Friendship Park Have Music-making Down to a Science [stream]

Friendship Park – Not a Word SoundCloud

Friendship Park is far too dynamic to align with one concrete genre — “Math Folk Pop” most accurately categorizes their new track, “Not a Word”. There’s truly nothing greater than music that doesn’t immaculately align with iTunes groupings, which they avoid by using technology as instruments. In the words of their biography, “beneath the glow of many pixels, they punch their keys, turn knobs, strum strings and make strange sounds with their vocal chords until something seemingly of worth comes out.” “Not a Word” manages to recreate 1980s Pac-Man by combining layers of electronically (and non-electronically) produced sounds. The rhythmic backbone and button-like melody make the outer core of this single scientific and mathematical.

Amidst these left brain strategies, the track seethes with a more humanities-driven, right brain undertone with lyrics that are highly profound and poetic. The Michigan-born duo explain that they “dish out some boom bop dancing songs with a side of sobering realism — realism that encourages the listener to consider whether we should boogie harder or avoid dancing altogether.” “Not a Word” tells a tale of quirky solitude and genuine honesty, and the structure of the song delivers a realist view on life itself. Beginning sweetly and simply, it gradually grows in complexity as it becomes more layered and varied, then finally ends as simply as it began. The song commendably forms its own personality — quaint, quirky and bubbly yet deeply thoughtful. This innovative track effectively achieves the difficult task of combining the right and left brain, synthesizing the tech guy and the artist, proving that the two are far from mutually exclusive.