Child Seat offer a dark romance wave cinematic vision on "Fucking Up a Good Thing"

 

"woke up from a dream again / and you were gone..."

At 2 minutes and 52 seconds into Child Seat's track "Fucking Up a Good Thing", a sweeping potent bridge drops in and for me it is utterly perfect and a reminder what great songwriting sounds like. If you have been listening to the virulent strain of formulaic pop music that has spread rapidly over the last 5 to 7 years and especially if you are very young, it could be that you don't even know what a musical bridge is. For me, the bridge (if there is one) elevates a great song to a really great song and, quite frankly, Child Seat, the ultra talented powerhouse duo of Madeleine Mathews (MAWD) and Josiah Mazzaschi (Light FM, Bizou), write and produce such great songs that they can get away without having them in their songs but I appreciate the artistry. I really do.


"Fucking Up a Good Thing" starts like a horror movie with John Carpenter-esque touchstones (maybe a sonic prescient reminder of the horror of life and love lofe) and then floods into a dramatic synth affair that pulls in the darkness of 60's doo wop and 80's romance wave. Madeleine has incredible pipes, her voice is at once vulnerable, fragile, yet bold and bawdy and her incredible self harmonies add a higher level of punch. Josiah's adept sense of framing the song in a stormy climate makes it all feel so filmic. I absolutely love the his choice of a wonky synth sound to add a signature to the chorus, in some ways it feels like a cross between a Theremin and a Mellotron. The artistry here can feel hyper-realistic, in the same way that The Killers mine their sound sometimes but the earnest reality of the lyrics grounds the song. Everything absolutely works here. Madeleine and Josiah draw out powerful vocal melodies that hang in the air like sign posts of danger ahead on a relationship on Deadman's Curve, in a Phil Spector / David Lynch-esque bad dream.

Child Seat has blown me away once again.

[Child Seat just released their debut album in the Fall of 2022 with features from Jeff Schroeder of the Smashing Pumpkins and saxophonist Ron Dziubla (with notable features on Jon Batiste's Grammy winning album).]

-Robb Donker Curtius

Child Seat · Fucking Up A Good Thing

THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM 

https://www.facebook.com/childseatofficial

https://open.spotify.com/artist/2glGedITk1hxwHS228RVnw

https://www.youtube.com/@childseatmusic

https://www.instagram.com/childseatmusic/

https://childseat.bandcamp.com/track/fucking-up-a-good-thing

Child Seat, the powerhouse duo formed in 2021 by Madeleine Mathews (MAWD) and Josiah Mazzaschi (Light FM, Bizou), turns pandemic setbacks into indie rock gold. With the entirety of their debut album written remotely during the pandemic, Mathews’ powerful rock vocals, reminiscent of artists like Brittany Howard/Karen O., creates a unique juxtaposition over Mazzaschi's 80's synth-heavy instrumentals and blended with MGMT/Beach House/Arctic Monkeys vibes.

Child Seat encompasses both Mathews and Mazzaschi’s strengths. Mazzaschi has over 20+ years of success recording and producing artists like The Jesus and the Mary Chain, Jeff Schroeder of the Smashing Pumpkins, Deap Vally, Built to Spill, Rilo Kiley and more, as well as writing/performing for his own projects; Light FM, Motorhome, and Bizou. Mathews, who has fronted and written for numerous bands as well has won songwriting competitions, is defined by her unique vocal styling and powerful lyricism.

Child Seat, "Fucking Up a Good Thing", indie rock, dream pop, cinematic pop, alt pop, romance wave, 60's / 80's sonic collision, incredible vocals, Madeleine Mathews (MAWD), Josiah Mazzaschi (Light FM, Bizou),