The opening drums of “There Goes My Baby” immediately bring to mind the vintage R&B of the 1960s — its initial rim accent sounds like the introduction to a Motown hit of yesteryear — but the track’s lyrical content couldn’t more contemporary. Such classic influences infused with extremely contemporary subject matter is the calling card of indie folk Brooklyn duo Charlie and the Rays, whose sunny, harmony-filled songwriting and acoustic-centered output belies the seriousness of this single. Inspired by America’s “lack of gun laws and failed mental health and healthcare systems,” and the fact that public schools are often in the crosshairs of violence bread by these two failures, the band’s choice to rebel against senseless violence in the form of a song characterized by bright, poppy vox, metaphor-laden lyrics, and noodling electric guitar lines interwoven among syncopated strumming recalls Paul Simon’s early work, demonstrating mellifluous, politically-charged craftsmanship that’s never heavy-handed. Listen to our premiere below, and catch the band at Muchmore’s on April 24th.
