Modest Mouse on Carson Daly (thanks, Elliott). Given that pre-"Float On" I'd never have defined myself as a big Modest Mouse fan (although I really enjoy Moon and Antarctica), the jury's still out on this one. Passionate and punchy, but seems a bit po-faced. On record, might be v. good, might be a bore: April 6 can't come soon enough.
Sufjan Stevens - "Seven Swans". By far the best track on Sufjan's upcoming album of the same name. So much of Seven Swans is merely pretty - the instrumentation is much simpler than on Michigan, the lyrics even more abstract. The stakes feel low, the ambition reined. But this! I don't really care what this song is about (God, presumably), but what gets me is the danger in it, the beauty-fear, the premonition of the sublime, the awesome, that cues in with the bare guitar at 3:32 (and then is followed through with the tremble-excitement-terror in Sufjan's voice). It doesn't hurt, of course, that "Seven Swans" finishes up with an epic, straining, march of the valkyries finale. "Seven swans, seven swans," he calls, a small, resigned voice amid the stormwash of piano, choir, drums. I admire that he takes his time to get there: Stevens sets the stage, and then blows through it, a torrential (beautiful) transformation.
Posted by Sean at February 11, 2004 10:30 PMmmmmmm, I have been playing the seven swans album at least two to three times daily since I got it last week. EXCELLENT description of the song!
Posted by: James at February 13, 2004 10:43 AMwhile i agree that the instrumentation on the seven swans album is more sparse - somehow the songs retain a certain sonic depth. I'm voting for "he woke me up again" and "the transfiguration" as my favorites.
Posted by: ben at February 18, 2004 11:06 AMI really love the seven swans song. Gripping.
Posted by: forksclovetofu at February 20, 2004 10:19 AMI've listened to Seven Swans about 12 times, but I don't like it much............................................. I don't like the White album either.....or Abbey Road.
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