A beautiful new track from Owen Duff, “Genet on Uranus (the Story of Us)” features an evolving chamber-pop production alongside lushly entrancing vocals. This and previously featured tracks from Owen Duff, like “Flawed Men” and Julia“, show a consuming sound with a uniquely impactful merging of folk and chamber-pop, aesthetically reminiscent of Owen Pallett and Sufjan Stevens. “Genet on Uranus (the Story of Us)” begins with an enchanted feeling, leading to a heart-tugging “to sustain us,” refrain with emotive strings. Bright brass past the first-minute mark adds nicely to the soundscape, with percussion also picking up in the second half. “Genet on Uranus (the Story of Us)” is another striking piece of songwriting from Owen Duff.
“This song tells the queer love story of a couple who lie in bed fearing oppression and chaos from the outside world,” Duff writes. “In the end they are found by a mob but remain unashamed in the face of persecution. The title is a reference to a line in Jean Genet’s ‘The Thief’s Journal’ and to the term Uranian, used in the 19th century to refer to gay men and those who identified as gender non-binary.”
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“Genet on Uranus (the Story of Us)” and other memorable tracks from this month can also be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Best of October 2020’ Spotify playlist.
