Songs are defined by single moments. That tempo change in the final third of “Rebellion (Lies)”, the way Michael Stipe spells out “R.E.A.C.T.” like an angry professor in “Harbourcoat”, Daniel Johnston’s crushing transposing of “long” with “life” in the final verse of “Some Things Last A Long Time”: these are the moments that transform the good into great, that make me love rather than like. You probably have a million of your own (or you’re missing a vital organ). I’ve certainly a million more.
Fortunately for new Rough Trade signees Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros (bloody American English), “Home” has one such ‘moment’ too. It’s about 3 minutes 40 seconds in. The rest of the song could sound like a Peaches Geldof orgasm and it (almost) wouldn’t matter. That it sounds like a tweed and twine Broken Social Scene thankfully means I don’t have to begrudgingly love it like a beautiful cheating girlfriend for the one moment a month she makes me feel good (you know the moment I’m talking about here). I can love all of it, all the time.
But anyway, that moment…Trading spoken word one liners like film noir cowboys (and girls), ‘Alexander’ confesses his love for ‘Jade’ much to her audible pleasure (I’m getting sweaty writing this) and as the tempo builds, she lets out a little squeal of delight that has got my chest shaking like an LA fault line. I don’t know if they’re play acting or if this love is the real deal, but I tell you what Jade, if Alexander ever lets you down, I’ll take you home in a heartbeat.
Edwards Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros - “Home”*
* Note that this is the bonus version of the track. The original isn’t as good, as I found out when playing it to some mystified friends at the weekend.
