Track By Track of Hole In Your Roof (single)
Hole In Your Roof (single edit)
The deep droning which introduces Hole In Your Roof hides the fact that
there is no bass in this song (with Edmond instead concocting his own type
of guitar from a couple of strings, a student guitar, the eye of a newt...
you get the drift). The subtle complexity of this song may take a few listens
to get into, but once you're in, it's absolutely compelling. A couple of
interesting points on the song. First, Adam has actually been seen to venture
near a microphone to sing backing vocals to this track, live. I have witnesses,
at least 600 or so, I'd say. Second, the 'single edit', loosely translated,
means that this is the equivalent to the abridged version of 'War and Peace';
the full album version goes for at least eight to nine minutes (however,
AM fans being AM fans, I've heard wild and frenzied rumours of it being
fifteen minutes long). However long it is, make sure you check out the
lyrics, because all I have to say is 'wow'. Only one warning: this song
will stick in your head for days.
300 Nights
The beginning of this song transports you back to the days of Merry Olde
England, with Robin Hood and the fair Maid Marian. Well, not really, but
it certainly has a very Baroque sound to it, only accentuated by the lilting
runs and arpeggios which sound and feel almost like a gentle waterfall.
Like most Augie March songs, it has that dreamy quality, like unhinged
Ophelia singing quietly to herself and dancing as she picks her flowers.
It's the song, I swear, not me.
Tasman Awakens (demo)
At recent gigs, Glenn has introduced Tasman Awakens as one of the new songs
which are actually old because they've been performing it for quite a while
now (as opposed to the new-new songs like HiYR). Certainly, most people
will have heard it, either at a gig or on the Triple J Live At The Wireless.
A demo version of TA sees it stripped back, capturing the charm of the
song without the fuller sound heard in live performances. Certainly, its
roots are obvious here, and the rigidity of the drum line can get tedious.
But on the bright side, the vocals and harmonys are even clearer, and very
charming.
(apologies for not getting a Shakespearean analogy in - I racked my head
for ... ooh, say, all of two seconds? ... but none came to mind)
Lazy Pines
Hmmm... to be honest, not too sure what I can say about this. Apparently,
it's very Frente-ish - I'm afraid that I don't know enough of Frente's
stuff to confirm or deny. But that might be a guide to some people. Certainly,
it's frenetic and manic. It's not aggressive, just incredibly nutty and
fun in a shell-shocked kinda way.
It's uncharacteristic of the current Augie (and quite different to even
old Augie), but it's a nice glimpse into yonder years (well, three years,
anyway). A love it or hate it song - I like it cos I love weirdness,
and this most definitely falls into the weird category.