I have always been fascinated with the science behind communication, and the evolution of languages. This year, I have fallen in love with the art of conversation.
Conversations is the debut from the London pop four-piece Woman’s Hour. The dreamy, soulful pop is enjoyable enough on its own, but the full weight of the group’s artistry can only be felt with an appreciation of its entire aesthetic, including the album visuals and their first few videos.
There’s something genuinely moving about communication that is seen, intensified by the warmth of the human body and emotive expression. There’s no substitute for face-to-face conversation. And seeing the words of this song, particularly “I’ve got nothing to say to a ghost,” allows it resonate all the more. I’ve got everything to say, and I’ll use every way possible to do so.
Several times, just in the last few weeks, I’ve had seemingly inane discussions regarding the real-life corollaries for various emoji icons. What’s this face look like? What’s this supposed to be? Can you make this expression? And despite once fully supporting RF’s emoticon boycott, I now use any and every opportunity to text as pictographically as possible. Thank you, Android, for translating my iPhone faces so effectively.
And weeks before that, while talking tunes with DH, he convinced me of the primacy of YouTube in the world of digital music. “Doing visuals” is now a legitimate component of a live musical performance. It’s not that I was resistant to the 21st century blending sound and sight… I just hadn’t fully bought in yet. When Woman’s Hour plays The Rickshaw Stop on October 10, I look forward to seeing and hearing the continuing discussion.
Every Dragging Handclap 