Photo by: speakertv.com.au
If you haven’t heard of Gotye yet, you soon will. The Australian singer-songwriter Wouter “Wally” Debecker, known by his stage name Gotye, is making waves in the music world with his third full-length album, Making Mirrors.
Using one of his dad’s photo-manipulated old paintings as the album’s cover art, Gotye revisits his past with songs recorded in a self-made studio in his parents’ barn located in Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. The album consists of 12 songs, with “Eyes Wide Open” and “Somebody I Used to Know” already released as singles and making the rounds on alternative radio stations.
“Making Mirrors” opens the album with soft wood and wind instruments and Gotye’s haunting vocals: “Dreamt of a doorway, open to everything / Maybe I’m only making mirrors.” These lines set the stage for a complex and emotionally affecting set of songs.
“Easy Way Out” follows as a stand out, up-tempo jam that makes you want to drive your car down a long road with the summer breeze in your hair.
The compelling lyrics and steady beat of “Eyes Wide Open” make it a prime choice for his first single, as it will run on repeat in the listener’s head long after the first play.
With countless viral YouTube covers and a remarkably simple yet impacting video, “Somebody I Used to Know,” which features New Zealander singer/songwriter Kimbra, surpasses many other break-up songs in terms of quality – sorry, Taylor Swift. The percussive nature of the xylophone and guitar strings makes for a unique, ear-pleasing sound.
The rest of the album continues in an offbeat percussive nature, with swinging brass on some songs and soft wind instruments on others – the constant being Gotye’s poignant vocals. From the sunny, pop-like anthem “In Your Light” to the electronically-altered, slightly creepy “Don’t Worry We’ll Be Watching,” Gotye’s third album offers a breadth of artistic tunes for any and all moods.
Melancholic and nostalgic with a proper dose of optimism, Making Mirrors is music not just for listening, but for living.
Gotye performs in concert in Denver, CO on April 6. The show, which was moved from the Bluebird Theater to the Ogden, is sold out. Tickets range on Craigslist from $50-80. Better act quickly!
