Des Moines prog pop outfit Gloom Balloon dropped a new album last month, So Bergman Uses Bach to Get His Point Across, I Feel Like I Have Chosen Rock but at What a Cost, and it’s everything you’d hope for from Patrick Tape Fleming — sweet and sincere; silly and sardonic; and lush as fuck. Even where it’s just piano and voice, the harmonic structure is symphonic. Your heart fills in the violins. When the ’70s influence kicks in full force, it’s fire.
In addition to the album release, Gloom Balloon has created videos for every track, “since we are not playing shows,” Tape Fleming said in an email. Little Village is proud to premiere the second of these, for track 17 (of 20), “Libras Don’t Like To Be Alone (Except Logan).” Am I biased because I, myself, am a Libra? Damn straight. But it’s still a fine, fine tune — a forthright rocker that clocks in at a quick 1:55, but packs a wicked lyrical punch, calling back to earlier tracks and speaking directly to the Libras out there:
“I’m so sorry that you get so low,” Tape Fleming sings, “But baby, baby please don’t go” — delivered, though, as a dare rather than an entreaty (never tell a Libra, “I bet you can’t make this work”).
The video features Tape Fleming’s winsome visage, again sweet and sincere, silly and sardonic. He sings against background animation that is part Beatles homage (Yellow Submarine to the album cover’s Sgt. Pepper shoutout) and part bastard child of Dr. Seuss and Terry Gilliam. Take some time as we wave farewell to Libra season to watch this fun nugget — and track down the rest of the videos from the album as well. You’ll be glad you did!
