There is something going on in Sir-Vere‘s music which reminds me of the 90s. And I don’t mean that in a detrimental way; I’m not saying that there is anything backwards glancing or plagiaristic going on here, far from it. No, it is the vibe that hangs over the music found on Lovescope, the euphoric grooves that run through it, and the feeling of freedom and youth that it encapsulates that evokes such times. Times perhaps when I, too, was younger and freer. But that’s the great thing about music- good music, at least. It has the power to bring back memories and act as a time machine.
But if the music here evokes the past, it is certainly made with an eye on the future, and for every nostalgic evocation, there are ten which feel like strides into a bright new musical horizon. Dance music in the modern age seems to have lost its way. I think that the accessibility to modern technologies that the modern era has ushered in, whilst democratizing, has also meant that anyone can be a music maker. And whilst that might seem like a good thing, It is worth remembering the old adage that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should.
The reality is that we now have a whole host of dance music makers using the same structures, the same off-the-shelf beats, the same samples, etc., so dance music has become homogenized. It has lost its direction, its intensity, its excitement. But more than anything, it has lost its groove. And that is why bands like Sir-Vere are so important. They are all about the groove, and Lovescope is as solid a collection of funky, groove-laden dance tunes as you could hope to find in the modern age.
Bad Guy Kingdom is a heady blend of infectiousness and space, shuffling beat patterns and beguiling sonics, street-wise lyrics and smart counterpoints between vocals and music. Misophonia is hypnotic and rhythmic, a song which looks you in the eye and challenges you to keep still, keep cool and keep off the dance floor…you can’t do it, and the title track is a seductive groove-fest where it might seem like there isn’t much going on musically until you really bend your ear in and listen to the sounds bubbling up from hidden depths.
Lovescope is not just a timely album but also an important one. One that reminds us of just how great dance music used to be and how great it can be again.
Cool, evocative, infectious dance music is back on the menu.
https://sir-vere.com/
https://music.apple.com/us/album/lovescope/1655020934
