a little more: synthar

so i post songs on here quite a bit, and i'm never quite sure if people like them or listen to them or anything. usually a song doesn't elicit comments, so i'm not sure. but that's ok. i post them usually because they have some particular meaning to me, or i just happen to really like that song at that particular point in time. i really love sharing things that i enjoy, and i really enjoy music and it's easy to share. so i hope you enjoy at least some of it.

and then every now and then there is a band that i just get obsessed with. it doesn't happen too often. but when it does i feel limited by one song, so maybe i post two, or maybe i do several posts over a period of time. well i want to maybe perhaps start a series of writing a little more about a particular artist or album, of which this will be the first one. i am no music critic and i don't quite know how to objectify it, so don't expect too much of that. no instead it will probably just be a few songs along with why i really enjoy it all. here's who i'm enjoying right now--


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synthar is a band that isn't really a band. you probably won't ever see them on tour. it's composed of 4 guys from all over: mississippi, new york, california, and china. it's a sort of postal service story i suppose, though they played together in the past growing up. the band definitely goes along with its name, in that it has a lot of synthesizers throughout, as well as various other instruments. if you don't dig the synth you may not like them, but i think they are worth a listen, even if you don't. don't let one instrument (sort of thing) define the band! that or embrace your inner 80s child and groove to the electro-tune.

i already posted one song from this group. it is a fun sort of love song that has a lot of playfulness to it. a combination of lots of instruments makes for a good introduction until it quiets to let the story unfold. the little details in the descriptions make the story come to life. and then the chorus brings on a greater self-reflection, almost a commentary on the rest of the story of the song. does a delightful little falling in love in an instant last? i love even the way it is asked--"will you still cling so tight to me?"

it's funny i watched the movie "dan in real life" last night and it made me think of this song. the proverbial movie always seems to stop with the wedding. but i like that this song looks to the future, and asks those questions. because there are a great many who lack the certainty that comes from the 3 day romance and its life implications. and while it's fun to think about in reality i can't imagine something like that without asking those questions. but that's just me.

"stabbed by an unseen blade"

this is another fun song, though i feel like it has a little pedro the lion in it for sure. it's the other side of the story from the previous song, but it's a strange sort of lament. it is upbeat musically, but the story is much more of a downer. but there is again a sort of playfulness in the words, and it makes the music work. the details again are great: "Lord, Lord, I'm on my knees for you, she took the furniture too," and "I need a revival, cause all she left was her bible." these clever lines make the song because it keeps a certain lightness while at the same time adding a new depth to the response to loss and betrayal. and let's be honest, it's got a good beat.

"the phone call"

this is a bit of a sadder song, though the bands playfulness again comes through at the beginning with the piano sounding like a telephone ringing. if you can't tell i really like the playfulness of this group, even when in this case it is in a more serious sort of way. the story to this song is a little mysterious, as i can't quite figure out just what the relationship is between the narrator and the deceased. mother maybe? ex-wife or girlfriend? the song ends with a numbing sort of repetition, which i think fits the situation well. i am finding myself drawn a lot to songs that seem to do this, because it takes you to a deeper level somehow. it's almost chant-like, and when used in the right way it is profound.

i also seem to find myself drawn to songs about death at times too. no not crazy death metal--silly people for thinking that. no more like the laments that come after losing someone. i have never really experienced a death of someone really close to me, and maybe that's why i have some sort of fascination with it. the depth of feeling, the grieving process. i'm sure listening to those songs would be very different in the midst of that experience. i wonder if songs like this one would be helpful, or perhaps too hard to listen to.



so anyway there it is. they have a lot of other great songs too, even though they just have the one album. these are just the ones i have been drawn to. hope you enjoy them!