The reclusive, polymathic desert pop genius behind Territory & Hombre has returned to the Ball of Wax fold with the relentlessly delightful “I Started a Fire.” It starts with a short vocal loop, an inscrutable second of muffled speech that becomes the rhythmic base for a head-bobbing groove of bass and drum machine, soon joined by banjo and guitar. Vocals trade fours with more found audio pastiche, and then the chorus! “Oooh, I just want to be alone right now,” he sings, and then something about being too sexy that I just can’t quite catch, and there’s this sweet little melodic synth line that keeps it all bouncing along.
The lyrics provide an introspective counterpoint to the music’s peppy drive, as one might expect from a reclusive, polymathic desert pop genius. There’s a lot of solitude, walking at night, and, of course, starting fires. But then there’s that sexiness! Too much of it, even! I don’t know, man, I just love this song, and if you don’t you’re clearly on the wrong blog. Word is this track is part of an actual full-length coming . . . eventually. So keep refreshing that Bandcamp page.