Larry Gus
I Need New Eyes
DFA
6/10
Larry Gus is the Anglicized moniker of Panagiotis Melidis: the Greek producer and possessor of one heck of a soprano yelp. His last album—2013’s Years Not Living—was a nice slice of hypnotic, rhythmic psych-y pop, akin to the Caribou albums before Dan Snaith went completely dance. I Need New Eyes is a progressive move for Melidis, complete with a regressive attitude. Instead of a more tightly woven integration of modern club music, Larry Gus moves forward with the more ritualistic, percussive elements of dance and a near-childlike wonder. Killer drum breaks abound, sounding inspired by both Tropicalia and the funk straight outta Lagos; Melidis takes such a minimalistic sonic approach to multi-culturalism that I Need New Eyes appears to be in the direct lineage of Eno and Byrne’s My Life in the Bush of Ghosts. That said, much of these cool production tricks and drum drops are fitted into some rather lukewarm indie-pop songs. But man, awesome drums!
