There is something about the juxtaposition of Lorenzo Scott Huerta's somber vocal cadence against urgent guitar strumming and drum beats that keep you feeling unsteady. The song is the amazingly titled, "Medium Horny" (by San Francisco's French Cassettes) a song that begs the question.... um, I forgot what I was going to say. The track feels like a puzzle pieced together soundscape of deliciously winding bass lines, that aforementioned solid moving drum beat, bending / sliding electric guitar shapes or layers of such and beautifully frantic acoustic guitar strums against beautifully odd lyrics, maybe totally ID, maybe improvised or maybe carefully placed, that might ask more questions than provide answers.
And medium horny
You’ve a rolodex of holy women for me
I’m a Sunbeam so she must be lonely
I’m sick of bar banter
But attracted to the neon"
Discussing “Medium Horny”, guitarist/vocalist/songwriter Lorenzo Scott Huerta stated, “The song started as just finger shapes I liked the look of on my guitar. But truth be told the inspiration is split into 4 of my favorite songwriters. The first verse is Johnny Marr, middle section is Jeff Lynne and Bill Evans, the outro is Elliott Smith. I’ve never heard a full Evans song in my life… I don’t think, but I’ve heard he does ‘chord solos’ and I loved that idea so I wrote a guitar solo of just strummed chords.
When we recorded it, I tried to re-record the guitars, and our guitarist Mackenzie asked ‘Why?’ Which was a good point. So we just kept the demo guitars. Probably one of the strangest songs we’ve ever written but the only hiccup was when I told the band the name of the song and I remember there was a full 3 seconds of pause… then we got to work.”
When we recorded it, I tried to re-record the guitars, and our guitarist Mackenzie asked ‘Why?’ Which was a good point. So we just kept the demo guitars. Probably one of the strangest songs we’ve ever written but the only hiccup was when I told the band the name of the song and I remember there was a full 3 seconds of pause… then we got to work.”
Despite my sideways description of the song at the beginning of this review, I love this song and I love Huerta's vocal countenance, which feels at once melancholy, beside himself and fully getting the cosmic jokes that life itself is providing.
The Official Video is as wonky as the track and beautifully directed and conceived by Syra McCarthy, who shares:
“From ages 7-15 I had this recurring dream that this suave alien named Charles would fly down from the sky in a cool car, park in front of my house and charm my neighbors and family into coming home with him, even offering me my favorite tootsie roll pop (cherry), but I was never sold. Listening to ‘Medium Horny’, the psychedelic sad boy sway made me think of (yes) the literal meaning, but also, Charles. How easily we can feel so numb and unsatisfied on the day to day and how easily someone like Charles could seduce us with ‘happiness' capitalism. But hey - maybe we’d like it. Maybe there’d be a party. Maybe even swingers. Maybe Medium Horny is just the beginning! Everybody gets off in space.
“From ages 7-15 I had this recurring dream that this suave alien named Charles would fly down from the sky in a cool car, park in front of my house and charm my neighbors and family into coming home with him, even offering me my favorite tootsie roll pop (cherry), but I was never sold. Listening to ‘Medium Horny’, the psychedelic sad boy sway made me think of (yes) the literal meaning, but also, Charles. How easily we can feel so numb and unsatisfied on the day to day and how easily someone like Charles could seduce us with ‘happiness' capitalism. But hey - maybe we’d like it. Maybe there’d be a party. Maybe even swingers. Maybe Medium Horny is just the beginning! Everybody gets off in space.
Major thanks to the French Cassettes for being down for whatever. This video would not have been possible without Scott letting me drown him in a pool for 3 hours and Mac letting me blind him with an alien mask and no peripheral vision, tasked to not crash a very shiny 1986 Chrysler TC Maserati.”
In the end "Medium Horny" feels like the name of a sitcom, one where hilarity ensues but you care about the people in it because they are just trying to get through life, live their dreams like the rest of us (while fucking up from time to time).
-Robb Donker Curtius
THE FACTS AS WE KNOW THEM
https://www.facebook.com/frenchcassettes/
https://twitter.com/frenchcassettes
https://open.spotify.com/artist/0VcpOwnjkQaqDeEiVa9cu5
https://frenchcassettes.bandcamp.com/
https://www.instagram.com/frenchcassettes/
French Cassettes
Hyper melodic indie pop from San Francisco
French Cassettes, Hyper melodic indie pop, indie rock, alt pop, San Francisco, "Medium Horny" (Official Video), melancholy, acerbic lyrics, tightly wound musicality,
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