by Dan Goldin (@post_trash_)
Last year saw the release of Chicago experimental pop duo Courtesy’s latest album, Check The Milk. Released via Seasick Records, the album blended a sound of hip-hop beats with psychedelic lo-fi, soul, and alternative rock, creating something uniquely their own. Their blend of styles is constantly transfixing, void of any pitfalls that often arise when trying to do too many things at once. With the band heading out on tour, they’re celebrating the upcoming dates with "Preferences" and "Walk The Dog," two new singles recorded during the Check The Milk sessions.
In a cruel twist of fate, both Courtesy’s Kirk Rawlings and Drew Ryan lost their long-term pets right at the end of the lockdown, a blow that lead to “Walk The Dog,” and it’s molasses slow drip. The song drags itself forward, even as the drums keep an engaging stop/start rhythmic shuffle. Everything feels surreal when delivered this slow, but the haunted nature of loss and the empty spaces in their lives can be felt in the minimalist crawl. The song aches for the days of companionship with their respective pets, but the atmosphere and detachement are so thick that it never feels quite so much depressing as it does surreal. Courtesy can do great things with an outside the box beat and manipulated reality, and “Walk The Dog” is a shining example of them creating something vivid with a minimalist composition.
TOUR DATES:
08/31 - Indianapolis, IN @ State Street Pub w/ Lee Lloyd & Kilmer
09/01 - Bloomington, IN @ Blockhousebloom w/ Elk Manakin, Swan Wash, @ David Brown
09/02 - Nashville, TN @ Drkmttr w/ Ttotals & Cassette Stress
09/03 - Memphis, TN @ 901growlers w/ Andrew Bryant & Don Quixote’s Horse
09/04 - Memphis, TN @ Comeback Coffee w/ Cherry Smoke, Alicja-Pop, & Spacer
09/05 - Birmingham, AL @ Seasick Records (Labor Day Jammer) w/ Dogg, Sugar Plums, & The Audiovore (DJ set) - 3pm early show
09/06 - Louisville, KY @ Kaiju Bar w/ Hairbrushing & Flanger Magazine
09/07 - Chicago, IL @ Penny Whistle Tavern w/ Lonnie & Floatie