After such a long time away it seems only appropriate that I return home to Drunken Sherpa with an album review. My good friend and consummate music lover Sean drops a yearly mix CD on his peeps around Christmas time (a tradition I’m very fond of myself) and this past holiday season’s entry brought with it another brilliant example of the art of mix; the sublime ‘Keep’.
Sean is fond of saying his mixes always have a ‘mood’ or theme based on how the songs sound, rather than the lyrical content. After listening to “keep” (and certainly “Retreat” - my all time favorite from Sean) it’s impossible to believe he’s overlooked how profound an emotional impact the words themselves carry.
Keep seems to run a stream of consciousness zig zag through the sometimes confusing world of relationships. The underlying current is one of apprehension and regret, but there are moments of hope that keep the listener tuned to the possibility of satisfaction; however distant the notion may be.
Without further adieu, a track by track run down of Sean’s winter opus, “KEEP”
Your Ex-Lover Is Dead - Stars
The heart wrenching song that begins not only this mix but the album from which it’s taken never fails to literally bring a tear to my eye. An ‘almost better than Death Cab’ take on surviving the unravelling of an important time in one’s life, there is a lyric here that even as I’m about to type it has me on an emotional edge so steep it’s near impossible not to come tumbling down it:
There’s one thing I want to say, so I’ll be brave, you were what I wanted, I gave what I gave, I’m not sorry I met you, I’m not sorry it’s over, I’m not sorry, there’s nothing to say
Gawdamn. A gripping start to the mix, and the title track of an album that should be in everyone’s collection.
True - Spandau Ballet
As this song started for the first time I listened to ‘KEEP’, I quite literally got chills. In an instant I was transported back to the lazy summer vacation days spent running through the sprinklers of my youth, and listening to this song as it played almost constantly on the radio. A song about holding onto dreams and a breathy refrain that still sounds as soothing and hypnotic as the day it was recorded.
So true, Funny how it seems, Always in time, but never in line for dreams, Head over heels,when toe to toe, This is the sound of my soul, This is the sound, I bought a ticket to the world, But now Ive come back again,
Dudley - Yeah Yeah Yeahs
A great YYY track, somehow reminds me of an old 50’s torch song. Maybe the structure? Hard to say. What’s easier is getting the feeling she’s talking about recognizing her lover isn’t all she’d thought he was, and the fragility of the bond they share.
My dear you’ve been used, I’m breaking the news, Well love nearly beat us, I’m thinking like you, Well I’m thinking of you, Well love follows near us,
Nothing In My Way - Keane
A perfect transition from Dudley, the driving emotive guitar work acts as a segue into a slightly more optimistic, if still overcome with confusion, tone. My favorite part of this song, (which prior to this point seems to reflect on the stagnation and bitterness that seems an inevitable part of a long term relationship) is the liberating mantra at the end:
Well for a lonely soul, you’re having such a nice time, For a lonely soul, you’re having such a nice time, For a lonely soul, it seems to me that you’re having such a nice time, You’re having such a nice time
I can relate to this more and more each day. Well done Sean.
Neighborhood #2 (Laika) - Arcade Fire
This track arrives in somewhat jarring fashion, waking the listener up a bit after the more sullen songs that precede it. Another song about the nature of dreams, and having the strength of positive intention to make them come true.
If you want somethin’ don’t ask for nothin, if you want nothin’ don’t ask for somethin’!
Christiansands - Tricky
This is one of those tracks that’s been simmering just beneath the surface of my radar screen for years. I’ve heard it..and snippets of it, in strange places. Soundtracks? Passing cars? The occasional radio 1190 play? The randomness of its presence in my life makes it, and its inclusion here somewhat surreal. The tone takes the mix in a slightly more funky, yet trip-hop fabulous direction I wouldn’t even try to resist. Lyrically, it’s asking big questions about the nature of ‘together’, and what it means to avoid losing yourself in the process.
You and me, what does that mean?, Always, what does that mean?, Forever, what does that mean?, It means well manage, Ill master your language, And in the meantime Ill create my own
Into the night - Julee Cruise
Wow.. a complete turn around from Tricky; Sean suddenly pulls the lever behind the curtain and sends us tumbling down the trap door of obsession. A spooky, gorgeous exploration of love and longing, bordering on ”restraining order required”. If you haven’t heard this track, take the rest of the day off and track it down. Now.
