Penthouse Penthouse – “let me see that”
Sometimes we’re skeptical about reinterpretations of once-popular songs. Novelty and nostalgia often overshadow a track’s actual quality, and though we try to be as objective as possible, reworks intentionally activate old memories and analyze the past. A borrowed melody might remind us of an artist’s talent; a recycled lyric can illuminate the naivety of the past or surprise us with its prescience. And sometimes it’s nearly impossible to explain why you like a song aside from your familiarity with it. Maybe Penthouse Penthouse had some of these ideas in mind with “let me see that,” their reinterpretation of Sisqo’s 2000 hit “Thong Song” as an intimate slow jam. Maybe not.
It’s still very much a song about sex. Fourteen years haven’t changed Sisqo’s tongue-in-cheek, thong-fixated lyrics, trimmed yet largely intact here. But Penthouse Penthouse’s sensitive ear for atmospherics and love for shamelessly one-dimensional songs about sex have made the nostalgic trip worthwhile. What was broadly crass in the original (breathy vocal takes, cloyingly dramatic violins, booty-exhausting stomp) have been filtered through a fever dream. Vocals are down-pitched and vocoded; shimmering chime sweeps decorate fragile guitar plucks; sharp clicks underpin the bass to the rhythm. An impressive take from the Los Angeles-based duo, who have shown us once again how to play with our ideas of the past.
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