Music, etc.

Monday, April 23, 2007

Why Must Happy Hearts Break So Hard?


There is a lot more music out there than anyone has the time to listen to it. I've been a big fan of Okkervil River's "Black Sheep Boy" from 2005, but I have never had the chance to take a big look at their back catalog.

While listening to Westfall off of "Don't Fall in Love With Everyone You See" I decided to let my itunes take it to the next track, a song I had never heard, called "Happy Hearts." I thought something had malfunctioned on my itunes or it was on shuffle because right at the start of the song a peculiar voice came in, and it is not Will Sheff. "Is that Daniel Johnston?!" I shout after hearing it.

The song is fantastic. Will and Daniel share the mic for different sorrowful verses and come together for a beautiful chorus. If there is anyone writing songs right now who reminds me of a young Daniel, it's Sheff. During Daniel's verses, it is hard to believe he did not write the material.

"Everybody's searching for a place to put their love," Daniel sings, a sad, yet unlifting moment in the song. Instead of sounding depressed will the haunting lyrics, Sheff and Johnston seem hopeful, like they will find that place to put their love, eventually.

To make things even better, Daniel has added a Brooklyn show on May 15th, the day before he is playing Highline. If I wind up going to both, that week will officially go down in histroy as the best of all time.



1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

i'd never listened to daniel johnston before, but i love this album and was surprised to see he appeared on it. cool deal.

10:21 AM  

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