Song of the Day: Mayer Hawthorne, ‘Thin Moon’
Skinny, dorky-looking white boy Mayer Hawthorne is the latest to take up the revivalist movements chains. And if subsequent acts can do what he’s doing for R&B/soul, this is a great thing.
The decade that just passed (the Aughts?) saw a slew of such revivals, including new interpretations of garage rock, blues rock, folk and sunny harmony-driven melodies and new wave.
The next genre seeking to get this treatment, for better or worse, appears to be R&B and soul, as heard in the 1970s. Look no further than Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, the Black Keys’ newest release or a lot of the lineup at the upcoming Nelsonville Music Festival.
Hawthorne’s ‘Thin Moon,’ kicks in with a light and quick piano melody overtop some smooth and steady bass lines and organ riffs. Hawthorne’s falsetto joins in shortly after the drums and sets the stage for the rest of the song’s groove, which stays in the ultra-laid back mode throughout.
This is R&B best enjoyed at 1 a.m. driving down the interstate with the windows down. This isn’t R&B for up-in-da-club grindin. Just so you know.