Mix Tape: Song for a Walk

Here is the start of a new series/blog category which includes songs to add to a mix tape. I'm too lazy/busy/preoccupied/distracted to create mixes for my friends who are interested. So, each time I come across a song that stays on repeat for a little while, I'll talk about it here. It's up to you to compile the mix, though. I realize that's not much fun, especially because it doesn't involve custom-made-artwork-and-packaging, but you can take it or leave it. Man, this makes me sound like a jerk. What I meant to say was: this is all just a writing exercise about songs I like.

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There is room in my heart for Iron and Wine. I first heard his debut record on a fun little trip down to Indianapolis with Jared. He knew Sam Beam was about to blow up I think, bought the CD at the store we visited, and because I was with him on this trip I got the inside scoop and was a step ahead of the hipsters. I knew pretty instantly how great that record was--it's really all in the feeling of it--and so I bought it for myself shortly thereafter. That record is still full of all sorts of vivid feelings.

There's a lot to love about the guy. Voice, guitar plucking, lyrics, sense of humor, beard, artwork, southern accent, film professor, father, and his nice and perfectly slow cover of The Postal Service's 'Such Great Heights.' (If you click on that Postal Service link and have never heard of or listened to them, you should know that they existed long before Owl City did.)

Let's talk about this song first. It's "Walking Far From Home" from the new album Kiss Each Other Clean.

I don't know what it is about this chord progression and melody, but it hooked me immediately and I was riveted. The variations on a theme keep it fresh and powerful all the way through, including those falsetto harmonies laced through the background, but especially that distorted bass at 3:00. But seriously, ask my wife, this melody got stuck in my brain and I've been whistling it for days on end.

Then there are the lyrics. I don't know what in the world they mean, and from the way I've heard Mr. Beam talk I'm not sure he does either, but I love the strong images he creates here. "I saw sinners making music and I dreamt of that sound" and "An old woman on a speed train, she was closing her eyes" and "Saw a car crash in the country where the prayers run like weeds along the road" and even the awkward "Naked dancers in the city how they spoke for us all, spoke for us all." I've always liked the idea of listing the things you see on a walk, and so I naturally love walking with him here. It seems as though he's taking a cue from his film background, as each one of these short phrases seems to set up a much bigger and longer scene that plays out in one's mind. This is good poetry.

But while we're on the subject, here's the thing. I'm not willing to herald him as the most talented singer-songwriters of our day like some people might try to do, and here's why. I guess it was probably his trick from the very start, but to me it didn't get noticeable until recently. The poor guy picks a lovely little chord progression or guitar riff, matches a nice melody, and lets those two things along with his pretty good lyricism try to carry the thing home. It didn't get obvious until 'Trapeze Swinger', but man oh man, who could mind that progression and that melody being repeated with those lyrics for over 9 minutes straight? Like it does here in 'Walking Far From Home,' it worked. Perfectly. Beautifully. Have you ever listened to a 9 minute repetitive song on repeat? I did. Just like I've been listening to this 5 minute repetitive song on repeat. When it works, it works.

But that formula wears thin eventually as it does on the rest of Kiss Each Other Clean. What starts with this engrossing opener goes on to hash and rehash old and familiar and recycled melodies. It's not just the formula that's tired, but we've heard a lot of these same vocal riffs before. It all gets dressed up in lots of different ways with a back-up band tinkering and experimenting and exploring genres that probably never should have been explored in the first place, all in hopes to cover up this little charade of repetitive song making. It's a shame, because we all want to love the man. What's more, we want to love this perfect album opener, and the other 9 songs tempt us to say it's worthless too.

All that being said, there is room in my heart for Iron and Wine. There's even more room in my heart for taking a walk with a song like this one.