Ellery Twining sure knows how to mix the old with the new. His last album "RESULTS" showed he could take sounds we know and twist them into stuff we have never heard before. Now his new song "S.B. Butler" keeps pushing the limits of what pop music can do.
At first listen, "S.B. Butler" feels like a big warm hug of memories from back in the day. You hear funky electronic noises wrapped around nice piano tunes and then, it shoots you right back to when we were kids. The voice drifts in and out like scenes from a dream you can't quite recall, and it leaves you with lots of questions.
Eric Lichter and David Bentley helped achieve this surreal yet nostalgic sound design through their experimental techniques at Dirt Floor Recording Studio. Imaginary beats and quiet drones enhance the song's meditative vibe while still maintaining accessibility.
The music video for this song takes it up a notch. It was directed by the talented Michelle Gemma. She filmed it in an elementary school, playground, and some neighborhoods, taking you back to being a kid. Gemma knows how to paint a picture with her camera.
They even put in old photos from the Freitas Family, blending memories that feel personal with the ones we all shared growing up. The model Carly Straub stands in looking back on it all as an adult, seeing how time changes how we view both events and feelings.
Twining said the video was a "contextual dissemination of the Generation X transformation into the Post Generation" and he for sure nailed it. Gemma's pictures feel comfortingly familiar but also a little strange somehow. They highlight how we only start to value little kid things once we realize how fast time flies by. That's the core theme Twining explores with this song "S.B. Butler."
The song combines funk, blues, and experimental electronics in a cool way. The bass keeps it loose and groovy, while the drums lay back to keep things funky. The instrument leaves you with a feeling of something being slightly "off" much like memories dug up that don't quite match the original experience.
"S.B. Butler" is a poignant piece of art that uses Generation X nostalgia as a lens for reflection. It acknowledges both the comfort and melancholy in looking back, while also challenging preconceptions of what defines pop music. "S.B. Butler" is a must-listen that deserves repeat play to uncover new layers of meaning.