Sounds for Stylish Men: Part 2
Music makes the world go ‘round. It puts rhythm in our feet and inspires us to dance, love and reflect. The comforting sounds of favorite songs and artists help us through tough times and remind us of great moments of joy. Through these experiences and sonic associations, we develop our own taste in music.
So what does a man of style listen to? Some swing to Sinatra while some bounce to hip-hop. Others groove to both (myself included), and the true mark of a stylish man is a pair of open ears. Here’s part two in a semi-regular series documenting what I’ve been listening to lately.
Give Me the Night - George Benson
The year 1980 wasn’t a high watermark for R&B or Jazz, yet George Benson managed to deliver this smooth masterpiece that coasted off of disco’s tailwinds. Some might consider it old man music, but there’s something sexy about the album to me. Maybe it’s the way Benson skirts around the subject of what happens after two lovers meet (the theme of almost every song on the album), but his subtlety leaves more to the imagination than today’s straightforward tunes. My interest in the album was reinvigorated after learning legendary disco producer Rod Temperton passed earlier this month. After working with the likes of Michael Jackson and Quincy Jones, he brought his touch to Give Me the Night, which is why the songs groove and don't merit the dreaded smooth jazz label. The title track is one of Benson’s crown jewels, but his chops are versatile enough to encompass solo guitar tracks (“Dinorah, Dinorah”), scat-singing riffs on jazz classics (“Moody’s Mood”) and covers of hit disco song (a stellar rendition of Heatwave’s “Star Of A Story”). Give Me The Night may not be the coolest album out there, but Benson’s mastery is front and center here in a way that it hasn’t been since.
“Stereotype” - Holy Ghost!
I’m a sucker for 1980s synthpop, and the first time I heard “Stereotype” was at work over subpar speakers. These speakers made me guess the song was released sometime around 1984, but further research found that the song debuted this summer and was the work of fledgling Brooklyn synth-pop duo Holy Ghost! While the rest of the band’s oeuvre is a mystery to me, “Stereotype” sounds like it belongs on a Tears for Fears or Spandau Ballet album. The straight ahead melody is catchy, and the cynical lyrics vanish behind the memorable hook (“I’m a stereotype”) are obscured by the pulsating drive. It’s the perfect morning pump-up song or tune to drive fast to.
Goon - Tobias Jesso Jr.
I haven’t consciously listened to Tobias Jesso Jr.’s Goon lately, even though it was one of my favorite albums of 2015. However, I was at one of my favorite coffee shops yesterday (where the baristas have impeccable music taste, playing artists as diverse as Kamasi Washington and The Album Leaf on any given day), and they put on Goon while I sipped a caramel latte. The album’s melancholy, plaintive vibes felt appropriate for a cloudy and cool Sunday afternoon and the absence of electronic stimuli (I left my laptop at home) allowed me to focus on both the album’s sounds and latte’s flavors. I’ve compared Jesso’s sound and songwriting to the great Harry Nilsson in the past and much like Nilsson, his lyrics and melodies are simple and playful. Check out “Just a Dream” for Jesso’s tongue-in-cheek earnestness sung from the perspective from a man with a new family, or his phenomenal ballad “Without You,” which shares the name of an equally great Nilsson song yet is very different. There’s a sense of desperation in Jesso’s words which would sound pathetic if spoken to a lover or friend, but when put to music, comes across as nothing short of relatable and beautiful.
“Magic Love” - Bent
Another song I heard over the speakers at work, I mistook the vocal sample on “Magic Love” for a Carly Simon track upon first listen. In fact, it’s Toni Tennille, chanteuse of the cheesy ‘70s soft rock band Captain & Tennille, who provides the hook. Despite their 1975 hit “Love Will Keep Us Together,” the duo’s 2014 divorce proved that love, unfortunately, couldn’t keep them together. Yet despite their personal misgivings and the travesty of a song - 1979’s “Love on a Shoestring” - the sample was pulled from, trip-hoppers Bent manipulated the melody to match a seductive, haunting disco beat that finally gave Tenille’s vocals their due. If you listen to this and don’t feel like you could be at Studio 54, give it another spin.