“Thao and the Get Down Stay Down also take a turn to a new, hard-driving electronic sound for its new LP A Man Alive. Thao Nguyen wanted a powerful, beats- and bass-driven sound, so she teamed up with producer Merrill Garbus of tUnE-yArDs. The playful melodies that Thao is known for are still there but matched with a gnarled sound that is classic Garbus. The entire album centers around Thao’s relationship with her estranged father, and you can hear all the joy and heartbreak of the relationship pour into her words and music.
