Today's song is...


Black Ops

This one is kind of weird. Part of my brain wants to think the lyrics make sense and I know what the song is about. The other part is just going "huh?" But what I don't have any doubts about is the music. The arrangement is interesting, unexpected and really what keeps me going back to listen once more, and then, just one more time. I am very excited by the presence of the bongos (or something bongo-like anyway), as I do have kind of a think for bongos. One of the most interesting things is the decision to leave much of the vocals backed only by percussion. It makes it all the more impactful when the full compliment of instruments do come in. And the tone of those instruments when they appear is perfect for the song. A little creepy, tinged with an electronic edge. Then the moments when the music stops at the end are startling and a little unsettling. Which I think is exactly the point. The analogy to musical chairs, given the content of the song, is chilling.

In short, I don't think this song is going to be one of my favorites, but I'm certainly not going to dismiss it either. And I have very high hopes for the rest of the album, as what turned out to be my favorite Flans songs weren't among the preview tracks on Join Us either.