I was gonna take some time off work to sort this out, but that didn't happen. I'm trying to do a desultory headphone mix in a noisy library, so sorry. I wanted to add bass and keys and whatnot, but I failed. I bailed on the drums cos I couldn't work it out. Anyway, his is definitely my kind of song. If I were an actual recording/performing artist, this would be in my repertoire.
The members of the fresh spotless youth collective are never more sincere than when they’re talking about the conditions of possibility of sincerity, authenticity, meaning, and the like. Can you feel it? This is sort of an auto-pastiche, or part of a never-ending concept album.
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Can you feel it?
Sincerely – fresh spotless youth
You’ve got your hand in the cookie jar
You could find your Lord
But you never want to reach that far
It’s never the thing
It’s always the dreamers and what they mean
It’s never the thing
It’s always the dream
Go!
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Sincerely–fresh spotless youth
You might speak up in time
But remember
You won’t speak up in time
You might speak up in time
Spreading all those phonemes on the line
But you won’t speak up in time
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Can you feel it?
Sincerely–fresh spotless youth
The word’s always flesh
So remember
You can’t speak up in time
If the word’s always flesh
You’d better get some tooth[picks] and some [mints]
You can only speak up in time
Whoa, whoa, whoa
Sincerely–fresh spotless youth
I got my hand in the cookie jar
I could arrange this song
But I never want to work that hard
It’s never the thing
It’s always the dreamers and what they mean
It’s never the thing
It’s always the dream
Is it flesh or is it a wafer?
Don’t look closely
The answers aren’t vouchsafed there
It’s never the thing
It’s always the dreamers and what they mean
It’s never the thing
It’s always dream
@chipwithrow Mar 2022
Doesn't need a full arrangement! (And it's my kind of song, too.)
Easygoing groove, conversational vocal - I can understand why you'd want to perform this, since it affects me so directly.
@sailingmagpie Mar 2022
I really like the low key delivery of the vocals here and shimmery guitar work. I can imagine this one working really well live.
@majormajormajormajor Mar 2022
Love it when bands namecheck themselves- there was a band called the Flashing Lights back in the oughts that had this great tune where they chanted their own name
Anyway, this goes beyond that to become a sort of snarky pretend navel gazing that at the same time offers up its own truths, or at least offers up the dilemma between what's meant and what's made. At least that was what I got out of it. It felt a little over my head, too, but I feel like this one particularly works on a whole bunch of different levels and it's tough to suss them all out-one of those tunes where repeated listens reveal new layers of meaning.
@w1n Mar 2022
Like how you keep musically and lyrically quoting your older songs, feels fresh and new but very familiar at the same time. Think Lanasolyluna writes what I want to say better, about how your delivery feels both planned and unplanned.
@vomvorton Mar 2022
Love your whispery delivery on "Can you feel it?" - I can feel it.
The chords here remind me a little of the Rado Dept in their quieter moments and they're my favourite band at least some of the time.
@ttg105 Mar 2022
Almost Smiths-like in its pretty melancholy. Love the self-references, the "go," and lines like "If the word’s always flesh/You’d better get some tooth[picks] and some [mints]." Clever parallels between "I could find your Lord" and "I could arrange this song"! Very you.
@jessicagraae Feb 2022
Interesting religious references here and there. (I always thought the idea of the wafer being flesh was frightening.) I like your laid-back style.
@odilongreen Feb 2022
So gorgeous, and spiritual too (in a non-religious sense). There's a sense of expansiveness, of joy and of art and meaning, and I know that's a bit of a word salad, but that's what this makes me feel. Your songs always transport to a special, insular, almost profound place, and this one does as well. Bravo, again.
@dzdandcunfsd Feb 2022
yes, yes I can feel it!
Perfect addition to the never-ending concept album!
I can definitely hear some drums in there, but I think that might actually ground it and take some of the wonderful floaty airiness this has in its sound and the theme of the lyrics, but... it's never the thing!
Really great! and this is exactly the thing you do oh so well. I can't really describe it any better than your tags do, but I'd for sure do my best to catch a show of it!
@wylddandelyon Feb 2022
Pretty good mix for a noisy library! The instruments are all nice and clear, and they accent the voice nicely. Nice clear images too,
@cowboydick Feb 2022
"I could arrange this song, but I never want to work that hard .,," -- an ethos for the ages. Congratulations, FSY, on completing this year's FAWM (and then some).
@lanasolyluna Feb 2022
Noisy library mix sounds great. I really enjoy your sounds each year, and I think this may be the first time I've listened this FAWM. Something about your delivery makes it feel both planned and unplanned, and these lyrics have a sort of dream-like quality to them...is it flesh or is it a wafer....I really don't know. I'm sure this song could be filled up with other sounds, but honestly this sounds fantastic as it is, especially considering the lyrics IMO. Great work!