French indie soft rock project’s fourth single anchors fourth LP, due Nov. 7
Mcbaise, the psychedelic soft rock project and alter ego of illustrator McBess, dropped the fourth single off his forthcoming LP, Wrongderful, last week.
It took more than a couple of listens for me to realize “Moon” is that hallucinogenic banger we’ve been seeking, melding trippy, mind-altering effects, synths, guitar riffs and lyrics with the soft, yacht rock sound he’s been leaning into.
I didn’t even mention the slap bass.
Do yourself a favor and listen to this one with the volume turned all the way up. Maybe first smoke a joint, eat a gummy or drink a mind-altering seltzer.
“Hey we’re having a good time
Please come along
I would love you to get there
I’m having a good time
Come along, Come on, Come”
I accepted the invitation of these lyrics, actually a little skeptical about this song at first. I have extremely high expectations for this next LP, namely because every one he’s put out has been incredible and pretty much unlike anything I’ve ever heard.
But expectations can let you down.
I’d be lying if I didn’t acknowledge that my anxiety levels have been high as of late for a number of reasons — including the state of the world and politics.
We need art right now for so many things, including protest but also to help us relax.
One of the synths that hangs over this entire track is like a wavy aural anesthetic.
The opening guitar riff actually mimics and foretells the song’s chorus. It’s a trick that the best instrumentalists use when covering the lyrical phrasings of songs.
There are so many layers to this song, most of them laid down in the studio by Mcbaise himself.
French illustrator/musician McBess/Mcbaise is based in London but is originally from the South of France. There is no question that the Mediterranean region has influenced his art.
PHOTO BY DEREK BREMMER; COURTESY OF DIRTY MELODY RECORDS
“‘Moon’ sits in a darker environment than most of the songs on Wrongderful,” explains Mcbaise. “It encapsulates the late-night overthinking that creeps in when everything else is quiet. The guitar lays down a crooner-like tone, only to be challenged by a slap bass, the whole thing drenched in trembling synths. It’s the musical equivalent of one of those black T-shirts airbrushed with a wolf howling at the moon and an eighteen wheeler.”
He first gained notoriety as the illustrator McBess but he’s said on more than one occasion that music is not a hobby for him. It’s just another extension of his artistic expression, all of which he takes seriously.
Breaking that down further, every layer of this track delivers on that front, especially the lyrics which are quite abstract and meant to be open to interpretation.
“I’ll be knocking on your door
Cause my heart needs a beating
Cause we were onto something”
There’s a pre-order right now for the first edition vinyl pressing of Wrongderful, available through his fashion label, The Dudes (find it here). The album artwork, which he produced, is set in a tripped out Disney forest. It appears to be from the music video for the second single he released off this LP, “Alice.”
By the way, that music video already has amassed 1.1 million views on YouTube, suggesting that Mcbaise is finally getting the traction his music deserves. I wrote about it here.
There’s still another five tracks we haven’t heard — and won’t hear until the album drops on Nov. 7.
I can’t fucking wait.
The back of the LP jacket for the upcoming LP, Wrongderful, due out Nov. 7. If you look closely enough, you’ll see that the last track is called “Stoney,” which could be about a cartoon bear who likes to get stoned, wandering the French Alps.