A cocktail lounge seems like the perfect atmosphere for this new song from Dark Dark Dark, as the music is jazz-inspired and Nona Marie Invie’s lead vocals are sultry and emotive like the popular lounge singers from back in the day. The listener can vividly imagine the songstress in a long, slinky, black dress and belting the lyrics as she reclines elegantly against a piano. It only seems natural.
And the piano within “How It Went Down” is certainly fitting of such an image, as its delicate arpeggios and steady chords provide a bluesy ambiance for Invie’s captivating voice. Even more perfect are the jazzy plucking and strumming of the guitar plucking and the grooving rhythm of the light and cymbal-ridden drums.
I’m sure the slow, jazzy nature of the track might sound depressing were it not for the hopeful tone of the lyrics.
For those of you that don’t know Dark Dark Dark already, they are a folk/indie band from MinneapoliS who has just released “How It Went Down” as a second teaser from their upcoming album entitled Who Needs Who. “How It Went Down” was written by the band’s banjo player Marshall LaCount, who uses the song as a way of revealing his increasingly distant relationship with lead singer Nona Marie Invie. It is not often that the writer’s ex-lover performs the love song, but in response to his openness she sings with honesty and without embarrassment, allowing raw emotion to seep into the track.
It is a promising start to a brand new album, so be sure to get Who Needs Who next month.