matt’s music blog

Another amazing song from our friends at The Incredible Machine. This song is the opening track, and works really well to that effect, because it really sets the tone for the whole album.

We start off with a nice little harmonizing bit and then jump right into the song, with acoustic guitar.

We’re finally taking on water
Turns out I was the Captains’ Daughter
Personify us as sinking
Like the Loveboat with less drinking
I know I shouldn’t say it
But I feel the metaphor’s appropriate
Seems I just spend all my time
On a sinking ship that never hits the land line

“Personify us sinking, Like the love boat with less drinking” Is a really great line. The the song suddenly changes directions, and we get a bouncy little piano part, that reminds me of a song from a musical.

Okay,
I can say,
That this metaphor is probably sounding quite cliché
That’s okay,
It’s exactly how I felt when I was standing on the blue
Next to you,
And It feels just like there’s absolutely nothing I can do
Absolutely nothing
Absolutely nothing I can do
Absolutely nothing
Absolutely nothing I can do to get through to you.

I think that it’s safe to say that’s probably my favorite part of the whole song. “I can say, That this metaphor is probably sounding quite cliché, That’s okay” Is pretty amazing all on it’s own. The whole talking to the audience style. Then the epic build up during the “Nothing I can do” section is also really good. We move then to the next verse, which is similar to the first, in instrumentation.

In truth we were nothing like a sinking ship
Sinking takes a long time, plus you get a little wet
And even though we’re both sick of untrue metaphors
We keep repeating the same old shit we’ve said before

“Sinking takes a long time, plus you get a little wet” Very very true words. I really like having two people sing two different things at the same time, in a song. I think that it’s a really good technique to use, and if implemented correctly, can really dad depth to a song. This time it works very well. Marissa sings the first verse, while Jordan sings the second over top of it, coming to the climax at

I’ve got to jump ship to make this work,
I’ve got to jump ship to make this
work, I’ve got to jump ship to make
this work,
I’ve got to jump ship!

Then some intense instrumental sections, all ending, like the beginning, with some nice vocalizing harmonies. Like I said, this is a perfect way ton start out a album. It sets the bar high, and then easily clears it.

-James Out

It’s a wonder to me that I’ve gone such a long time posting on this blog, without doing a Belle and Sebastian song. Especially since they are possibly one of the greatest bands of all time. And it’s also kinda interesting to me, that the first song (I assure you that I’ll be posting on their other stuff too) that I’m doing is coming off a semi-obscure album, that not a lot of people know. Fold Your Hands Child, You Walk Like a Peasant, was released in between The Boy with the Arab Strap, and Dear Catastrophe Waitress, and was not very very well received. Understandably, coming off the heels of The Boy with the Arab Strap, it would be a tall order top that album. One of the reasons that I like this album in particular is because it features a lot of the band on vocals, that don’t normally get lead singing roles. But enough exposition on the history, let’s move on to the actual song it’s self.

We start off with a little guitar intro, a drum intro into the verse. I’d like to take this moment to point out that this song is sung by Isobel Campbell, who’s vocals can be previously heard on “Is it Wicked not to Care” Off of their album, Tigermilk. Anyway, the first verse contains possibly some of my favorite lyrics in all of their songs. I think you’ll see why.

Ive been feeling down
Ive been looking round the town
For somebody just like me
But the only ones I see
Are the dummies in the window
They spend their money on clothes
It saddens me to think
That the only ones I see are mannequins
Looking stupid, being used and being thin
And I dont know why I hang around with them

The way they act, Id rather be fat than be confused
The way they act, Id rather be fat than be confused
Than be me in a cage
With a bottle of rage
And a family like the mafia

Okay. So first of all, comparing shallow friends to mannequins? Totally genius. But also, “The way they act, I’d rather be fat, then be confused” Has got to be one of the greatest lines of all time. There’s a bit of tasteful vocalization, some nice backing piano and flute, and then the next verse.

Ive been feeling blue
And I dont know what to do
And I never get a thrill
And they threw me out of school
cause I swore at all the teachers
Because they never teach us
A thing I want to know
We do chemistry, biology and maths
I want poetry and music and some laughs
And I dont think its an awful lot to ask

So wont you please get up off your knees, and let me go
So wont you please get up off your knees, and let me go
Cause Im here in a cage
With a bottle of rage
And a family like the mafia

That perfectly describes my feelings about school “I want poetry and music, and some laughs” The next section could be described as the bridge I suppose, but it’s a bunch or repetitive phrases. Note the addition of a little trumpet part, that, like the flute, just hovers over the melody.

