Rilo Kiley’s “Silver Lining”
The more I come to understand confidence, the more I see it stemming from a lovely internal stillness. If lakes existed somewhere in the core...
Colter Wall’s Cover of “Evangelina”
For me, it’s the way it starts. No, I don’t mean the sentimental sashay of an intro, with acoustic guitar and harmonica refracting like heat...
Andy Shauf’s “Halloween Store”
Some songs explode on stage. In the lead-up to seeing Andy Shauf perform at Toronto’s historic Massey Hall, I’d been spending time with his discography, including...
The Durutti Column’s “Otis”
“Otis” begins, as some of the best songs do, unexpectedly. A guitar string reverberates ever so briefly, first plucked and then bent, echoing forth a...
Bill Callahan’s “Riding for the Feeling”
I’ve done a lot of leaving as an adult. The poetic call it nomadic, the nihilistic call it lost, and I’ve been known to call...
Julie Byrne’s “Melting Grid”
When I first moved back to New York in the early, wintry days of 2018, I was nearly a year into working nights for Pitchfork....
Nilüfer Yanya’s Steely Mask
I’ve been retreating since the start of the new year. Part of it comes down to logistics (I’m moving to another country in just a...
The Zest of Early Mornings and Tribe
Look at me making grand proclamations about listening to softer fare in the early mornings only to have that stance tested just days later. A...
Plains’ “I Walked With You a Ways”
In my late 20s, I used to espouse a theory that went something like this: Relationships are an experience, and people should have a lot...
Damien Jurado’s “The Shape of a Storm”
The most honest love songs are those tinged with a hint of melancholy. Perhaps it’s the paintbrush of the romantic that has colored my perception,...