the return of the synth

I realized I hadn’t given Uh Huh Her much justice when I plainly said it was Imogen Heap doing the vocals for The Cure, after hearing the song “Explode”. Having listened to the other five of their EPs, I think I have them figured out. Or so I thought.

It’s the return of the synth.

But this time they have put in a classical melodic twist to it, and the lyrics are much more soulful. Kind of what I’d call soulful synth. If there was a label on what type of music they’re making now, categorically speaking, they would be under indie-electropop-hybrid. Or so they say. Indie because of the truthful lyrics, electropop because they used mostly pre-recorded rifts from synthesizers and bass, and hybrid meaning they used it in a way you wouldn’t associate with the techno-electronica sound in trance halls and dance clubs.

I heard it the first time, the identifiably 80’s reference, using the synth when I heard “Explode”. The repeated, synthesized melody on the keyboard was very familiar. That’s exactly what I loved about the 80’s music, it’s about layering all the stuff into one good ear candy. That way they can actually play live with pre-recorded tunes and just be a duo onstage, as what most of the popular duos and bands did way back then, say Tears for Fears for example. Uh Huh Her live is more like two girls’ harmonizing vocals, the other playing the electric piano and the synth, the other strums on the bass and the other synth. And it’s all the good music therein.

 
That is not exactly a unique concept, with all the indie and emo twists to songs of this generation. What is undeniably unique is their classic melodies, both essentially anthemic and orchestraic, and that makes it sound so familiar. Normally the 80’s songs would not sound any good if stripped-bare and acoustic because that is the whole point of synth. It’s like taking off Darth Vader’s mask off, only to realize he doesn’t have that wonderful boombox for a normal voice. (OK so bad reference, the title, "the return of the synth" does have a Star Wars feel to it. I guess you have been warned.)

 

What I wanted to say was that their songs move. And they sound great amazingly even without the synth. I just discovered that yesterday.

 

When I heard “Say So”, I said yeah definitely catchy with the throw-in-throw-out dual vocal going on, it would probably be good enough to be a mainstream hit. (Please let me be the first to predict it's going to be a hit sometime this August). But then I heard it acoustic at their live interview studio at Boston’s WERS 88.9 FM, I was simply awestruck. It was as if  it came from a soundtrack of your favorite movie that you haven’t seen yet. Stripped bare it was more than fantastic. It moved me. When I heard it on that set,  I was blown away. I just wanted to go out of my house and BE alive, if you know what I mean. It was really, really amazing. And maybe it’s not what you expect from a song with the word holler in the chorus. Radio DJ Rachel Rose said “There is no substitute for live music. Not at all. It was absolutely beautiful”. I couldn’t agree more. I with my hands raised up in the air jumping up and down agree to that.

And then they sang “I See Red”, and you’re taken back to the Indigo Girls genre with the harmonics in the vocals, the guitar rift, the questioning pauses and anticipated silence. It had a sort of angsty-feel melodramatic folk-songy twist to it.Help, I am running out of adjectives. Kinda like Janis Joplin and Carole King if they suddenly found themselves on an impromptu pot-inspired jam session. Hmmm again bad reference but maybe better to listen to it first and perhaps you’ll get what I mean later.
 

And of the lot, the last song that they used to close that live studio recording was absolutely my favorite one, "Wait Another Day". Even in the original synth version, it struck a chord in me, perhaps because of the lyrics more than the melody.  It starts with a monotonous drumbeat and a repetitive piano rift and then comes Camilla Grey’s soulful vocals. Wow. It’s like listening to your heartbeat beating like a drum and then the sweet voice of a woman resonates in your ear. And you just want to listen if that’s the last song you’ll hear. I was moved nearly to tears when I heard this stripped-down version because I absolutely GOT it. It’s THE song of unrequited love. And it’s beautiful.

 

It’s like Pablo Neruda in melody. Maybe not the words but the whole romantic feeling of it. This is the poetry of our universe. Camilla Grey and Leisha Hailey, you are the new poets of my generation. Thank you for this music.

It’s absolutely brilliant, to say the least. It’s very rare to find some song you absolutely like and then you immediately feel compelled to write the story behind it. It is as if it was meant to be a soundtrack to a chapter in your life that you just have to tell to the whole world. If my life was a movie, you know what song you’ll be listening to.  A lot of soulful synth.

I am amazed how there is singularly a perfect song for every unique feeling there is. And finding it is absolutely rewarding. Like finding a soulmate or discovering the joy of true love. The thing that makes you want to run into the rain, look up into the heavens and just feel. The thing that makes you just run out and love someone.

Or maybe wait. Just wait another day.

 

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Wait Another Day
(music & lyrics by Uh Huh Her)

 
I look at the starlight

I’m shattered by the night

Always run where I can

And I hide where I want to hide

 

But it feels so right, I want it tonight

It feels so right

 

I went out of my mind

I am caught here one more time

I know how it feels tonight

I can do nothing down here

 

But it feels so right, I want it tonight

It feels so right

 

I will wait to love you

I will wait another day

For you I’ll leave all this behind

I will wait for you night

I will waste another dream on you

Always run to you

 

I will take the long road

But it leads right back to you

Follow you into the sun

I will steal the stars for you

 

But it feels so right, I want it tonight

It feels so right

 

I will wait to love you

I will wait another day

For you I’ll leave all this behind

I will wait for you night

I will waste another dream on you

Always run to you