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July 20, 2007
Arthur & Yu and you
I'm a little late to the game (this being our first post on Arthur & Yu (in Internets years, I'm Methuselah late)), but the release of their debut album (combined with some outdoor laptop-ing) impels a post.
It will be incredibly difficult to break away from the criticism template on Arthur & Yu - the music is 60s California inflected; they're twee, but badass twee (more like Nico, Velvet Underground), so maybe they're not twee. It's gorgeous, lush - but brainy (briny?), and the pysch flourishes are what save it from saccharine.
I agree with most of that - but the VU comparison is a bit of a reach. Perhaps someone long ago sold themselves on that connection, so they could justify their love for it. I don't know - this is nothing like VU in my opinion, but, then again, I'm a preternatural lover of twee, so I don't need a reason to dig Arthur & Yu.
What Arthur & Yu IS is a harmonzing duo singing/playing wistful pop with dark undertones. 75% Lee Hazelwood and Nancy Sinatra. Like H&S, their voices are a bit unpolished. Like H&S, their pop is imbued by thoughtful soundscapes. It's both complex and carefree. It's divine.
Arthur & Yu - Absurd Heroes Manifestos
More songs on MySpace.
// Buy Arthur & Yu's In Camera
// Arthur & Yu MySpace
// Arthur & Yu Web site
Posted by Keith O'Brien at July 20, 2007 02:42 PM
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