The Avant-Jazz-Folk Pop of Talk to Your Neighbor’s “Knock” is Both Intimate and Mysterious

“Knock” is the kind of song that unfolds according to its own organic logic yet utilizes familiar elements of spare, possibly finger-picked guitar and slide guitar swells around vocals in a folk style. The song fills out heading into the two minute mark with luminous keyboard melodies and minimal percussion while maintaining an intimate sense that you’re hearing a confessional diary entry on isolation. Then in the last third or so of the song it waxes into unraveled strands of psychedelia, free jazz and deconstructed Bossa Nova. The band’s name, Talk to Your Neighbor, suggests one should connect with one’s immediate community and the title of the song more than hints at a way to break that barrier between people with a simple gesture. In a realm of indie rock it’s refreshing to hear a song that doesn’t have obvious touchstones with elements that are uniquely its own with an unexpected accessibility in spite of its avant leanings. And yet fans of Dry Cleaning will appreciate the wonderfully weird places the song goes. Listen to “Knock” on Spotify and follow D.C.’s Talk to your Neighbor on Instagram.