Alone in Shanghai, getting high to avoid the pain of a lover who’s left—that’s the tale ttypes tells in their latest single, “Rock Bottom in Shanghai”. The forlorn nature doesn’t translate into the retro vibes; instead, that trippy psychedelic quality of numbing the pain pokes through in almost every bar.
Tim Krauss’s incredible vocal range in “Rock Bottom in Shanghai” lends an eerie quality, like a monkey mind unable to latch onto a thought. That unease beautifully mirrors the disheartening, hallucinative lyrics, “Rock bottom in Shanghai, and I’m dreaming that I’m home again.”
Even the bright beat that chugs along under everything sparkles with an otherworldly quality. The tight vocal harmonies that feel splintered from the main vocal line further add to this disillusioned illusion.
As Krauss reaches into the stratosphere with his falsetto, it always feels reflective. The subtle retro vibes of the not-quite-clean production keep things rooted in a feeling of remembered what-ifs. As the song ends, the slow fade-out quietly pulls you into your own reverie.
Stream “Rock Bottom in Shanghai” below.
Ben is an advertising Madman who spends his days with words and music. When he’s not writing for his supper, he’s eating it at some of NYC’s most interesting restaurants.
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