Yeppers. This white, French-Canadian, student of Tibetan music is also a soulful rhythm and blues singer. He may make albums with other Quebec oddball Grimes, and he may be the protege of Oneohtrix Point Never, but this track sounds like mainstream pop gold a la The-Dream. Save the volume manipulation, this track could fit into a Bobby Brown or Janet Jackson album. I would have preferred he refrained from the F bombs while singing (I have a strong belief curse words don’t sound good sung, unless they are done in an angry way), but this track is still awesome eighties R&B bliss.
If it sounds good, it’s a good song. Right? I dunno, music seems to have an unspoken hierarchy. I love the website Pitchfork, they have introduced me to so many excellent artists, but they showed me long ago that there is indie… and then there is everything else. If it is not ultra creative, or incredibly lo-fi, or has just the right balance of underground cred and popular following, it isn’t anything special. Is there a fear of being seen as a “radio music” fan? Is some music too “average joe” to be seen as cool? It doesn’t seem to make much sense to me. In my opinion, if you are a true music fan, you should be able to enjoy almost any sound, just as long as there is melody and structure (and sometimes those aren’t needed either). Poor Young Thing’s song Blame it on the Good Times is meat and potatoes pub music. The track made by this Thunder Bay quintet first caught my ears driving back home on a nice sunny day. With the windows down and the sun shining bright, I didn’t want Kid A, I didn’t want Oneohtrix Point Never, I wanted some good-time rock n’ roll. That is exactly what Blame it on the Good Times provides. It may be radio friendly and not all that unique, but it is also well-executed and a crap-load of fun.
