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Pitchfork
December 14, 2009
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91. HEALTH
“Die Slow”
[Lovepump United]
It’s fitting that HEALTH’s most melodic song to date manages to rip and rend something sweet from a grind. It’s a hook that could have been fashioned from sheet metal, but adorned with wiry guitar and Jacob Duzsik’s airy vocals, the cycling, jagged loop gains velocity and feels visceral yet restrained. These Smell alums obviously know how to move a sweaty, packed room; listen for the double bass-hit and the chugging, heavy riffs that make a brief appearance 10 seconds in, a paean to house parties past. What makes “Die Slow” stand out is that it’s some of the best evidence yet that, after a dance remix record and road tip with Trent Reznor, these guys know how to play to a much larger room. –Patrick Sisson
18. The Big Pink
“Dominos”
[4AD]
Big Pink’s “Dominos” rolls big and boisterous, as carefree and brash as the commitment-averse dude at the song’s center. And when we’re talking about a blur of sexual conquests and quick flings (as the LP’s title says: a brief history of love, indeed), what’s to learn, or more accurately, what do you want to learn? Though some of the lyrics belie grief and bitterness, the massive hooks, slabs of crunchy synths, waves of big beat build-up, and blind optimism of the music encapsulate the rush of a long chain of encounters, one bumping into the next. That you don’t see the end of the line quickly rushing toward you doesn’t matter. Connecting the duo’s influences– noise, shoegaze, and booming pop– can be instructive. But when obsession over a song can be boiled down to big, dumb, and fun, why bother? –Patrick Sisson
See the whole list here.