POW Premiere: Mousey McGlynn – Two Incantations

Never underestimate the power of the sample.  A repurposed, scant phrasing can lead the adventurous into unexplored territory only hinted at in its original form.  With the assistance of Beat Cinema’s Coby, the Irish-born, LA-living Mousey McGlynn unpacks the frosty side of an irresistible ear worm they couldn’t let live in the shadow of its larger origins on Two Incantations, a two track single POW is delighted to premiere today.

Realizing that winter is a good a time as any for spiritual hibernation (in the rejuvenating sense, not in the preparing-to-steal-pic-i-nic-baskets way), Mousey here falls between hypnotic and harrowing, a sound she equates to “a more intense Portishead.” The description is apt, and I have no reason whatsoever to disagree with her assessment.  Opener “Brave” starts with a paranoid loop before MM’s lush vocals creep into the background, growing like audio kudzu until the track seems ready to burst.

B-side “Bitch” lays out a line of grievances over a somber, steadfast piano sample, girlfriend letting you know she’s not taking shit anymore. “They sound crystalline and angular, like snowflakes. I didn’t want to wait a few more months to get an EP or album together. They had to be released in December,” the former Low End (RIP), current Beat Cinema resident related.  Once again, I couldn’t agree more.