Recently, the hit music video of “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Gotye became very popular. Almost everyone has heard it and knows it as that one video where all the guy does is stand and gets painted on, but sings this amazing song that has a brilliant chorus that everyone can relate to. Along comes a woman who sings with him, and it’s a simple video with a song that almost everyone falls in love with right away.
Yet, I wonder how many of them actually bothered to check out the rest of the songs from the very same album because if they did, they wouldn’t know what hit them and they would be swept away on a journey of intense, as well as soft, music.
Belgian-Australian singer-songwriter and musician Wouter De Backer, commonly known as Gotye (GORE-ti-yeah) released his third studio album, Making Mirrors, at the end of 2011. It hit #1 on Billboard’s Top 100 and the song “Somebody That I Used to Know” was named a platinum after a day of being released. Most Americans had never heard of him before this song was released, but he is actually quite well known in Europe and has been awarded five ARIA (Australian Recording Industry Association Music) Awards kind of like the Grammy’s for Australians. Following the release of this new album, he has sparked a new fame for himself across the seas.
Gotye’s music in this album is quite versatile. There are tracks that are perfect for listening to on a rainy Sunday afternoon, and there are tracks that are perfect to listen to in a car, or even at a party. His voice is different and alluring to me and the songs’ lyrics are things that almost everyone can relate to. The music itself is different from that of the mainstream music, which is a relief.
“Making Mirrors” – This is simply a minute long of soft music that could be something to listen to while falling asleep. It has a nice tempo to it and the calming sound is a pleasurable.
“Easy Way Out” – Another short track, this song is perfect just to listen to while sitting down and strolling through pages on the Internet. It is nice, with quite a steady beat and rhythm, and the lyrics are honest. The music is up-beat throughout the entire time, so it isn’t something I would listen to at night.
“Somebody That I Used to Know” – The one that is hitting the charts high up and is getting to everyone. When I first heard this song, I found it exceptionally odd, especially compared to the mainstream music these days. I realized then why I dislike mainstream music and why I found this song so great. The music is gentle at the beginning, kind of weird, and the singing is soft and it beats up to a high music and the chorus plays and it is just so beautiful. This song is something we can all relate to, which I think makes it even more special. It features Kimbra.
“Eyes Wide Open” – Another one of my favorites, this song has great music playing, and the lyrics are meaningful. His voice is different in this one from the previous ones, and it sings softly throughout the entire song with the music being louder, making a nice balanced song to listen to.
“Smokes and Mirrors” – This song kind of disappointed me because the singing seemed kind of offhand and wasn’t anything special that hit me right away. However, it is great to listen to during a gloomy time. The music is nice, but not as great as the previous ones.
“I Feel Better” – This song can really make you ‘feel better.’ The lyrics are just repeated over and over again most of the time, but the beats and the rhythm are fun and upbeat and it’s something to listen to while driving in the car or just lying down when you don’t feel like doing anything. It made me feel nice and jumpy when I listened to this song, and his deeper voice in this song is just so entertaining.
“In Your Light” – I loved this song from the first three seconds to the last. This one is probably my favorite out all of the songs. His voice is so lovely, the music gives such a content, happy feeling, and the lyrics are wonderful. This song is perfect for any sort of day, and I think it’s something I’d listen to while lying on my back in my backyard. The background chorus has this fun rhythm to it, making it sound as if its out of a Disney film, but nevertheless, the song is amazing.
“State of the Art” – Either with some great editting, or by actually making his voice sound like that, Gotye presents a song with a voice that sounds nothing like his voice in any of the other songs. It is deep and low. Halfway through the song, his normal voice comes and sings a little, and it goes back to the low one. The song isn’t as wonderful as the others, but the music is different and something that doesn’t have a specific adjective to describe it. It is unique.
“Don’t Worry, We’ll Be Watching You” – The song is a continuous rhythm of beats with his soft voice singing, as if in the background. With occasional loud music, and then back to the regular pattern, this song is soft and sensous and actually a pleasure to listen to, even though it is mostly just music.
“Giving Me a Chance” – This song is soft, quiet, nicely played music with the singing a background singing. Gotye’s voice sounds so sensitive and full of feeling. The music plays delightfully and it keeps on going in about the same pattern. This song can make anyone feel any kinds of emotion and it is apparent that he put a lot of his emotion into it as well.
“Save Me” – This song is another song full of emotion. It is more upbeat, and it is perfect to listen to alone, sitting in a room. The music has vocals in it that add to the nice rhythm and pattern of the song, making it sound different from his other song in the same album.
“Bronte” – The last song in his album, this track is also very soft. The music never goes upbeat, his voice stays soft and low. Both the music and the singing are in balance, and are in sync with each other, and it is lovely. The lyrics are not very easy to understand, but it is obviously full of emotion and it is a great end to a great album.
In simple words, “Making Mirrors“ is an album that has all the makings for being something that anyone can listen to decades from now. It is definitely an album in which every kind of person will find a song that they find sensational.
