Caotico – Sunrise Confessions

What an absolutely stunning first few seconds…

Tim: You’ll remember Caotico from their somewhat grandma-unfriendly collaboration with Tove Styrke last year; this is their second solo single (after earlier-last-year’s ‘Back Of My Head’), and while it’s still probably not something granny would chose to listen to, it does at least stay clear of the whole rather explicitly stated ‘Do me so hard I’ll not know what’s hit me’ theme.

Tom: What an absolutely stunning first few seconds… brought back down to earth afterwards, but still.

Tim: Well, I like this. I’m not entirely sure why – it’s miserable and depressing, and the downbeat voices just serve to emphasise that, but it seems somewhat entrancing.

Tom: Am I right in thinking it has some kind of modern-reggae influence? That backing kept me interested far more than the vocals or the music.

Tim: Yeah, I felt that as well – didn’t keep me distracted, but there’s definitely something.

The video helps a lot with taking away some of the downbeatness, actually – if I heard it on the radio I probaby wouldn’t like it anywhere near as much, but there’s so much weird stuff happening there I can’t not watch with some degree of enthrallment.

My first thought was that he’ll have ruined that suit, and who the hell let that guy in the kitchen, and then Sid from Toy Story has somehow come to life.

Tom: And how mucky is that bathwater? Honestly.

Tim: I know. I blame the parents.

Tom: I’d blame the dodgy takeaway he had the night before.

Tim: Oh, did you have to? Really?

Tom: Yep. Classy humour, here.

Tim: But even despite all that, when they all join together in creating a proper toy apocalypse after Sid finds a phone in one of the dolls (what?), somehow it all fits.

Wouldn’t touch those cupcakes with a bargepole, mind.

Tom: I’m mildly nauseated myself.

Caotico & Tove Styrke – Brains Out

What a brilliant track.

Tim: Hello children! In today’s music lesson, we’re going to learn a song that I want you all to sing to mummy and daddy when you go home tonight.

Tom: That starts out so happy, and… well, I guess it continues happy, doesn’t it? What a brilliant track.

Tim: What’s most interesting about this is the way that until the chorus hits, the lyrics just sort of washed over me, even when I tried to listen to them to get what the song was about. Come the chorus, there they are, bang, unmissable. (And leaving very little doubt as to what the song was about.)

Tom: The thing is, it’s actually a good song as well. Okay, so “Shut Up And Sleep With Me” has been almost this direct before, but that’s not nearly as well-rounded a tune as this. It’s genuinely well-written and well-produced, and the video is classy to boot.

Tim: Yes, the music really is good – tune, vocals, energy, it’s all there and great (although with that chorus you’d have to do a lot to calm it down), so I like this a lot. And not just because I can shock my grandparents with it next time they visit.