Single Review: Do You Feat. Ilena

Water, Clay, and Ceramic. If the sonic possibilities of these three textures are the question, then Comf’s triptych of EPs, The Texture Tapes, are the proposed hypothesis.

While I can’t speak of the results of the experiment as a whole, part one of part one, the lead single Do You, is an exercise in the weaving together of contrasts.

It’s a breakup song, set to a sexy-time slow jam. It’s high-concept, yet the audio equivalent of the Tumblr aesthetic. It has Comf’s signature James Blake-esque baritone, against Ilena’s ethereal falsetto. The samples are simultaneously smooth, and abrasive. Just like water in different conditions, I suppose.

The presentation is a bit too modern, fashionable, and ephemeral for a nihilistic dad-rocker such as me. It’s not my genre. That’s not to say it won’t be a hit with the vaporwave generation. This is the sound of the mainstream, but I haven’t bathed in those waters for a decade at least. I’m not the target audience, and that’s ok. Not everything has to cater to my tastes. It’s a hard lesson to learn in our egocentric culture sometimes.

Despite feeling aged-out of the loop and irrelevant, I gave it my attention. I watched the RadioActive live set and saw the passion and enthusiasm that goes into performing the songs. I read the poetry of the lyrics, played with the companion website, and listened to the care put into crafting the work. I might not fully get it, but I can still appreciate it.

5 of 5 stars.

You can find Do You on the Comf Bandcamp.