Gotye somebody you probably know
You know the song even if you don’t know you know it.
The plinking xylophone, the spare guitar strum, the distraught fellow wailing about how “You didn’t have to cut me off!” while sounding like Peter Gabriel traversing hot coals barefoot.
“Somebody That I Used to Know,” from Belgian-Australian singer Gotye (Wouter De Backer), has become the most ubiquitous hit of the past year.
The song has sold more than 9 million copies worldwide and topped charts in 23 countries while its video has been viewed on YouTube more than 300 million times.
The tune isn’t all that indicative of the rest of the material found on Gotye’s breakout disc, “Making Mirrors,” his third overall, which is a wide-ranging pastiche of art pop, new wave and soul, unified by the heart permanently affixed to Gotye’s sleeve.
Contact reporter Jason Bracelin at jbracelin@ reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0476.