Chicago genreless wackadoos The Slaps are gearing up to release their new album Mudglimmer, and as such, have gifted us with not one but two new songs from it today: the title track and “Compromised Dirt,” which arrives alongside a music video. “Mudglimmer” is a patient and unyielding jazz-funk-rock exercise landing somewhere between Tortoise and Pavement. There’s even a dipping and diving guitar solo that kind of sounds like it could fit nicely into a jam band set. There’s a lot of shit going on here, and it all works very well, remarkably enough.
Meanwhile, “Compromised Dirt” is a shuffling folk anthem about poisoned animal feeders and dead squirrels and evil birds. As a staunch hater of birds with mild ornithophobia, I do not need to be convinced that birds are inherently vicious. “Big Fertilizer, Big Pesticide, Big Gas-Powered Leaf Blower, you name it, they’ve poisoned you and all the animals you love,” the band shared of the track, which features vocal contributions from Merce Lemon and Maggie Geeslin of Lunar Vacation. “Humans have allowed it to happen all this time, but when we’re gone, everything good and green will be restored, as if we were never here at all. Don’t get it twisted, this song is optimistic.”
Oh, what a lovely day it’ll be when we’re all gone. The only thing I’ll truly miss is blogging. And my family. And The Slaps. Check out the video for “Compromised Dirt” and a stream of “Mudglimmer” below, and pre-order the album here.
