Let me occupy your mind, as you do mine

Soldiering on with another new album that was tearing up my iPod a couple of months ago, Belgian/Australian artist Gotye and his second album Like Drawing Blood. Born Wouter DeBacker, he took the stage name after crafting music from old vinyl samples and decided to follow suit in using an old name. Wouter translates from Flemish to French as Gaultier and subsequently, his nickname was born.

Like Drawing Blood draws on a number of influences, from classical string arrangements with smooth double bass, to trip hop with lo-fi drum production, via jazz with free form tempo and syncopated beats to create a dark and soulful record that exposes Gotye as and when he chooses.

The album was originally only released in his native Australia and after negotiating deals with a range of independents, Like Drawing Blood is seeing an eventual Europe release on August 18th via Lucky Number music and has been preceded by the incredible single Hearts A Mess.

It was Hearts A Mess that first drew my attention to Gotye but through its quirky video which views like a mashup of War Of The Worlds and Nightmare Before Christmas. The dark animation provides the perfect visualisations for this brooding track which utilises the previously mentioned Gotye-defining elements in a perfect 4 minute package. The song reads like your traditional heartbreaking song but as always for me, it is the instrumentation, production and delivery that make this video really stand out, all aided by Gotye's wonderful production and sampling skills. The song bends with Gotye's voice, with call and response style vocals and a swaying bass line to keep the song moving and when Gotye finally releases the demons, it is through production again that Gotye connects with his breathtaking chorus augmented with vocal effects and deep, developed instrumentation to emphasise the confusion and misidirection that he feels.

The song is aimed at a lover that is afraid to open themselves up and by doing so, is constantly alienating themselves from any future hope. The song reads like a self admittance, with a slow and brooding verse where Gotye picks apart why things arent going the way he wants and what it is that's holding them both back.

"You don’t get burned

(’Cause nothing gets through)

It makes it easier

(Easier on you)

But that much more difficult for me

To make you see…"

Eventually he seems to lose control as the stupidity and the frustration of the situation engulfs him. As Gotye releases the frustration he offers an ultimatum, either open up and let me in or leave me alone. The emotion in Gotye's voice is heartfelt and in the perfect Gotye style, accompanied by swelling strings, darker percussion and desolating backing vocals.

"Your heart’s a mess

You won’t admit to it

It makes no sense

But I’m desperate to connect

And you, you can’t live like this"

The song is the perfect anthem for those that have given there all to someone and been rejected but instead of approaching this worn out topic with loud guitars, crass lyrics and a touch of anger, it is desperation and disappointment that flows out of Gotye, instantly making the song more identifiable and more painful each time you hear it.

New single learnalilgivinalovin is out on 8th Spetember with Like Drawing Blood seeing its official UK release on the 18th of August.