Tag: The Wrong Shapes

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The Wrong Shapes – “Eating Better, Working Less” (2015)

The Wrong Shapes - Eating Better Working Less
The Wrong Shapes
“Eating Better, Working Less”
2015

The Wrong Shapes got spaced-out and trippy on their December single of the month. “Eating Better, Working Less” starts with loops that sound stuck in time between The Soft Bulletin and Yoshimi Battles the Pink Robots before the duo’s distinctive cello and vocals drift in. The Wrong Shapes float in and out of consciousness for 4:30 while their voices intermingle and a guitar picks out a repeating phrase. It’s a sound that exists in a plane below (above?) the buzz and static of everyday life.

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The Wrong Shapes – “Stuck” (2015)

wrong shapes stuck
The Wrong Shapes
“Stuck”
2015

The Wrong Shapes’ November single loops and dives in mid-tempo, mid-fi melancholy. “Stuck” continues the band’s predilection for layering stripped-down loops and beats into quirky musical memories. It’s a sound perfectly suited to daydreaming.

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The Wrong Shapes – “Faith In Make​-​Believe” (2015)

wrong shapes faith in make believe
The Wrong Shapes
“Faith In Make​-​Believe”
2015

September’s edition of the The Wrong Shapes’ Single of the Month series is a twisted Disney funeral dirge. The frightening and fanciful “Faith In Make​-​Believe” drifts through the darkness, finding its light in an undeniable chorus refrain. This is some dark magic.

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The Wrong Shapes – “Right Man on Yr Side” (2015)

wrong shapes right man
The Wrong Shapes
“Right Man on Yr Side”
2015

Well, well, well. It looks like I’ve found a new favorite song from The Wrong Shapes. This creative duo just cooked up a sophisticated, electro-swamp-blues number for your next heady hoedown. The cello and guitar intertwine while “Right Man on Yr Side” stomps along with intoxicating repetition. The vocals are cool. The solos are trippy. I don’t know how these sounds and styles work together, but they do. It’s hypnotizing. Dig it.

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The Wrong Shapes – “A Thousand Foxes” (2012)


The Wrong Shapes
“A Thousand Foxes”
2012

Listening to The Wrong Shapes’ “A Thousand Foxes” is like eavesdropping on a private conversation. Bo Barringer’s crooning is intimately intertwined with Rachel Arnold’s harmony vocals. They are in the moment. Do they even know we’re here? Do they know we’re listening? The drum pattern flutters like an anxious heartbeat. The chiming guitars and looping cello make the whole thing feel like a dream. The enchanting music is at odds with the conflicted lyrics. So it goes as we look on, hoping we’ve gone unnoticed as the song fades away.

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The Wrong Shapes – “Places I Used To Hunt” (2011)


The Wrong Shapes
“Places I Used to Hunt”
2011

There’s something about The Wrong Shapes I find intriguing. This group makes music that spins my head. The guitar and cello are intertwined in a double helix. This is musical DNA. I feel like Bo Barringer and Rachel Arnold are toying with me. The sounds are looped and processed until they become some kind of twisted, cryptic puzzle. The vocals only give me clues, never the whole meaning. I’ve heard Bo and Rachel perform “Places I Used To Hunt” as a duo. The recorded version is augmented by Reuben Bettsak’s intricate drum patterns. Another twist in the plot.

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The Wrong Shapes @ Radio 11.3.2011

When I first saw Bo & Rachel they hadn’t yet decided on what to call their musical partnership. They’ve now decided to go with The Wrong Shapes. Their name may have changed, but the music is still mesmerizing.  The guitar and cello interplay is hypnotic. I find the whole thing rather fascinating.