FRICTION NYC

Over the weekend, we welcomed the unofficial start of summer. Many flocked away from their hometowns and headed out to the beaches, hills, and countryside to take advantage of the gorgeous weather. I can’t say that I was particularly enthused about the start of summer, it’s slowly becoming my least favorite season as the heat and humidity becomes increasingly worse each year and I already found myself layering on the sunscreen like clothing. But, summer also brings welcome balmy nights, outdoor shows, sidewalk dining, and the one thing that many of us discover each year, the perfect summer album.

I’m not really sure what makes a perfect summer album or song for that matter; I guess it depends on personal taste. I’m inclined to think that pop records have a tendency to make the best soundtracks for summer and that’s exactly what the New York City duo, Misha, are doing - crafting summery pop perfection.

Misha are Ashley Yao and John Chao, childhood friends that have moved around the globe separately until crossing paths again after college in New York. In an apartment near Union Square, the songs from their debut full-length, Teardrop Sweetheart, came to life. The bouncing bassline of “Scars” opens the record before kicking over to “Losing” with its segmented vocals and skinny programmed beats (akin to the soft electronic pop of Lali Puna) as Chao sings about losing his friends, his heart, and his way to nowhere. The record takes a turn away from electronica on its third track “Anaconda,” a Tropicália influenced song about an addicting relationship with a prostitute. Despite the album’s bittersweet melodies, there is a bit of a darkside, lyrics about heartache, lost love, and displacement fill the record.

Two of the standout tracks on the album are “Summersend” and “Crystal In Love” both centered around the falsetto vocals of Chao. “Crystal In Love” starts off sounding similar to a John Lennon song with Chao repeating “If I love you today / there are no promises / cause baby should I love you tomorrow,” until the song bridges into swirling electro as Chao pitches his voice up to a Marc Bolan falsetto and well beyond. It’s an amazing song to say the very least and isn’t the only Lennon influence on the record, just give “Shake A Little Looser” a quick listen.

Teardrop Sweetheart hits the streets via Tomlab on June 19th (preorder). For you eMusic subscribers, the album is available now as an advance download. Check out “Crystal In Love” and “Summersend” below, although it’s just the beginning.

[MP3]: Misha  ”Crystal In Love”
[MP3]: Misha  ”Summersend”