Yeah? Us, too, which is precisely what inspired Quote/Unquote, our occasional feature where we spotlight a few lines in a song that stuck out to us, be it a couplet, a quatrain or a few stanzas -- however many lines in takes to get the point across. This week, we're excited about a couple of lines from Places, the brand new disc Weather Maps will release Thursday, August 5, at the Hi-Dive. Get a sneak peak after the jump.
It's always easier to pay attention to the lyrics when they're front-and-center, which they are when the only other instrument is an acoustic guitar. Not that all the songs on the disc are so sparse, but there's no doubt the aesthetic is restrained enough to let lyrical content take the spotlight -- which it did in this line from "Weatherman," a Sufjan Stevens-ish, banjo-based tune the comes up second on the disc:
"Talk is cheap/In this town/And everyone is broke/As hell"
If there's a more adroit characterization of scenester alienation, it's been a while since we've heard it. But our favorite line comes later on in the disc, when songmeister Jimmy Stofer (who also plays in Rose Hill Drive, Dualistics, Hello Kavita -- and countless other groups) takes that disenchantment and adds an element of absurdism in "Wichita, CO," a quiet slow-burner that breaks into a grooving coda toward the end. Right before the break, Stofer brings the tension to a boil by ratcheting up the vocal intensity with this lyric:
"I never go outside with a 50-50 chance of rain/And I'll always tell a lie when I've got nothing else to say"
Presumably because talk is cheap, you know? You can find out what we really think about the record in our Playlist in next week's print edition, but in the meantime, check out "Wichita, CO" below. Just remember while you're listening: It might all be lies.
MP3: Weather Maps -
"Wichita, Colorado"
"Wichita, Colorado"
