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Tune of the Day: MS MR - Hurricane // Issue #42

"A duo that may have more to offer than ironic window dressings"

by Jeremy Daniel, June 5th, 2012 and has been Read 1449 times.
Last Edited by: Jeremy Daniel June 5th, 2012.

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Of the elements which make up the human condition, it can be argued that emotional insecurity is the most frustrating and disappointing of those elements; it could also qualify for the most humorous all depending on your perspective. At times, our insecurities place us in the type of situations you imagine being played out in some bad/awkward comedy on the silver screen. Also humorous: our tendency to turn to a variety of artificial chemicals as a means of numbing those insecurities and breaking free from our inhibitions, be it alcohol or something stronger. Much like alcohol or illicit drugs, insecurity has the same ability to impair our judgement and leave us prone to acting out on irrational (and usually stupid) impulses or thoughts. The difference of course, is while chemicals shatter those inhibitions with the force of a blunt object, our insecurities can build them up like the impenetrable walls of a bomb shelter.

MS MR too, are prone to the same vulnerabilities and inhibitions as you and I and on 'Hurricane', they're drawing the curtains back just enough to give us a glimpse into their shortcomings "Welcome to the inner workings of my mind" so states the anonymous female vocalist and chances are, some of you have been to similar places inside of your own mind: A place where self-doubt often sabotages opportunity and lack of self-esteem squanders chances for romantic connections and that's where 'Hurricane' takes us, "Didn't know what this would be/But I knew I didn't see what you saw, you saw in me/ I jumped the gun, so sure you would split and run/Ready for the worst before the damage was done."



When you build up the courage to take a chance on someone and they reject you? That smarts, but to build up the same courage only to pull the plug out of fear of rejection, only to find out those feelings would have been reciprocated? That smarts on an entirely different level. And the music too feels just as insecure: the synthesizers loom in the background in the same way our own self-doubt looms in the shadows of our mind; the beats trip nervously over their feet as they plod along; the vocalist comes off as slightly pouty, disappointed and frustrated. 'Hurricane' isn't self-pity set against a trip-hop beat though, there's a sense of cheekiness welling up from beneath the uncertainty that gives it a dark allure, the kind of song you could jam to all night or on cloudy days and revel in your inadequacies.

WATCH // 'Hurricane'

The Story:

Given the amount of underground artists who have sprung up over the past six months who from the start, have willingly obfuscated their identities as a means of drawing attention, it's tempting to pass over yet another one that's seemingly doing the same thing. MS MR have all of signs to make them qualify: there's the Tumblr stuffed with odd pop-culture pictures, the Bandcamp with little info and just enough music to have you clamoring for more and a Facebook that, despite having at least one shot of the group? It's nothing more than a lower body shot. No names are given, there's no big label push and the word of mouth is only now beginning to gain momentum. Still, to write them off based upon how they are approaching self-promotion would be passing up the opportunity to hear a duo that may have more to offer than ironic window dressings.