Robert DeLong has returned, and he's turned things around. On his latest single, "Somebody Watching Me," featuring the alt-pop phenom, Deane casts a new, mysterious perspective on stalking and unhealthy infatuation, filtered through glistening layers of EDM-charged indie dance. Set over pulsing electronic foundations with a sly, spooky groove, the song dances between fascination and fixation. But this is not a run-of-the-mill paranoia anthem. DeLong describes it as a "reversal on the idea of paranoia, you feel like you're being watched, but it's because you can't stop thinking about someone." It's clever, evil, and has a monster hook.
The production is super slick and densely layered, blending slabs of slick Daft Punk-style synth-funk with the sort of drama and polish that characterized vintage Michael Jackson. It's all shot through with that unmistakable DeLonge edge cynical, self-aware, and emotionally beneath-the-surface charged. The beat feels swollen with tension, and the subtle distortions and warping textures create a world that seems disembodied, futuristic, and unhinged. Deane's guest appearance injects the mix with an added twist, dealing with and enhancing the track's duality. Together, the two artists wander a space with the ease of a mirrored dance, sinuous, intemperate, and emotionally intricate.
The track has a bit of dark humor, like smirking behind the beat. The chorus doesn't splinter like fireworks, but it hypnotizes. This song does not swat you upside the head, slips its way into you, coils around your mind, and clings long. It's an obsession as audio, and that's the whole point. Robert DeLong continues to show why he's one of the most inventive voices working in alt-pop and electronic music today with "Somebody Watching Me." He's making music that dances back. And we can't stop watching.
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