When I first heard the single “Close Your Eyes” by The Bullitts I knew I had to hear it again.
I listened the song over and over and over again, ’til I was bobbing my head and singing along. The single’s hypnotic opening monologue, repeated throughout like a mantra, ebbing perfectly with the beat; the undercurrent of the soft female voice of Lucy Liu (yes, that’s that Lucy Liu’s breathy recitation) opens you up to the soulful falsetto of Danny Defreitas, and you’re all in, ready for whatever else will happen by the time Jay Electronica‘s (who has worked with the likes of Jay-Z, Erykah Badu and J Dilla, among others–check out his take on Jon Brion’s “Eternal Sunshine” score) puts the icing on the cake.
The group has an air of mystery, with members being fairly high profile individuals, yet little has been publicized about this unique collaboration; the aforementioned album “They Die By Dawn…” has been forthcoming for a long time with no clear release date; even getting a band photo has been a goose chase, hence the veiled album art above.
What is known is producer and writer Jeymes Samuel seems to be largely behind the operation. The album “They Die By Dawn & Other Short Stories” is said to have collaborations with more major players such as Mos Def. The permanent members of the group seem to be guitarist and vocalist Noel F. Whelan, guitarist Stevie V., bassist Stevie J. and drummer Mick Hefferon.
I don’t think I’ve come across a collaboration like this since getting into Massive Attack. Though the two couldn’t be more different, the blending of genres and engenue of guest vocalists is very alluring in both cases. “Those Silly Names” is another song that evokes this notion. A ballad, it reveals more of the spectrum this group is capable of, the percussion touching elements of trip-hop, even. And on songs like “Run & Hide,” which also features Jay Electronica, so many small pieces come together to make an effortless sound. This group has surprised me many times with how the very different elements of music can work with each other, i.e. spoken word, falsetto singing, rapping, ethereal synths and bassy beats.
“I knew there was more before there was nothing,” Liu repeats over and over in “Close Your Eyes”. For The Bullitts, this is something being proven true, as they take hip hop and make it sound new, showing me again that pop music can still be interesting and good.
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The Bullitts – ”Those Silly Names”
Jay Electronica & The Bullitts – ”Run & Hide”
The Bullitts – ”Weirdo”
THE BULLITTS- Close Your Eyes (feat Jay Electronica and Lucy Liu) by Anorak London
