Common Crime – Ghosted
There’s an epidemic of loneliness around the world. And, it is killing more people than would-be deadly viruses are or have been able to do. Worst still, there’s no simple solution in sight. I suppose we’ll either have to work through each other’s differences, learn to talk to each other more, or risk dying miserable and alone. That’s a heavy, hard-to-manage thought.
What is typically not heavy or hard to manage is pop punk. In fact, it’s both in terms of musical simplicity and in the way that it is generally received by the public; it’s an easy pill to swallow. It makes people, both the ones on and off the stage, feel good. It makes them yearn for better days and makes them believe that those are just around the corner.
Common Crime pull off an interesting feat with their single, “Ghosted.” On the one hand, the lyrics tell the story of loneliness, of trust being lost, and of relationships coming to a screeching halt. But these feelings of anxiety are married to large, convincing pop-punk songs that you’ll find it hard not to sing along to. Life is what you make it, and the pop-punks have figured out that strength lies in unity.
Never Sunny – 6th & Burnside
Turns out that the great reward about playing music, or doing anything creative with other people, was… just doing it. Don’t believe me? Just go to a few interviews or biographies of famous rock stars. Sure, they made it big, bought big houses, and paid their taxes. But by the time their third wife took everything, all they had, apart from the convention where they were asked to sign old merchandise, were stories about the earliest days of playing music.
It may not sound remarkable. It may not look too showy. But it’s the truth. Paul Westerberg said it, and I’m inclined to believe him. When all is said and done, memories and, hopefully, a burning to add more of them is all that you’re given if you are lucky. Often, it’s the band playing a dingy club in front of a dozen people that changes more lives than the bored rockstars playing to a stadium audience. Go figure!
Never Sunny’s “6th & Burnside” pours a big glass of nostalgia before running out to get some more. This kind of thirst ain’t easily quenched, and Never Sunny know it. “6th & Burnside” manages to capture the excitement of being part of small, life-affirming concerts. The song’s lyrics reveal these bittersweet memories. The song’s melodies and instrumental encourage you to go out and create new ones.
