It’s a grey day in New York, the sort that sends you running for Elliott Smith playlists and searching for something compelling on HBO (or whatever site you’re probably using to illegally stream HBO). It’s also a perfect backdrop for catching up on things you may have missed from the preceding week, such as the perfectly titled “Lost In the Evening,” a slice of leisurely funk from North Carolina’s DJ Equal and journeyman singer/songwriter Gary Jules that happens to fit downtempo days of all stripes.
Equal’s collaboration with Jules (of “Mad World” fame) is reminiscent of the softer side of RJD2 and DJ Shadow, the sort of song that recalls a certain timeless quality lyrically and musically (which is to say: Save for modern recording techniques, it wouldn’t be surprising to discover that “Lost In the Evening” was cut some time in the 1960s or 1970s). Jules’ performance and Equal’s hazy arrangement steer “Lost In the Evening” away from feeling anachronistic, conjuring cool charm in the process.
(Thump)
