Skies Unfold – Bombed
What do you get for all your sorrows? Regular folks like us just get a bunch of headaches, stress and, if left untreated, some nasty stomach ulcers. That in itself is enough to convince you to embrace tools that make you feel optimistic.
Artists of any renown who deal with the same type of depression are made to feel the hardships in much the same way, don’t worry. But they may feel like they got a better deal once all of the fan mail, covers, and dedications start pouring in. Mark Lanegan would naturally feel flattered by Skies Unfold’s reinterpretation of his music.
And while admiration doesn’t make the burden any less difficult to bear, it, at least, offers some kind of payback. Judging by Lanegan’s own admission, his life was troubled, but the fact that he inspired so many must’ve made him believe, at least at times, that it was all part of a greater plan.
Skies Unfold’s “Bombed” turns Lanegan’s gloomy, graveyard blues into what Disney might devise for the company’s entry into the world of horror films. Lanegan’s low rumbling voice is kept in place, sure. But the expansive instrumental parts help the song grow, come to life. This is a nightmare where every character’s expression is perfectly visible. It’s a nightmare that Lanegan dreamed for others and that others, in turn, keep alive.
Trevor Sensor – Heaven’s A Big Disgrace
Great artists must live with the knowledge that they inspired and will continue to inspire countless other people. Now, anyone who knows anything about the vast majority of great artists is aware of the fact that few of these would earn an invitation to sip tea in the countryside, on a Sunday with the King of England. These people don’t look for trouble, but usually manage to attract it, and that’s a little too much for royalty.
Townes van Zandt must’ve been aware of his colossal talent and must’ve known how this would make followers flock to him as if to a Messiah. Perhaps that’s why he, for the most part, chose to keep himself to himself. He didn’t have the kind of words and advice that would grant you carte blanche into heaven. Instead, he wrote the kind of songs that artists like Trevor Sensor take inspiration from, the kinds of songs that open your eyes to the reality of the world and the prospect of hell.
Trevor Sensor’s “Heaven’s a Big Disgrace” is a spirited, jangly country-rocker. It’s a song about ambition, a cautionary tale about laying all of your chips on one cursed number and winning the jackpot. The verse part seems, to untrained ears, at least, inspired by Van Zandt’s “Fare Thee Well, Miss Carousel,” a hidden gem reserved for great fans of terrific songwriting. Sensor takes all of the ideas and runs away with them, making you wonder just what kind of dinner guest he’d be, and forcing you to hang up the phone before you make the call.
