San Francisco-based group Thao & The Get Down Stay Down's fifth studio album, A Man Alive, is a musically and thematically powerful work.
Plumbing a psychological minefield in the context of danceability, the album's intensely upbeat, electronics-tinged tracks were built so that frontwoman Thao Nguyen could sing forlorn, darkly cathartic lyrics without being sad every night. In doing so, T&TGDSD have crafted a rare pleasure: a record packed with gratifying grooves and beautifully raw lyrics, which rewards close listening.
A Man Alive marks the second time that Nguyen has made an LP with tUnE-yArDs mastermind Merrill Garbus, who also produced Thao & Mirah, Nguyen's 2011 collaboration with Brooklyn-based singer-songwriter Mirah.
A Man Alive is out now on Ribbon Music. Pick it up on Amazon. You can also stream the full album above, on Spotify.
For Thao & The Get Down Stay Down's latest music, news, and tour dates, check out their Zumic artist page.
