After showing a pre-release copy of inside to some friends, I’ve decided to re-order some tracks, add some new ones, and drop(!) one track.
The main problem was that it was ‘too slow.’ This is a rock record, and I come from a punk background, for God’s sake! So I took a few songs I’d been working on as possible B-Sides or future songs or projects in general, and added them. I also re-structured the album, so it starts off faster and has a (hopefully) better flow than the presented before. Here is the revised tracklist, with explanations of some songs:
- I Miss You – The oldest song here, from early 2004. A long-distance love song.
- Just Another Day – A celebration of the mundane things in life… it’s got piano, a melodic bass line, and one of those fifties-era ‘build a V(7) chord with four vocal parts’ buildups.
- Temperamental – A fast-paced song about the frustrations of modern life, with a folksy electric lead.
- Fret – A piano dirge about nasty thoughts,with some nifty percussion, including an Udu.
- Polarize – About the 2004 elections… uh-oh, I get political. A reggae-meets-punk flip-flopper with a catchy horn and synth lead in the chorus.
- Get Away – A folksy song about getting away from it all, despite the repercussions.
- Written Off – Another song about the 2004 elections, and the hateful things said and laws passed.
- Jenny Lewis Will Never Go Out With You – I saw, within a month of each other, three articles in three magazines about how Jenny Lewis is the Next Big Crush for whiny indie fanbois. The truth hurts.
- Here There Be Monsters – A slow-building song about the fear of the unknown… especially when it’s close at hand. Timpani… timpani!!!
- Mary’s Plea – Two sides of an oft-debated, never-resolved issue. Folk with a touch of electronica.
- Lifted Up – A gospel song about finding Jesus… really!
- Torn – Sadly, not a cover of the Ednaswap-covered-by-Natalie Imbruglia song. A vaguely hip-hop beat.
- Soap – A song about washing away the nagging worries of life.
- A Glut of Food – Bongoes and shakers give way to electronic drum hisses, with a reggae guitar skank thrown in for good measure.
- The Highway – Impressions of I-90 between Couer d’Alene and Missoula. Folksy with a twist of alternative guitar.
The record clocks in at a beefy 54 minutes, so one track might be cut… but I don’t know which! They’re all so precious to me. Vocals need to be recorded for “Just Another Day”, “Polarize”, “Jenny Lewis”, “Lifted Up”, “Glut of Food”, and “The Highway.” This probably won’t happen until summer, when the dorms clear out and I can sing without feeling like a lunatic.
Also, expect an EP to be released soon after… it will include a cover of “Hey Sandy” by Polaris, best known as the theme song to Nickelodian’s The Adventures of Pete and Pete..
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