Photo credit: Getty Images / Noam Galai

Looking for danceable music that you can bump to while in Quarantine? Two weeks ago, Canadian electronic funk duo Chromeo released their first EP titled Quarantine Casanova. This is coming off their 2018 release of Head Over Heels of what seemed to be their biggest commercial album since critically acclaimed 2014 White Women. The band consists of members Dave 1 and P-Thugg also known as David Macklovitch and Patrick Gemayel respectively. The album is composed of five new songs and is paired with the instrumentals to a total of 10 tracks.

Track one “Clorox Wipe” contains production sounds like it could be made for a video game. It’s upbeat and synth-heavy that makes it hard not to sit still as every loop of the arrangement of synths ascends ups. Dave 1 described, in an interview, about the song how it came to be, “My fiancée has a podcast, and she was circulating this quarantine questionnaire online. It had some deep questions and some fluffy questions, and one of the fluffy questions was ‘What would you reincarnate as?’ And I was like, ‘I would want to be a Clorox wipe right now, because I would feel wanted for once!’ And then I thought about that during the day and I was like, ‘You know what – that could be a song!’ Our typical Chromeo songs are always about someone feeling unwanted in a relationship, and so the Clorox wipe is a perfect parable for someone who’s been undesired forever and then comes out on top.” The lyrics are smart, witty, and have all sorts of references to disinfecting things and wiping them down. P-Thugg came in with his signature auto-tuned back up singing alternating the chorus with Dave 1 and providing assistance with the second half of the track. Overall it makes for a fun product with a lot of replay value.

“6 Feet Away” is a tongue in cheek ’80s-Esque ballad that explains a love story about loving someone and wanting to have a connection with them but because of germs the both of them have to love “From six feet away.” Dave 1 sings in the second verse, “I left flowers on your porch, ’cause I couldn’t get to your door, Your neighbor stole the chocolates, but I’m gonna bring some more, I hope you read my note so you know what I’m thinking of, I can’t wait to hold your hands without these freaking gloves.” The production features keys, ear-catching guitar riffs, and a funky bassline that truly steals the show for the song. The two of them have great chemistry in the song. By 2:37 of the track, the instrumental transitions into static and then an outro with these soft key chords, a simple bassline to keep on pace and some studio drums. P-Thugg comes in on this part and adds something different for the song when singing “You know what I need, that love and affection.” I almost wished he extended this out to a full song to hear what P-Thugg could’ve done with the instrumental and tools he already normally uses!

“Stay in Bed (and do nothing)” is the third track on this EP and reflects exactly how it sounds. The synths on this track aren’t as short as “Clorox Wipe” but more drawn out. Certain elements of this track remind me of the instrumentals of the G-Funk hip hop wave that was so prominent in the mid to late ’90s. In an interview with Apple Music, Dave 1 explains how this song is making a statement on social media and how everyone is forced to be productive all the time and how that is not a bad feeling whatsoever to feel like you just wanna relax. In the lyrics, he throws shoutouts to those who are essential workers mentioning how they are the only people he respects. This track also has its own outro similar to “6 Feet Away” that could belong as the backing track to an ’80s commercial. I still feel like the one thing this track could benefit from is a feature like a Snoop Dogg or a Warren G.

“‘Roni Got Me Stressed Out” is a personal favorite on the album basically talking about how coronavirus has been stressful and they need to prioritize their mental health. The backing track is smooth with the best bass performance on the EP, the electric guitar is subtle and acts as an accompaniment to the bassline. P-Thugg takes the chorus this time and every time it kicks in so does an echoed clap that you’d hear on some disco tracks when the genre was in its prime. I think that the lyrical content about the stresses of our new everyday life is relatable to everyone who has been subject to various inconveniences since quarantine began. “Every time I hear the news, I feel like I’m going berzerk, Everybody’s talking shit, And all my friends are out of work,” sang Dave 1.

“Cabin Fever” is the last of the new tracks to round out this EP. The bassline on this track is more low-key than “Stay in Bed (and do nothing)” and every time Dave 1 sings “Stuck in the room” quarter note piano chords back up his vocals. The keys come together for their own solo act after both the first and second verses lead into a nice steady end to the song and overall EP. The lyrics, especially by the end of the track, are comforting as the two relate and connect to the listener. At one point Dave 1 even sings, “So if you’re seriously depressed, Suffering from all the loneliness, Close your eyes and this is what you do, You can picture us, Stuck in a room with you.”

The thing I like about this EP is that it doesn’t overstay its welcome. It delivers its message with a few jokes and COVID-19 puns and then leaves before the entire project turns into a novelty album. I think that the two of them really came together and made a solid EP through and through. This has me excited to see what they come up with for the future.