Tim: We’ve had Tove Lo, from Sweden, and we’ve had Tove Styrke, also from Sweden (who incidentally recently put out a video for the brilliant Timebomb). Now we have Tove Ask – would you believe it, she’s also from Sweden. Here’s a video, in which she plays at least three miniature instruments.
Tom: I was not expecting that voice from that face! That’s really good.
Tim: So here’s a philosophical quandary: are you actually ‘by yourself’ if you’re with an identical copy of yourself? Linguistically I suppose technically not, unless you’re standing next to each other, but as a concept equivalent to being on your own, well that could potentially raise an interesting point.
Tom: The real quandary is what happens if you’re with an identical copy of yourself on top of a high cliff, and you’re sick of them constantly swearing, so you push them off the cliff. That’s obviously illegal, but is it murder, or are you just making an obscene clone fall?
Tim: Yes, well, we’re not philosophers (or, it would seem, comedians), so we won’t be banging on about that for ages and boring people.
Tom: OBSCENE CLONE FALL, TIM.
Tim: Yes, I saw that, and I will slap you. Let’s do the music, shall we?
It comes across as a bit of a mishmash, especially in the chorus, but not really in a bad way. The main issue I have is that there are at least two dominant backing elements – the eight-bit-sounding sampling and the synth that hits after the first line of each chorus.
Tom: Full marks for saying “eight-bit-sounding”, because “eight-bit” is pretty just a synonym for “chiptune” these days and they’re different, damn it. I do like both of them, though.
Tim: Oh yes, they’re both good – but also unusual enough that they demand the attention of the listener, and everything else either gets forgotten about or just plain drowned, and I’m really not sure that that’s a good thing. Fairly enjoyable, mind, although I’m not really sure which bits of it I’m meant to enjoy.
Tom: Agreed: it’s an odd thing that’s perhaps less than the sum of its parts, but I think that’s down to the production rather than anything wrong with the performer or composition. Still good, though.