Studio Pigalle had The Dø over for a set and this eight-minute masterpiece is the result. Having grabbed this French band’s new LP Both Ways Jaws Open early last week, I’m finding it hard to deny the awesome power behind the tribal track “Slippery Slope”, which originally surfaced on their Dust It Off EP from December of 2010. It fits the realm of bands like Lykke Li, MGMT and The Ting Tings.
But on this extended version, strong affinity becomes absolute love. If there’s anything I’m a sucker for, it’s classic jazz from artists like Mingus, Coltrane and Davis. The reason I dig jazz is because of the genre’s inherent desire from improvisation. The Dø employ that on this extended version of the song, dropping in a lengthy saxophone solo at around the 4 minute mark.
Beyond that, I truly admire The Dø’s inclusion of non-standard pop instruments in this version of the song. Take a peek and you’ll see the three main saxophones: alto, tenor and baritone. You’ll see a trombone. Percussion-wise, they use mallets for a hugely tribal sound. All of this hints of Celebration’s epic “Pony” from 2008’s Celebration.
However, where Celebration was highly experimental in nature, The Dø finds a comfortable place that could easily take this band mainstream. Check out my latest session obsession — “Slippery Slope (Extended Version)” by The Dø live at their Studio Pigalle Session — and, for comparison purposes, I’ve included the album version for added enjoyment:
Download: “Slippery Slope” by The Dø
[audio:111107-the-do-slippery-slope.mp3|titles=Slippery Slope|artists=The Dø]
