Some time ago I gave some thoughts on another Unknown Mortal Orchestra song. That posts gives the lowdown on how I even came to listen to the group. I’ve assumed that you clicked on that link and gained some context, which means that I don’t have to repeat myself for the sake of filling up the page. But to be short, I heard ‘Necessary Evil’ when listening through Multi-Love for that first time in 2017. I don’t think I was jumping out of my seat in amazement when it first came on, but appreciated it for its groove, its chillness, and those subtle melodies that come through, like that keyboard line before each verse and those horns in the choruses.

The track comes from the perspective of someone who seems to be in a relationship, but not for the greatest intentions. The two involved seemingly bond through recreational drug use, but it’s also through that that they bring out the worst in each other. This leaves the narrator wondering how they’re even able to function as two people in love. So it’s a bit of a sad song thinking about it. I’ve always thought there something melancholic in its mood. But again, the sort of funkiness and head-bopping groove can sometimes put a damper on any negative feelings that the track is supposed to convey. It’s all so smooth. Sounds like something that a band would play in some smoky nightclub that were into psychedelic rock bands. And that’s no downside. Sometimes sad music and sad lyrics can make things a bit too melodramatic. Gotta spice things up, make things different. I get it.

So, I hope you enjoy it too if you’ve never heard it before. It has an official music video, but it cuts out about two minutes of the rest of the song, thus the album version with the static album cover is the main one you saw when you started reading. Watching the video wouldn’t do you no harm. A nice art style and animation going on there. Reminds me of Adventure Time.