Hunters & Collectors: Talking to a Stranger (Avalanches Rework)
The music we tweeted this week had an unintentional theme: male vocalists with superb falsettos
The aloof Avalanches reared their heads for a moment this week. The Australian band hasn’t released an album since their first and only Since I Left You came out 13 years ago. The brilliant record was praised by critics and listeners and was heavy on sampling—over 3,500 vinyl samples appear on the album; from obscure and strange soundbites, to snippets from Françoise Hardy, comedy duo Wayne and Shuster and Madonna’s “Holiday.” The band looked a little closer to home for this release: Reworking fellow Aussie band the Hunters & Collectors’ 1982 classic “Talking to a Stranger.” The track is haunting at first, with the original’s alarm-type sounds fading in and out, but soon softens sweetly with disco samples and horns—taking the once post-punk song to an entirely different place. A playful but tender and thoughtful interpretation, it’s quintessentially Avalanches.
