Even before you get to the music, there is so much in how The GET makes music that speaks volumes about the modern musical age. There was a time when music was all about guys, and it was mainly guys, with guitars. And then it became more about technology, especially in the pop environs, as synthesizers gave way to samples and studio-made sounds. All of this was a world away from the music halls where orchestral music was found and the back rooms where folk musicians were hosted. Well, bands such as The GET, and especially their new single, “Get This,” show us exactly how much those old demarcations and divides have been pulled down and how much those once separate sonic worlds have grown to love each other.
Combining some gentle electric guitar, sweeping cello, deft and delicate keyboards, plus all manner of understated beats and exotic sonics, “Get This” is the sound of music making at the cutting edge. It combines the worlds of rock and roots, pop and post-punk, as well as that of the classical, into a slice of folktronic-world music gorgeousness. Add to that George Elizondo’s warm and welcoming vocals, and you will have a glorious song.
It is a song that ebbs and flows in gentle sonic waves, sometimes building up to more driven sounds but generally happy to drift and float between folk integrity and digital delicacy, classical grace, and the mereest hint of pop groove.
If a single’s job is to raise awareness for an album to follow, then “Get This” has done its job admirably. I can’t imagine there are many discerning music fans who will listen to this and not make a mental note to check out the full-length collection to follow. If there are, then perhaps music is not for them after all.
