It’s always amusing to watch the trajectory of ‘60s and ‘70s rock bands who emerged into the ‘80s, and were suddenly seized by the funk/disco bug.
The Rolling Stones’ 1980 hit, “Emotional Rescue,†led by a funky downbeat and Mick Jagger’s soaring falsetto, has all the trappings of that transition – it’s smoother than many making the switch, and this one even warranted a solid modernization.
Annie Clark (a.k.a. St. Vincent) took care of that. For A Bigger Splash, an upcoming romantic comedy and remake of Jacques Deray’s La Piscine (1969), the indie guitar goddess reworked the Stones’ classic.
St. Vincent channels the original’s funky, jazz aesthetic while infusing her own equanimous vibe. Her patented guitar buzz lives at the base of the mix, along with steaming saxes and a beat that chugs along imperturbably. Clarke’s bouncy vocal gets a lagging, Poltergeist-like effect that, considering the genre, sounds a lot like the ‘80s jazz fusion made famous by Prince—and c’mon, who doesn’t love Prince.
Props to the song’s producers, Kendrick Lamar collaborators Sounwave and Terrace Martin, for putting this piece together so well.
“Emotional Rescue†is the final song on the soundtrack for A Bigger Splash, and it’s more than deserving of that ultimate spot. Check out the full tracklist below, and let us know what you think of the new song!
- Observatory Crest (Captain Beefheart)
- Beauty Is Only Skin Deep (Robert Mitchum)
- Black Silk Stocking (Chrisma)
- Jump Into The Fire (Nilsson)
- Moon Is Up (The Rolling Stones)
- Heaven (The Rolling Stones)
- Dal labbro il canto estasiato vola (Daniil Shtoda, Dorothea Röschmann, Adrianne Pieczonka, Larissa Diadkova, Stella Doufexis, Berliner Philharmoniker, Claudio Abbado)
- Okanagon (Ensemble Phoenix Basel)
- Pranam II (Ensemble Phoenix Basel)
- Aguirre I (L’acrime Di Rei) (Popol Vuh)
- Emotional Rescue (St. Vincent)
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HT: AV Club
IMAGE:Â St. Vincent
