Song of the Day: GDJYB – That Day I Went To His Funeral

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the Day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJs think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on The Afternoon Show with Kevin Cole, is “That Day I Went To His Funeral” by GDJYB from the album 23:59 Before Tomorrow on Redline Music Limited.

GDJYB – That Day I Went To His Funeral (MP3)

If there’s a band capable of striking a successful balance between tranquility and tumult, calm and tension, it’s GDJYB, Hong Kong’s best-kept secret. Featured on the art-pop quartet’s debut album, 23:59 Before Tomorrow, the intriguingly titled “That Day I Went to His Funeral” presents a clean, smooth, and resolutely warm façade, one capable of disarming the most hardened set of ears. Beneath its alluring surface, however, the band can be heard churning out energetically swirling tangles of guitar, bass, drums, and even multi-part harmonies that in their delicate complexity fall somewhere between the Marine Girls’ jazzy post-punk and Warpaint’s dreamy tribal pop.

Especially vital to the band’s music, which they like to describe as “math-folk,” is lead vocalist Soft. Rather than craft a traditional melody, she ingeniously transforms Honglish (a mix of English and Cantonese native to Hong Kong) into lyrics that dip, hover, and climb in ways that wind up contributing to the group’s slyly proggy approach to collective rhythm. GDJYB – named after a local dish involving steamed meatloaf and egg – have developed their immaculate musicianship by gigging incessantly since their founding in 2012. But while they’ve racked up appearances throughout Asia, the time for Americans to hip themselves to this unique, heady outfit is long overdue.

No U.S. tour dates yet, but follow the band on Facebook for future shows. And check out a video for today's featured track below.