Hangin' Out In 100b

When my brother and I were little we used to get a slice of ham from our local butcher, just because we were cute and vertically challenged. I found ham has never tasted as good as it did then, and I think it has everything to do with the fact that it was a free surprise. I felt the same way about the songs I found in my inbox a few weeks ago (yeah, I’m a little backed up). Rough Trade sent around an email to promote Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeros’ (then) upcoming debut album, including three free sample songs. At first I was so delighted with the lyrical equivalent of free ham, I thought maybe that’s why these songs sound so great. No-no-no, these songs are genuinely beautiful, and who am I to deny you all three delicious gems?

I must admit, I throw the old familiar superlatives around a lot, so you might be a bit sceptical. Which is why I wish I could force people to listen to these songs – you know, like in the Ludovico aversion therapy scene in Clockwork Orange, except with wonderful songs rather than disturbing images. The song that I’d play, while you were strapped in my chair, would definitely be “40 Day Dream”. It’s reminiscent of The Beatles’ post-Revolver psychedelic, infectious happy raucous of voices, strings, piano, home-made beats that carry the carefree lyrics, a killer chorus and that magical, magical mystery, that is love and peace and … basically all that flower-power hippie crap we secretly really wished we could have experienced the first time around. Their debut came out earlier this week so if you, my dear droogs, love these songs, go pick up their pop-disk Up From Below.