A new video from Ducky, for her track “Killing Time”, named one of Their Bated Breath’s Top 10 songs of 2011. It’s beautiful, catchy, electronic, pop-infused fun. Outside of the inventive, melodic beauty of Ducky’s music, there’s another element to her allure. She’s fun and hyper-sexual. But it’s an intelligent look at what it means to be a woman making music nowadays. What I mean is that the artwork accompanying some her singles is basically soft porn. Her tumblr page is rolling with cheeky images too. She presents this sexuality with a “fuck you” and a smirk. It’s playful, self-exploitative, and marvelous. It’s a seemingly odd ingredient to music that more than stands up on its own merit. But in a way, this mixing of musical style and sensual frankness feels real. It’s modern womanhood. And it’s refreshing. Unlike other modern musicians, her sexuality feels like its more about self-expression, rather than pulling in the ‘dude demographic’. Ducky gives off the impression that she’s comfortable saying what she feels, and putting it into her songs. She dances the way she wants, free and unrehearsed. Her music is exuberant. She dresses whichever way pleases her — in tutus or what have you . And most importantly, she makes music any damn way she pleases — which is good for us all. The music itself mixes all kinds of DIY styles — computer loops, double-tracked vocals, backing harmonies, and highly creative arrangements. She’s got beats that someone like M.I.A. or Santigold might come up with. But she’s also more pop-based, equally holding esoteric deviance, and glittery bubblegum, like in her song “Two Birds Birds” off “The Glamorous Gutter EP”. But she also makes delicate and pretty songs, like “DUST”, a song ironically about two disparate elements (hell and earth) in collision. Her music ranges from the experimentally peculiar but pretty club-thump of “FFFUUCKCKK” to a flat-out stunner like “Killing Time”, which is as good as any track you’ll hear. It’s a cascade of euphonious bleeps and rhythmic beats and flowing vocals. She drops traditional lyrics about love, and then surprises with a line about John Keats. I imagine, for Ducky, she can take her music in any direction. She’s one to listen for in 2012. Watch this video below, and see for yourself. The video was directed by Waverly Mandel, and edited by Theo Mercado. You won’t be able to stop playing this track. I haven’t. Follow Ducky at bandcamp or tumblr. Note: Photo taken by Julio Cann for Afterpop, downloaded from artist’s facebook page. — David D. Robbins Jr.
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