Earlier this year, Haute & Freddy—the collaboration of acclaimed pop-songwriters Michelle Buzz and Lance Shipp—unveiled Big Disgrace, a playful and theatrically maximal collection of pop tunes that pulse with big personalities, reminiscent of Chappell Roan and Lady Gaga. The duo’s single “Touch Touch” followed in August. With Mike Flanagan’s fresh Prime Video adaptation of Stephen King’s Carrie generating momentum, it feels like the perfect moment to release another new track and to reissue the Peter Gabriel cover that appeared on the show.
As it happens, my partner and I wrapped up Carrie last night. It was a pretty good time! I don’t think it rises to the level of Flanagan’s earlier series Midnight Mass, which I regard as something of a masterpiece, but I enjoyed it. Flanagan has taken some substantial liberties with King’s novel and with Brian De Palma’s beloved film adaptation. He updates the narrative to the present day and makes a few surprising shifts. I don’t know that the twists are outright improvements, but they kept me engaged. If you’re retelling an old story, putting your own mark on it is part of the process, and Flanagan nails the casting and the finale—the two elements that matter most for Carrie.
As has already been noted, Haute & Freddy are deeply woven into Carrie. Flanagan has stated that the group’s album helped shape his interpretation of the Carrie story, and he included eight of their songs. I found Big Disgrace compelling from its February release, but I’ve revisited it far more since I began watching Carrie. Consequently, this feels like an ideal moment for the duo to unveil “Film Noir,” an 80s-style synthpop number. An excellent track! In a press release, the duo explains, “It should come as no surprise to the royal court that we wanted our Halloween offering to feel as though the phantom himself crafted it. Though no mortal could ever wear his mask, we can always strive to conjure as much drama and desire into 3:48.” Amalia Irons directed the moody, glammy black-and-white visuals.
As a digital B-side, Haute & Freddy have also shared their rendition of “In Your Eyes,” Peter Gabriel’s timeless anthem from 1986, which found a renewed life when John Cusack held up the boombox in Say Anything a few years later. Haute & Freddy’s cover appears as diegetic music within the Carrie prom scene.
There is another fresh Haute & Freddy track as well. It’s titled “Do You Remember The Lilacs,” and it also features in Carrie. At the moment, though, it’s an Amazon Music exclusive, so you’ll need to subscribe to that streaming service to hear it. It’s best not to expect to find it elsewhere. Big Disgrace is presently available through Atlantic.
