Calvin Harris once said creating a good pop song was like ‘making a ham sandwich’. Or something like that. While you should never reference smut from DJs in writing, ever – there’s definitely a correlation between listening to a good pop song and comfort food. This song does that. Whatever arguable things make up the general alchemy of impressionable pop (pre-chorus build-up, throwbacks, lyrics about getting laid), ‘Snarly’ by Brisbane’s MKO has all of them (and a singer that looks a little bit like Robyn).
Not sure how long MKO have been kicking around for, but Hannah Macklin (Hannah Macklin and the Maxwells) is definitely fronting a fantastic sound from this Brisbane group. Too many great things happening here to quantify this is as just a great single. Music on my computer usually plays in the background, but I closed all my windows just to pay attention to this one.
Between some clever production and a bit of urban groove, the first half of ‘Snarly’ sits on the slow burner. The track shows a lot of restraint, considering the belt-out content of the chorus that follows. Macklin winds up the vocal zoetrope that happens around 2:42. It”s little bit Amber Coffman, a little Becca Kauffman on Ava Luna’s ‘Ice Level’, maybe our old pal James Blake on the soprano pitch rocket. She’s got a great tone to her voice too, but it’s never excessive to the point of detracting from the effortlessness guild here.
‘Snarly’ is available as a free download at MKO’s bandcamp. They’ve also teamed up with 7 local illustrators and animators for some great shorts called ‘Scribs’ released over 7 weeks – worth a watch here.
Lily Lotus Orchid Sunflower is released March 15.
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February 26, 2013 11:55 am
MKO ROCKS!