The dreamy pop delight that is ‘Pork Soda’ is still just as lovely without swearing, and is so reminiscent and longing that it hurts my heart.
How To Be A Human Being‘s delightfully dreamy ‘Pork Soda’ is such a gooey and delectable record that I doubted it could be improved when news of a re-recorded radio-clean version came through. Yet, as I hastily tuned into BBC iPlayer from somewhere 33,000 feet above Norway, I fell in love all over again with the deliciousness of this song.
The vaguely psychedelic sounding, dreamy pop sounds feature Dave Bayley singing about how he’s “no genius of love / don’t know where I belong / maybe I’m deaf and dumb” and somehow the rewritten, previously ‘fuck’-laden verse completely fits in the reminiscent song.
As Bayley sings about pineapples being in his head, he reflects on when his relationship was fun, longing for happier times and hoping that she still thinks of them before admitting he wants her “all the time.” They said that the looping quote of “Pineapples are in my head / Got nobody ’cause I’m brain-dead” is meant to sound like street chanting, that they thought they’d heard a homeless man say it and it “kind of stuck“. Lyrics aside, the production of the song and album in general is stunning, from the initial note waver to Bayley’s vocal range to the explosion of repeating chants until it slows into a dreamy, chanty cooldown.
Though it would be easier to stick with their tropical ZABA sound, this song in particular shows a shift to a more percussion-focused sound. It’s exciting to see the change in their sound to a more psychedelic, synth pop vibe and I think this song is a superb showcase of that change. The hook is ridiculously catchy, and the song is really a showcase of Bayley’s vocal range as he goes from deep and gravelly in the verses to higher and smoother on the hook.
‘Pork Soda’ is out now via Wolf Tone. You can watch the music video below.
