The Download Downlow
Kelly Clarkson
‘Behind These Hazel Eyes’
We’ve already established that Kelly Clarkson’s last single, ‘Since You’ve Been Gone’, was pretty much the best, right? I told you that a few months ago. And if you didn’t see it here, I’m sure you saw it somewhere else since in this god forsaken city, because, no matter the size or perceived historical relevance of the publication, it’s impossible to write anything around here without everyone else writing it a week later. Whatever.
Anyway, as far as I’m concerned, Clarkson deserves the chance to impress us again, so I’ve taken the time — and spent 99 cents — to check out her new single and see if she was able to recapture that same magic.
And seriously? If I’m not reimbursed pronto, I fucking quit.
‘Behind These Hazel Eyes’ is the pits — a miserably mid-tempo, characterless track with embarrassingly bad lyrics (“Swallow me then spit me out/ For hating you, I blame myself”) and no real vocal hook to speak of.
-Mike Conklin
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah
‘In This Home on Ice’
‘Upon This Tidal Wave of Young Blood’
‘Over and Over Again (Lost & Found)’
Free at www.clapyourhandssayyeah.com
If the name Clap Your Hands Say Yeah isn’t enough to convince you to download these tracks straight away, maybe you’ll be swayed by the insane number of shows this young Brooklyn band has played recently. They kicked off the year with a residency at Pianos, and they’ve been doing the indie venue circuit — Sin-é, Mercury Lounge, Bowery, NorthSix, Maxwell’s, the Delancey — ever since, winning over fans left and right. Not having seen them live yet myself, I have zero evidence to support this idea, but I’d like to think their appeal lies in lead singer Alec Ounsworth’s use of the harmonica. Yeah, his free-wheeling voice keeps provoking comparisons to the Talking Heads and Neutral Milk Hotel, and the processed guitars a la My Bloody Valentine sound cool — but what’s all that in the face of fearless harmonica action?
-Stephanie Hanson
