“Right Next To Me” by Desperate Electric (PREMIER)

What a perfect name for a duo that enlists the perfect combination of live instrumentation with killer beats and all the bells and whistles under the kitchen sink – Desperate Electric. Comprised of singer/bass player Kaytie Korte and multi-instrumentalist and beat professor, Ben Morris, the picture couldn’t be clearer in the hit song “Right Next To Me”. Playing out like the choreographed light show in your mind, “Right Next To Me” is bright with a killer chorus and lots of moving mechanical parts.

FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/pg/desperateelectric/posts/

Desperate Electric call Bozeman, Montana home base. Interestingly, according to their website’s bio page, they formerly performed as the band DASH. After the four-piece rock outfit didn’t work out, they adapted and have been performing as duo since February 2018. Their overall sound reminds me of The Neon Trees, No Doubt, a hint of country rhythms and a lot of The Band Camino having a naughty ‘ole time together. That electronic escapism is garnished with the Big Sky country meat.

“Right Next To Me” is one of those songs that will have you singing the chorus for hours. A few of the lines that stood out most to me include “my mind is miles and miles away in our history, I’m wondering if you’re missing me…I’m wondering if you’re missing me.” When Korte sings the song she has this grit to her voice, it’s like Gretchen Wilson and Ann Wilson had a daughter. I think the tempo started to sound country to me, and then all of a sudden in a time warp sort-of-way, it went to electronica and synth. Anyone that knows me knows I have a slight obsession with synth, so any driblets of electronic pulsating I can get, I devour. You could say I’m desperate for electronica.

A few little blips and burps go along, and the music bed is just staggeringly unique. I love the audacity that Desperate Electric bring to the table. They have this fearless approach to song structure and ordinary sounds. This song has surprises around every corner and each time you listen to it, you get a different visual and sonic experience. It’s a long song – nearly six minutes, so you have lots of leeway in finding the depth of imagination in your own interpretation. I interpreted the lyrics to be very literal – a girl is dreaming about a past relationship and how she really wants to re-connect and is begging for answers if this past lover feels the same. When the music bed thrusts and rocks the chorus (“right next to me! right next to me”) the mood is high and even the low bass sounds are exuberant.

APPLE MUSIC: https://music.apple.com/us/album/right-next-to-me-single/1498524483

“Right Next To Me” is an unexpected hit to kick off the midway point to 2020. I could make a joke about social distancing during the pandemic and how you won’t want to be ‘right next to me’ while listening to this song, but I will leave that for the comics. Instead, I’m going to listen to additional songs by my new favorite duo, Desperate Electric. I’ve been craving their sound for some time.

Mindy McCall