Attempting To Make Sense Of My Aching Heart

INXS “Not Enough Time”

If some unknown band came out with this song today, would people consider it to be chillwave? The mood is right, but the sentiment – probably not, right? It’s too open-hearted, too bold, too obviously sexual.

Michael Hutchence’s greatest gift as a singer was this seemingly effortless ability to convey passionate romance without seeming corny and raw sexuality without coming off like a sleaze. He always sounds so completely there, so fully committed, and totally direct in his language. I first realized this when singing “Need You Tonight” at karaoke and nearly blushing at the lyrics. You need to rise to his level of confidence to sing those words effectively.

“Not Enough Time” may be the most romantic INXS song. Hutchence’s lyrics are heart-melting, the sort of thing you dream of saying, feeling, hearing from someone else. The song is grounded by its low end, a simple, gorgeous pulse that ranks among my all-time favorite bass lines. Even as the song swoops up for its quasi-gospel climax, that bass keeps the whole thing feeling small in scale. You never forget that this is song is about a moment between two people.

Buy it from Amazon.