#heatmiser

portrait of elliott smith,, by me!

Range Life - Pavement: I’ve known for a while that Blur took a few cues from Pavement in the early 2000’s, but Range Life almost sounds like Pavement taking a page out of Blur’s book. By that, I mean the melody carries itself with a certain confidence, suggesting that this song was always out there, waiting to be sung- Pavement were just the group that found it first. I feel like I’ve always known it.

The Air Near My Fingers - The White Stripes: Feels in every way like it should be a classic. It manages to walk the line between ‘overconfident’ and ‘nervous wreck’ effortlessly. I have no idea what he’s talking about, but I still want to scream it alongside him.

Take It With You - Cameron Winter: I’ve long held that, even if Cameron Winter isn’t the new Bob Dylan, he’s still the songwriter that means the most to me. He’s the one that made me want to start writing. But after hearing Take It With You… fuck, man, he might be the new Bob Dylan, too.

Dsco - Sweet Trip: Unapologetically upbeat, weird and even strangely nostalgic. It was born to soundtrack a TV show that never was. Also, fuck Roby. That is all.

Half Right - Heatmiser: Equal parts hypnotizing and heartbreaking. Elliott Smith has, apparently, always had a Midas Touch for melody, and it’s on full display here. I constantly find myself singing Half Right- it just fills me with this want to create. Call it recency bias if you’d like, but I think this song may have changed my life, even if it was only in a small way.