Probably the opening track of Scab, Vol. II.

Give me some thoughts!



As with the last record, a lot of these will be the result of going through old demos and fleshing out ideas that I just ran past the first time around. I found a recording of this particular song from back in early '07, when I was trying to come up with a Mountain Goats-style story album. I demo'd it on acoustic guitar, just strummed chords, and never really came back to it, and when I listened to it last week I thought it might sound better on piano. I like the results.

One thing I'm going to do different this time around, is just do all the playing myself. First of all, it goes faster...second of all, when it comes to the solo stuff I tend to be a bit of a dick about what gets played and how anyway, so I might as well.

That was really lovely. There was such a sense of expectation each time you paused. As though you were almost, but not quite, expecting the dream to be realized. Drifting somewhere on the border between waking and dreaming. The piano accompaniment reinforces the illusion. It gives the whole song the fragility of fine porcelein.

Sorry to do this to you again, but have you read The House of Dust by Conrad Aiken? Something about you reminds me of him.

Good shit. Reminds me a bit of Bankrupt on Selling by Modest Mouse, except yanno, on piano...

Still haven't. I think I want to, though.



I like that song. The tone the guitars have is stellar for the mood.

Thanks to the both of you!

Not bad, fella

i like it. i think the simpler the piano work is, the better... it got a smidge busy at the end, not too bad, but bordering on too much.

Good stuff, McP. It's stripped down, for sure. I think the piano could use a little more "punch" in the mix. Or maybe a bass, for depth?

BTW, after digesting Vol. 1, Technicolor Yawn is A+.

After sitting on it for a few days, I think you're right. The very last stanza is a bit busy, and a few moments of the first half could be pulled back. I think I'm going to recut it to adjust for that. Thank you.



I'd toyed with the notion of adding bass, but I couldn't decide. I guess if we both can hear it in there it oughta be there. I'll have to make a call before the redo.



I'm glad you think so! I really want to create a few more songs along those lines for the new one. I love the space and movement of that track.

amazing.. might be my favorite of yours that I've heard.

Not a huge change, but I uploaded a new version. I added the bass, albeit fairly distant. I initially thought of the bass in Nick Cave's Into My Arms, but that did not sit well in this song at all. So I figured just the light coloring of the low end would be enough. I also EQ'd the piano to add a small amount of bite.

Both changes worked well, imo. The EQ on the piano especially.