David Byrne and St. Vincent "Love This Giant"

If you would like to know how to make an enriching and invigorating collaboration album between a well known elder statesman and his apprentice, I mean that in the most respectful way possible, then you may want to try this. If you adore brassy arrangements with a side of intelligence and integrity, then you may Love This Giant. David Byrne and St. Vincent are the instructors, and I am a lowly student. Probably destined to fail, but I refuse to leave because they are lively hosts. I don’t even know how well I can describe what their music sounds like; I feel so incapable. However, I do know “Who” they remind me of with the first two arrangements: James Brown! Maybe a little Stevie Wonder, but “The Weekend in the Dust” sounds like it has a dash of oriental flavor? This “Party For Two” sounds like the perfect antidote for a depressing weekend; where the after is more memorable than the party, but all you can remember is those stuffy hours with fake smiles and small talk to those who believe they are better than you. I will not use every song, for “I Am An Ape.” I was expecting Darwin and evolution, but found something just as meaningful: “A masterpiece/A hairy beast/Try not to laugh/Just take a chance.” One of my favorites, lyrically, has to be “I Should Watch TV” for many reasons; musically, it can be a killer sample for a rapper brave enough. “Lazarus” is great too, and for some reason this reminds me of Paul McCartney’s music from the last decade. Ultimately, I am an “Optimist,” and I am positively sure I  hear something like boiling water on occasion and those simmering horns only escalate before the climax. I’m sure “The One Who Broke Your Heart” could have been hot hot hot, but now they just seem cold as the brass and make you feel the same. Like any great writer, or instructor, they will take you “Outside of Space and Time” to captivate your imagination, or your attention, for a measly hour.