Currently Residing In The "Oh, That's Where They Are!" File...

To my complete astonishment, yesterday this popped up all across my music feeds. Superorganism were one of my hot picks for global superstardom back in 2018. I bought the album, played the hell out of it, raved about them to anyone who'd listen and then they vanished, almost as fast as they'd arrived. I'd pretty much written them off. 

Four years feels like a long time between releases, for a new band anyway. Yes, there was the enforced downtime during the pandemic but countless musicians used the opportunity to realise and reveal all kinds of projects in the hope of keeping themselves sane and their careers alive. It was all too easy to assume those who kept quiet had nothing to say.

Then, there'd been those bubbling concerns over the former identities and out-of-band activities of some of the members, concerns that raised questions over both the validity and viabilty of the Superorganism collective. Some of those questions seem to have been tacitly answered with the announcement of the latest line-up, a stripped down fivesome. The most controversial member, Mark Turner, known as Emily, is out, along with former Eversons bandmate Robert Strange (Given name Blair Everson) and Ruby, who appears to be known as just Ruby.

From the official videos, studio and live performances I watched back then, both Emily and Robert Strange gave the impression of being integral to the band's distinctive and original identity; Ruby, as a back-up vocalist and dancer, was perhaps less central to the gestalt. Emily appeared to be the Eno of the band, twiddling knobs and processing the sound, while Strange was the visual artist, providing the high impact, hyperactive overlays

It's perhaps even more surprising, then, that not only is there a new Superorganism album due out this summer but that the first single and the video released to promote it look and sound... exactly like Superorganism from four years ago.

Seriously, that could be a bonus track they left off the first album. OJ's vocals are as gloriously uninflected as ever, the mix sounds like the regular homage to William Burroughs and the video is about the most Superorganism thing I've ever seen. 

Supposedly Chai, who I like a lot, are in there somewhere but I'm blessed if I can hear them, nor Pi Ja Ma, who would be new to me if I could.  I watched the video once then went straight to Amazon and pre-ordered the album, which goes by the magnificently hubristic title World Wide Pop.

That means I currently have three albums on pre-order. Not sure that's ever happened before although I do love pre-ordering things. It just makes me happy. I get a warm glow from knowing something good is coming.

I've ordered all three in the deeply unfashionable CD format. Seriously, even sodding cassettes are cooler than CDs these days. I just like CDs, so sue me. They're shiny and they still smell of the future. Vinyl reeks of patchouli and the past.

The Superorganism album's not out until 15 July but the other two will be here much sooner. On the same day, in fact, 8 April. They're each from bands whose reach has far exceeded Superorganism's grasp, so far anyway: Let's Eat Grandma and Wet Leg. (Funny how no-one condenses Let's Eat Grandma to LEG. Let's not start.)

Here at Inventory Full, home of the hits-to-be, we've already had all three of the singles from Two Ribbons, the upcoming Let's Eat Grandma album, along with just about everything Wet Leg have officially released but I do believe there's one I haven't linked yet. It's from Wet Leg's self-named debut album and it's called Angelica.

In forty-five years of independent traveling I've never once wanted to go to the Isle of Wight but if that's where the video was shot I do now. There's a word Stereogum writers like to throw around in thumbnail reviews that always makes me click through and that word is "woozy". They used it a few days about the new single from Mrs. Bhagpuss's favorite, Kurt Vile. That's woozy, sure, but Angelica is woozy. There are few higher compliments.

All this got me wondering what was going on with a few of my other picks for fortune and fame from the last year or three. How about those saviors of rock 'n' roll, Starcrawler? I checked their own website to be sure but it seems the last official communication from Team Arrow was this, which I remember from when it came out last July.

I knew how good Arrow and Henri were but I don't think I've ever noticed the drummer before. He rocks. They all rock, let's be honest. It would be a bit unfair to leave out the bass player. Not everyone can be Lemmy... . 

Shitkid rocks and she's woozy so she really should be a superstar. Unfortunately she doesn't seem to have done much for the last eighteen months. The most recent official release I could find was this from November 2020. It's called Dream Sequence. I couldn't stop thinking abut how cold she must have been, filming it, and also whether some security guard was going to turn up and arrest her, which probably wasn't what she had in mind when she shot the video. I dunno, maybe it was a warm evening and she had permission to be there. I kind of hope not, though. That wouldn't be very rock and roll, would it?

After Shitkid I checked in on Soko. The last album I bought by her was 2015's "My Dreams Dictate My Reality". The follow-up, "Feel Feelings", came out in 2020 and this one, Let Me Adore You, is on it. Judging from the video she's probably had more important things on her mind since then than making another record, not to mention she's only made three of the things in a decade anyway. Albums, I mean. I have no idea how many children she has. 

Oh, alright. Yes I do. She has one son, born November 2018. His name is Indigo Blue Honey Sokolinski, after a song by The Clean (Which, I have to say, sounds astoundingly like the good Jesus and Marychain and makes me want to hear more.) Given that the first thing Soko does in the video is whisper something that sounds very much like either "Burning Indigo" or possibly "Morning Indigo", whereupon the camera pans down to show her stroking her gravid belly, I surmise the video was shot, at least in part, several years ago. Also, there's a fricken baby in it. Bit of a giveaway.

For some reason, all of that made me think of Petite Meller. I can't imagine why. It's not like they look, sound or behave in any way similar, nor even that I'm in the habit of thinking about Petite Meller. I mean, who is?

A trip to Petite's Instagram gives "The Drummer 🥁💂‍♀️🟠💂‍♀️🥁New single Out soon" and a YouTube link that confusingly goes to 2015's Baby Love, an incredibly catchy tune that I'm pretty sure I've featured here already. I suspect Petite doesn't curate her Insta with the same rigor as some, although I'm equally prepared to entertain the idea that I have no clue how to find my way around an Instagram account.

Luckily, some primary research (The search field on YouTube) takes us to this from June last year, in which Petite performs Dying Out Of Love accompanied by the string section and French horn player from the Orchestre Français des Jeunes Talents, as she pirouettes through the hallways of the Hotel de Bourrienne in Paris, looking like nothing so much as a doll that's come to life. Which is what she always looks like, come to think of it.

Although it's an eerily compelling performance, she seems to be singing very flat, which doesn't really do justice to the song, so we're going to have the original video from November 2020 instead.

Now that I've started this, I realize I could keep it up for hours. Possibly days. Maybe weeks. I've already been at it all afternoon. Better find some way to bring things to a close. 

Fast forward back to the present, then, although I tend to think of The Regrettes as rock and roll, fifties/sixties style. They're fast, punchy and they have a rockin' attitude. This one, though, is altogether different. I've been listening to it on hard repeat for a week. Can't get it out of my head. Don't want to.

There's something about the transition from the verse to the chorus, the way it slides, the slight echo on the vocal that comes then goes, the distorted empty room treatment on the piano, the drums that stroll in after everything else is up and running... it's one of the best arrangements I've heard for a very long time. So much going on. I hear something new almost every time.

After I heard it, I immediately wanted to put a post together using all the best examples of swearing in song lyrics I could think of, only I couldn't think of many. I thought about how difficult it would be to research so I dropped the idea. Anyway, "You're So Fucking Pretty" was almost certain to be the best. What would be the point?

Then I remembered Lana doing "Fuck it, I love you" and the whole thing was back on again.

Anyone has any ideas, I'm open to suggestions.