#365songs (127 / 365)

I like doing this project because revisiting songs that I've found interesting sometimes makes me say "Wow, I should really check out some of this artist's other stuff." So it is with the Books: I don't remember if I heard The Way Out first, or if it was one of Nick Zammuto's post-Books solo albums (one of which will certainly get mentioned at some point this year), but it's all pretty fascinating stuff: the sample-heavy cut-up vibes of hip hop but with a twisted pop music sensibility and incredibly distinctive and compelling sound design. The blurb for their oddities collection on Bandcamp says they "essentially created their own genre (often reluctantly described as 'collage-pop')." I don't know why the reluctance. The shoe fits. "A Cold Freezin' Night" is a perfect example. The lyrics are clips of kids engaging in what seem to me like kid-typical goofiness, playful abuse and threats of incredible violence; the chaotic instrumental suits it pretty perfectly, and in the context of the album it stands out for its aggressiveness amidst a lot of peculiar new-age philosophy and self-help stuff. The whole package is strange as hell but compelling, and I really ought to be digging into the Books' back catalog.