If my family tree goes back to the romans
Then I will change my name to jones
If my family tree goes back to napolean
Then I will change my name to smith
If my family tree goes back to the romans
Then I will change my name to jones
If youre looking at me to be an accountant
Then you will look but you will never see
If youre looking at me to start having babies
Then you can wish because Im not here to fool around
You can wish because Im not here to fool around
You can wish because Im not here to fool around

Pretty great song, if you ask me. I really like Belle and Sebastian’s ability to not only craft really cool sounding lyrics, but create really beautiful instrumentation. If you’ve never really given them a serious listen, I’d strongly encourage you too. I promise, you won’t be disappointed.

-James out

I’m sure that you’ve heard Babylon, arguably David Gray’s most famous song. If you ever listen to the radio in the late 90’s, it’s bound to pop up. But that’s not the song we’re going to talk about. Today, we converse about the first track off of the White Ladder album, Please Forgive Me.

The thing that I love about this song, is the simplicity. It starts out with really basic progressions, and just builds on it.

It starts out with a run-of-the mill drum loop. Some simple string synths and a piano with a bit of reverb. Then bit picks up, repetitive high-hat hits, with a backing bass part. Then we get a little high string synth part. Then, at the sort of, apex, if you will of the lyrics, a little guitar part is added. After that, simple hand claps! Then we back down to just piano and strings, as we return to the first verse again. Then we get pulled back in, with a little drum breakdown part, and fade out.

All of that, is pretty text book song writing, in my opinion. But there’s something about it, that doesn’t really seem to be annoying, or really repetitive. Which is impressive, in my opinion, because, like I said, he’s really just taking the same chord progression over and over and over, and building more and more and more on it.

But, the real triumph  of this song, I think, is the really good lyrics that are hidden in the song. To take it at face value, it’s just your run of the mill love song. This guy is really in love with this girl, ect ect. But if we look closely, just in the first verse, he’s breaking out very… descriptive lyrics.

Feels like lightning running through my veins
Everytime I look at you

“Lightning running through my veins”! Very very nice. Also the last verse, the sort of climax of the song, really hits it home for me. There’s something about his voice, perhaps maybe the way he sings it. I don’t know but the last verse:

I got half a mind to scream out loud
I got half a mind to die
So I wont ever have to lose you girl
Wont ever have to say goodbye
I wont ever have to lie
Wont ever have to say goodbye

is very powerfully and movingly delivered. I must also confess, myself being a hopeless romantic, I have experienced the sentiments expressed in this song, and David Gray does an excellent job describing them. All in all, a good listen. Really, I would encourage you to check out the rest of the album. It’s got some pretty good tracks on it.

-James out

The chords you hear in the opening minute or so are what you’re going to be hearing throughout. After a bit of reverby jammed up samples, a few vocals, and a dramatic “Ladies and gentlemen, fasten your seatbelts,” you’re dropped right into the main groove – deep kicks, splashy snares, a brassy bassline supplemented by a barely audible sub line, and an incredibly catchy little hook. Punctuated by occasional “Sound Boy” and “Combination Style!” vocal samples, things continue forward – there’s a lot going on, all revolving around what we were initially introduced to. Occasionally things will break for a moment, or some piano will appear, but it’s mostly the same, until the break at 3:40.

Bleeps and bloops, plus a phased-out pad, and the ever-present “sound boy, you’re too young to be a soldier, combination style!” sample (I don’t know if that’s really what they’re saying, but it sounds like that.) At about 4:45 the song essentially comes full circle, kicking you right back to that head-bobbing hook.

There isn’t really much more to say about this, since it’s a little repetitive, but that little melody line is undeiably catchy – I’ve found myself whistling it several times since I ran across this album.

This one is all about what happens at 1:34 – you think you’re done with the chorus, there’s the little bass break, and then it throws you into the bridge:

as the water grinds the stone
we rise and fall
as our ashes turn to dust
we shine like stars

“As the water grinds the stone, we rise and fall” is a fantastic line. There are some other good ones in here – “kisses on the dancefloor” and “we are the only ones who are dying”. It’s interesting too, the song seems to be split between two ideas: entropy, the inevitable passage of time and the weathering effect it has on existence; and a sort of stoic optimism in the face of that reality:

drowning in the flood of morning light
I’m only human just like you
do you hear the city waking up
I will survive and so will you

As usualy, Covenant’s synths feel like they’re rolling along, carrying the song and you with them, and the drums are precise, breaking things up into bite-sized peices. The piano line is a much appreciated accent to the afore-mentioned “water grinds the stone” section.