Next week, Ian Ball of Grey's Anatomy grads Gomez is releasing a solo record, Who Goes There. A lovely tune from the collection, the ebullient "I Knew You Were Trouble," namechecks Barry White, Marvin Gaye, and Prince, but the smartly wordy song swings with an acoustic and piano-tinged upbeat jangle and airy harmonies, not any late-night funk or soul (despite the album's shadowy promo pic).
Ian Ball - "I Knew You Were Trouble" (MP3)
Love the sighing, cascading voices (put on your headphones, please). Another album track, "Failure," actually does make it sorta funky (and Genesis gets a mention). Like "Trouble," the story involves girl trouble, but the other ingredients -- synth squiggle, female backups -- are different.
Ian Ball - "Failure" (MP3)
Can't stop singing that main hook: "She said, 'hey, don't let a little failure get you down / 'Cause it happens to the best of us.'" You can hear another winner, a deeply bass-y and spacious (no Ian vocals) version of "Failure" at Ball's Space. All of this has us really looking forward to Mr. B's record.
Who Goes There is out 10/30 on IB's own Dispensary label.
