Hiding out in the subway system
Hanging out in the library system
You made me feel like a harbor
And you made me feel like a fortress
In 2009, I fell in love with Lost Channels, the fourth album from Canada’s Great Lake Swimmers, the folk-rock outfit fronted by Tony Dekker.
I remember hearing the lyrics to “Concrete Heart” for the first time, as I was rolling down Delmar Boulevard in my Corolla, after having just purchased the CD from Vintage Vinyl (and crazily unwrapped said CD in the parking lot like a lunatic). Delmar, particularly in the evening hours, is hoppin’. Teenagers hang out en masse on corners while buskers strum guitars for passersby. Neon signs invite imbibers into their drinking establishments while the occasional brass band plays in a central courtyard. But, “Concrete Heart” with its deeply affecting poetry pushed me straight out of that vociferous environment and into one of deep contemplation. That hubbub on the other side of my car window just melted into one big blur, and I realized for the millionth time how quintessential feeling needed is to feeling human.
“Concrete Heart” is about that.
The band has a new single out, today’s Jam of the Day, “Easy Come Easy Go.” Sure, it’s a complete 180 from the GSL song that originally held me in its grip. But, it’s still a goodie for ridin’ down the road in your Corolla. That fiddle’s gonna make you want to roll the windows down, though. Hopefully the hubbub just becomes one big blur.
The new Great Lake Swimmers album, New Wild Everywhere, comes out on April 3rd courtesy of Nettwerk.