Everything That Rises Must Converge

01:42 AM

Sam Prekop - "On Such Favors"

What is this song about? My powers of interpretation (which, frankly, I had believed to be considerable) were shown to be feeble in the face of the obscurity of Prekop's song.

Is it about apathy? About having a gift and not wanting to use it? Is it about the road to hell being paved with good intentions? About social disease?

I don't know.

Sometimes, though, I've been up at night when everyone else in the world is sleeping (I know, it's surprising) and the song has meant something to me. I have known that it's true.

The words, the warmth of the guitar, the fragile harmonies, and above all, the tom hits (here's a drummer who knows how to tune his drums! He knows melody!). The song is simple; it never opens up. It's private; not for us. It comes in unassumingly and is gently ushered out by the high hat (are the cymbals made of brushes?).

It should be noted that this song is voodoo. Whatever favours Prekop believes should be rained on, my attempts at writing about "On Such Favours" were repeatedly poured upon. This morning, I left the cd in a computer lab at school and then had to convince a curmudgeonly (model-like) lady to give it back to me (she hated me). And then I missed my bus and was forced to sit around moping for twenty minutes and now it's quarter to one in the morning. So, I don't know, but... [Buy]

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Young Marble Giants - "Brand-New Life"

This song was recorded in the Young Marble Giants' living room.

Two of the band members are brothers (as I am your brother (except more consanguineal)).

"Brand-New Life" was later rerecorded as "Brand-New-Life" and released on the YMG's only official album, Colossal Youth.

It's about pain and loss.

That's all you're getting. [Buy]