Rain Machine: "Smiling Black Faces"

Rain Machine is the sideproject of Kyp Malone, guitarist and backup vocalist of TV on the Radio. Malone will be releasing his self-titled album on September 22nd. Back in July, our first taste of Rain Machine was the chaotically upbeat "Give Blood." Malone wisely follows it with "Smiling Black Faces."

“Smiling Black Faces” is a long, folky ballad of sorts that plays with emotional pauses and a slow rhythm, featuring Malone’s emotional, crying voice through mutters and complaints singing mostly inaudible lyrics. The song takes Malone in a more reflective, political direction as he condemns the infamous 2006 shooting of Sean Bell by a team of NYPD officers. The song is quite powerful, gaining momentum with each bell-like toll of his guitar (and jingle-bell shake in the background). We hear about genocide, burnt corks, slave names, an unsmiling face in a mirror.

Smiling Black Faces by Rain Machine

You might be reminded of TV on the Radio's "Dry Drunk Emperor," - I know I am. I can't seem to separate his solo work from TV on the Radio, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. "Smiling Black Faces" has a stripped down TV on the Radio feel to it and a slow, steady build up - it just seems that it could easily be one of their songs that it can't escape that comparison for me.

At the end of the day I like it, and I`m excited to hear how this fits into the rest of the album.

Rain Machine Tracklisting:
01 Intro
02 Give Blood
03 New Last Name
04 Smiling Black Faces
05 Driftwood Heart
06 Hold You Holy
07 Desperate Bitch
08 Love Won’t Save You
09 Free Ride
10 Leave the Lights On
11 Winter Song