On first glance, I was surprised that the band included a remix on their Zebra EP (released especially for Record Store Day). With a quirky, zany name like Cough Syrup, I had visions of Legrand’s vocals cut up and glitched over a dirt electro house beat. Thankfully, that’s not what happens here, the word ‘remix’ doesn’t give the best impression of what’s done.
The album cut was a quite a cinematic affair that was one of the many instances of the band progressing beyond their introverted, low-fi beginnings. The shimmering guitar and the propulsive drums drove the song upwards and forwards providing a big sound for Victoria’s big vocals; a tentative attempt at big arena rock – on a small and earnest scale.
This remix is a carefully considered reworking. That does just sound like a more pretensions way of terming a remix, but it’s more in the spirit of what’s done. Cough Syrup has taken elements already within the song and respectfully tinkered. The song takes a couple of verses and the chorus and slows it right down to a similar length of the whole song. Legrand’s vocals become delicate, breathless and are cradled by the guitar’s lullaby arpeggios and shimmering tremolo which are far more expansive and dream-like. Those propulsive drums are turned down and made more subtle, too. It all has the effect of making a sound that has a lot more in common with their earlier albums, a lot more introverted and dreamy.
Which isn’t a bad thing at all.
