We first heard Aly Tadros a few months ago in advance of her latest album The Fits. She has put out a new track called "Whim." It's a collaboration with Ben Balmer and it's really good.
This track harkens back to older times and faraway places. It's a little bit old blues, dusty folk, and raw country. The melody reminds me of "Where Did You Sleep Last Night?" and Aly's and Ben's voices sound quite good together. As you listen to Ben begin his tale of a woman not reciprocating his love, you might think Aly's character is the one who done him wrong. But when Aly sings, she tells of a man much like Ben's woman. It seems more realistic that these two are commiserating at the bar together, a few whiskies deep.
Yesterday, I wrote about an album where the words have come to me slowly, where I still am hearing them as texture more than discrete signifiers of language. This song is just the opposite. I find this dichotomy fascinating – why I sometimes hear words as words and other times as sounds – but the point here is that "Whim" is a vivid tale I followed immediately. It's also devastating. Just consider the chorus (which swaps in male words when sung from the female perspective): "I'm a whim, just a whim. I'm a passing thought in the mind of the girl I love. Though her kisses are sweet and her body has heat, I ain't much when push comes to shove." Oof. But who hasn't been there? We want to take a seat at the bar next to them, raise our glasses, and knock some back while sharing our stories.
If you click through the bandcamp link, you can also find a way to get The Fits, which I recommend. For more about Aly, how she met Ben, and their creative process, check out this piece in Interview Magazine. Also, check out Ben's music here.