Floating Above Everybody

Jim O’Rourke “Half Life Crisis”

“Half Life Crisis” is the kind of song that’s so straightforward and melodically pleasing that you don’t really pick up on how lopsided its structure is until you actually give it a close listen, or look at it laid out on a page. The first chunk of the song is a string of verses separated by brief instrumental refrains that seem to get more ornate as the song moves along. Then the song shifts into an extended outré section that tilts the main melody somewhat, and introduces a lead guitar part that sounds very George Harrison to my ears. It’s a very lovely and elegant piece of rock music that distracts you somewhat from lyrics that are so sharply critical of someone that it’s hard to imagine it’s not about a very specific person. O’Rourke is singing about someone who’s been knocked down a few pegs after believing themselves to be a big star, and though his words aren’t outright hostile, it’s pretty clear that he’s savoring the schadenfreude.

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She’s So Rad “Sewn Up Sunrise”

Maybe about 40% of this song belongs in the shoegaze genre, but the rest of it – wow, I don’t really know how to classify that. There’s a few different categories of psychedelic music floating around in “Sewn Up Sunrise,” but they never really collide. Moving through the song is like passing through weather systems, and though you have to get through some stormy sequences, the end of the journey is pretty chill and relaxing. I love the lead guitar part at the end – it’s just a bit jazzy, and fits nicely with a groovy bass line that carries the song but sometimes feels slightly disconnected from the atmosphere.

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