NYC’s Big Bliss is back with a cracking outtake from their insanely good “Vital Return” LP released in September on Good Eye and reviewed here.
The new song, “You’re A Man”, is somewhat of a departure for the band since it features Wallace May’s vocals (with BV’s from normal vocal frontman, Tim Race). But musically, this tune is very much in the heart of the band’s established sound. “Man” is cut from a similar cloth as “Sitting Still” (“Murmur” -era R.E.M.), but imbued with a beefier bite and sharper teeth.
Wallace and Tim weighed in on the song recently:
Wallace: “I think Tim once called this our ‘winkiest’ song and that’s really the perfect way to describe it. While trying to come up with a vocal melody, Tim just started jokingly singing ‘you’re a man, congratulations, such decent being, with education.’ The two of us wrote the rest of the lyrics separately and then put it all together (which is where the call and response comes in). The song is deeply sarcastic but if any men are actually offended, they’re the ones we wrote it for. To all the men who came to the foot of the stage to approve my use of pedals, this buds for you.”
Tim: “My intent with my ‘character’ in the song was to embody a particularly defensive, entitled man becoming more and more flustered in response to Wallace’s deadpan sarcasm. I will say that I, in part, am representing a punched-up version of behavior and attitude I’ve noticed even in a younger version of myself. Hopefully that guy stays in the past.”
Big Bliss is on tour for a short run with Bodega starting last night in Boston at the Rockwell. Though Wallace has left Big Bliss, moving to LA after recording, current band bassist Anjoli Simone will sing the tune at live performances. Go see this band if you can!
