7inch Sunday is a segment devoted entirely to 7” vinyl and the all-encompassing experience surrounding it. Although most publications cover major releases, the vinyl single is often overlooked and given nothing more than a half-hearted nod of acknowledgement. This weekly feature is a hub for 7” reviews, exploring the B-sides and rarities of artists that may often go unnoticed.
Each Sunday I will review 7” vinyl from artists who venture this extra mile to hold their singles high above the sea of digital releases. I hope to embody the spirit of vinyl while sharing some fantastic music with you, the reader. Let’s get started.
Emerging onto the scene early this year, Divine Fits quickly became the supergroup buzz of the year. Consisting of Britt Daniel (Spoon), Dan Boeckner (Wolf Parade, Handsome Furs) and Sam Brown (New Bomb Turks), the trio combined three styles of music that normally wouldn’t mesh. Fortunately, with the collective benefit of past successes, the group began with a built-in fan base, allowing Divine Fits to make music they wanted without the burden of attracting listeners.
Their full-length, A Thing Called the Divine Fits, dropped this past Tuesday to much acclaim. While “My Love is Real” was featured as the record’s first track, they released a 7” featuring the prior mentioned and an exclusive track, “I Was Born in a Laundromat.” Both tracks take odds and ends from the members’ past bands to create a sound that is purely and unequivocally Divine Fits.
Kicking off with an electro-pop vibe reminiscent of Handsome Furs, the A-side manages to convey a lot with very little. Beginning with a low register synth, drum machine and Daniel’s semi-shaky voice, the song flows in and out of layers. At its climax the track is a multi-faceted dueling synths, but eventually concludes with a gentle finesse.
“I Was Born in a Laundromat,” the exclusive B-side of the single, takes a far different approach than its predecessor and sounds more like something out of the Spoon catalogue. Filled with tastefully sour guitar notes and a melody that perfectly caters to Daniel’s voice, the track manages to adhere to the Divine Fits formula without any signs of electronica.
Check back next week for a look at chris e. pants’ Doggy Style.
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