Watch Passenger "Do What You Like"
June 28, 2007
Jon tipped me about "Do What You like," an excellent new single by British band Passenger. The song is promoted as a "tale of unrequited love and regaining control and self respect." But what stands out to me more is its combination of twitching guitars, electronica-influenced stylings and Mike Rosenberg's idiosyncratic crooning. It is one of those songs that immediately stands out at first listen. It sounds so familiar yet so unique. This is the stuff hits are made of.
Mike Rosenberg met guitarist Andrew Phillips at a Free Burma benefit in 2002 where they bonded over a mutual love of hip hop and traditional country and folk. A year later they were joined by bassist Marcus O’Dair, drummer Alon Cohen and keyboardist Richard Brincklow, which made the line-up complete.
Rosenberg and his pals named the band after their song "Passenger" that sums up their songwriting vision. "It's about being disengaged," says Rosenberg in the group's bio. "An observer, slightly outside of a situation. And that really resonates throughout everything we do. It sets an aesthetic tone for us."
"Do What You Want" will be available in straight-up MP3 format at 7Digital on July 2.