55566688833 - James Figurine
I had dinner with Sean and his charming wife the night he gave me this mix, and I remember how excited he was for me to hear the words to this one. I was intrigued by the title. On listening, which happened on a windy, chilly afternoon at the light rail station, I found myself smiling, or smirking you could say, to the clever meaning behind it. Beyond the inherent humor however, there exists a message. It’s easy to start a relationship doing all the things you know you should; it’s a lot harder to keep doing them months, or years later. Synth-poptastic fun, with the aforementioned morose element hiding under the covers.
I have to type eleven numbers into my cell phone, Just to make it spell ‘love’, So I usually don’t, And it takes up fifteen digits to spell out ‘goodbye’, But if I leave out the ‘good’ I can save us some time
PS: Screw you T9. Forever.
Beautiful Day Without You - Royksopp
A satiny smooth transition into another electronic treat brings us Royksopp. I enjoy the dichotomy in this mix; one minute it seems to lament the potential loss of a lover, the next it seems to relish the restored independence.
Love is gonna save us - Benny Benassi
My friend Greg likes to say Benny Benassi only has one song, which he’s recorded dozens of times. While it may be true that they all sound pretty similar, when the vocoder drenched synth filtered fun is this edgy and animated, who am I to complain? The simplicity of the lyrics underscore the intention here; with all our drawbacks, weaknesses and worries, maybe love really can get the job done. Maybe.
09.Veiran - Psychobitchmix 2 - Gus Gus
I’m not gonna lie to you; this song seems positively out of place. It’s a straight up dance track, with a Lords of Acid / Praga Khan vibe that’s unmistakable. Perhaps then it’s intended as an intermission from the emotive rollercoaster it follows? In that capacity, it works perfectly.
Things are gonna change - Villeneuve
It had to be an intermission. Villeneuve’s TAGC brings us back to reality, with a rolling, relaxingly upbeat track that begs the question; can you resist change? The answer is simple. Nope.
And I Was A Boy From School - Hot Chip
I take great pride in having turned Sean onto Hot Chip, and turned on, gawd lawd, he really was (his ecstatic emails thanking me for pointing them out were awesome). This is one of the few tracks on that album that carries some emotional weight, and in the context of this mix seem to hint at an introspective rememberance of what the protagonist thought love should be in his earlier days, perhaps contrasting it with what it’s actually become in his modern life. Electronic, dancy, with almost a disco flair, perfectly balanced by the heartfelt lyrics, this track is my favorite from the Hot Chip album. Good inclusion Sean, and the blend from “Things are gonna change” to this shows a real maturity as a DJ and mix maker. Put simply; it works.
Stay Out All Night - Bent
This track was a complete surprise. I have never heard of ‘Bent’, but leave it to Sean to discover diamonds in the sands of mediocrity. Starting with a piano laced melody, it soon blossums into a moving synth-pop piece that seems to examine the difficulty of balancing suburban life, and all its boring necessities, with the desire to immerse oneself in the debauchery of the bar scene. I’m still somewhat on the fence regarding the track overall, but it’s a good inclusion nonetheless. I’ll have to check out more Bent in the future.
Go with the flow - Royksopp
Perhaps my least favorite of the mix (a bit too industrial and stomping methinks), the name itself does a good job of summing up the mix as a whole. If you’re gonna jump onboard the Crazy Town Express to Lovesville, you better be prepared to get flexible.
Overall, an amazing work. Thanks for sharing Sean.
Special note on the cover:
When I first got this mix, I ripped it into iTunes, dropped it on my iPod shuffle, and proceeded to listen to the hell out of it for like a week straight. I didn’t listen to it in itunes for quite awhile, and therefore never saw the cover until almost a month later.
In this capacity, KEEP stands easily in the top 3 of Sean’s mixes..ever.
I take this meaning from the three images on offer:
1) The iron silhouette of a person hammering. = WORK
2) The silver building at the end of 17th street, very near where my loft is = LIVE
3) The transamerica tower in San Fransisco, a town I’ve always romanticized and loved = DREAM
Work. Live. Dream.
Finding balance in these three things seems an easy recipe for happiness, leave it to Sean to piece them together so perfectly.
Well done my friend, well done.
April 20th, 2007 at 8:28 am
Holy mole guaca…. a more fantastic review i can not have imagined. This is a true inspiration to begin work on the second. A supreme thanks goes out to you sir.
S