If you haven’t already wrapped your ears around Adrian Deutsch’s new album Do You Remember?, stop what you’re doing and go listen to it now.
Fresh off the album’s release, we caught up with the artist himself for a run-down of ten tracks that influenced his emotive and dynamic sound.
With tracks from Ariel Pink, Charlotte Gainsbourg, The Go-Betweens, and more, Adrian Deutsch has your week’s listening sorted with this new playlist.
Destroyer – My Mystery
Destroyer! This guy has a poet pretending to be drunk at the bar vibe and I just love it. Slinky grooves, a bit 70s AM radio (check out the horns with delay on it that never gets old). I like how he riffs on a little lyric image that seems to give you more each time you listen to it. Lots of dancing around my apartment to this one I assure you. Wait for the breakdown bit!
The Replacements – Color Me Impressed
Ahh, The Replacements. One of my favourite bands. The mix of raggedness and melodic genius. They’ll have some crap songs about playing pool but most of their stuff is so emotionally satisfying. I think that’s what makes them cool. It’s like they were almost shocked at how emotional and melodic they could be. This track with the 80s punky vibe is an obvious influence on my track Nothing Lasts. Sometimes you just gotta let it out!
The Wake – Melancholy Man
Before I went to LA to make the album with Tony, I had a little tourist jaunt on the east coast and was checking out all the museums and American aspiration in Washington DC. I walked into a strangely conservative menswear shop in Georgetown and they were playing this song. The synth is just perfect. They even reference the lyrics to Starry Night by Don McClean in it. I didn’t buy anything from the shop but I walked out into the crisp DC afternoon in a sweet sweet melodic melancholic mood. Also, I need to point out my taste in snare drums is impeccable. Every song in this playlist has a great snare sound.
Tony Allen / Damon Albarn – Go Back
I was a Blur guy growing up and although I’ve come and gone from the fold I always have respect for Damon Albarn’s thing. You know who else I have respect for? Tony Allen and his insanely on-point drumming. So tasteful. Such rollicking intimate grooves. This influenced my song Lullaby for sure. Lullaby is actually meant to be Tony Allen drumming for the Stone Roses. That’s what I was going for!
Keren Ann – You Were On Fire
Let this wash over you. Keren Ann is such a great songwriter. She sings in a mix of English and French. I always hear new meaning in her lyrics every time I listen to her. The production on this is so killer. It sounds muffled, sleepy. Take a bath and put this on. You’re welcome.
Ariel Pink – Another Weekend
While we were recording the album I lined up next to Ariel Pink in a hipster sandwich shop in East LA. Pretty much sums up the experience of recording the album haha. Seriously though, I love this track. He sings about schnitzel sometimes which is funny but mostly annoying. Other times, he hits on (again) this satisfying emotion. I love this song. It resonates with me too personally about the passing of time and what did we really achieve? Deep.
The Go-Betweens – Bye Bye Pride
If you ever feel embarrassed to be Australian for god’s sake put on the Go-Betweens. I don’t know what to say about this song. Ok wait, I do. Basically, it represents me wanting to write great strummy songs you can play on just an acoustic and they’ll still work. This song is so good it makes me cry sometimes and the lyric about going for a walk to clear your head is perfect.
Orange Juice – I Guess I’m Just A Little Too Sensitive
Remember that song Never Met A Girl Like You Before by Edwyn Collins? The James Bond sounding one? Well, this is his cool 80’s band. “You don’t need a lover, you need a sparring partner”. Makes me laugh and feel better about dating in 2019 because holy shit. It’s also good for dancing around the apartment. Not that I’d ever do that…
Charlotte Gainsbourg – Rest
Tony and I vibe on her stuff! Every album we’ve recorded together has coincided with a new Charlotte Gainsbourg one so we geek out to the production. She’s cool. This song is half in English and half in French and as far as I can tell it’s about taking a nap with your partner. That’s nice right? Actually, it’s probably more poetic than that but that’s enough for me.
Jimmy Webb – Met Her On A Plane
70’s soft rock with sweet synths! Listen to how soft the drums are. We used this as a reference for my track Something Good. The synths at the end are a bit Father John Misty but to me, they were Jimmy Webb! I made everyone in the studio sit in silence and listen to this one. I listen to this and imagine myself in first class on a plane in the 70s with a beard and a white suit. Tinted aviators. The whole thing.
Adrian Deutsch’s Do You Remember? is out now. Listen above.
