Song of the Day: Is Tropical - Crawl

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Morning Show with John Richards, is “Crawl” by Is Tropical from the 2014 album Black Anything (Pt. 1) on Axis Mundi Records.

Is Tropical - Crawl (MP3)

Where’s the sweltering heat? What’s up with this cold, windy winter? This could have been what British band Is Tropical was wondering when they named themselves in 2009. In reality, the band’s name was intended to reflect the quartet’s globetrotting aspirations. Two albums later, the group has toured all over with their electronic rock and imaginative aesthetics. Is Tropical’s five part album, Black Anything, demonstrates the band’s dedication to every aspect of their work. The album will be released as 10-inch vinyl components, each bearing the image of the continent in which its songs were recorded. Collect them all, stack them up, and you’ll have a globe. The first installment, which features "Crawl" and "On My Way," was recorded in North America. Between layers of synths, bass, aggressive riffs, and even a kalimba, "Crawl" is a song that carries a theme familiar to all parts of the planet: death. This earthliest of concerns is made otherworldly by singer Kirstie Fleck’s warped, detached voice as she refers to a Mongolian ritual witnessed by the band while on tour.

Is Tropical is busy exploring and touring around Europe, but hopefully their jet setting will bring them stateside soon. Until then, keep up with the band on their website, Facebook page, and Twitter, or pick up a few useful phrases like "Will this thick skin absorb your sins?" in Russian with the music video for "Crawl." To cement their international focus, the band translates each line into another language: