Better Soon

At least I hope it will be.

This is the time of year when I start to get a little edgy and depressed; the winter is lasting forever and it seems like you'll never be able to leave the house, at least not without being in that tight hunchy-shoulders kind of stance.
I swear I almost lose it at this time every year.
So I had to force myself to do something really poppy and optimistic; it's quite shamelessly so.

(Get Flash to see the track player.)
posted by chococat (14 comments total)

So I had to force myself to do something really poppy and optimistic; it's quite shamelessly so.

Another really great song, chococat. I especially love the instrumentation on the bridge.

FWIW, to me, while this is definitely poppy and catchy on the surface, it still manages to pull off a certain subtly manic tone that I really enjoy and almost think of as being characteristic of your best stuff. It's like someone smiling in a way that seems basically warm and genuine in its intentions, but that hints at being ever so-slightly forced at the same time, like the just-too-perfect smile of someone trying to make themselves happy by going through the motions (which I guess in this case, given your comments on the origins of the song, is kind of what it is).

That quality comes across both in the lyrics and in your performance on guitar (with its pronounced staccato accents on certain parts of the rhythmic phrasing), all of which lend an edginess to the song that keeps it from coming across as in any way schmaltzy.

All of which is just my logorrhea for: Nicely done.
posted by saulgoodman at 12:11 PM on February 25

This is great! So lovely. I have been yearning to make a poppy song like this, and I think this will help inspire me to do so.

A question: have you ever recorded something where you really really push the limits and comfort levels of your voice? Like, really let loose? I think you have such a nice voice and I'd love to hear you really push the range, or scream, or let loose in other ways.
posted by ORthey at 1:13 PM on February 25

Hot damn, a new chococat song. Unabashedly catchy and awesomely poppy -- I just heard it once and it's already stuck in my head. I like it!
posted by spiderskull at 1:20 PM on February 25 [1 favorite has favorites]

Well, chococat, I hope this helped you out of your doldrums, because it certainly brightened MY day!
posted by snsranch at 4:25 PM on February 25

This is really great. I like your usual melancholy style, but I must say that your vocal performance here really broke something open for me. I now hear so much more range in your voice -- the way you sing the chorus part contrasts beautifully with your more usual style in the verses, and I agree with saulgoodman about how genuine and warm the tone is -- exactly because it's kind of straining to be pop. That makes it more real.

The rhythm guitar combos with the drums can only be described as TIGHT. Wonderfully played and produced. Love the xylophone or whatever it is in the bridge, especially how it goes kind of out of tune (?) at the end.
posted by edlundart at 11:40 PM on February 25

Thanks for the comments, I appreciate the feedback.
Glad it isn't coming across as too Pollyanna-ish or something.

...like someone smiling in a way that seems basically warm and genuine in its intentions, but that hints at being ever so-slightly forced at the same time...just-too-perfect smile...someone trying to make themselves happy...going through the motions

I know. I think I fail at happy. But that's a pretty good description of it.

have you ever recorded something where you really really push the limits and comfort levels of your voice? Like, really let loose? I think you have such a nice voice and I'd love to hear you really push the range, or scream, or let loose in other ways

But that's my style, man! I've spent years cultivating that wimpy vocal technique.
Seriously, I just can't seem to sing any different. I wish I could have a soulful yell or get some more edge to my voice but it just ends up breaking, (not in a cool way; more in a Peter Brady kind of way) and I lose control of it. I posted a cover of "This Boy" a while ago and when I get to that awesome screamy/plaintive bridge that always gives me goosebumps when Lennon sings it, you can hear that I'm losing control of it. If I yell it's just a weird louder version of my voice, it never seems to get that nice raspy thing happening, even during the 11 years I smoked. Surely there's a training manual for fucking up your voice a bit somewhere?
posted by chococat at 6:34 AM on February 26

Surely there's a training manual for fucking up your voice a bit somewhere?

whiskey's the key. lots of really cheap, straight whiskey.
posted by saulgoodman at 6:54 AM on February 26 [1 favorite has favorites]

I'm running a little low on superlatives today, so I'll just say that this is fucking awesome and made me smile a genuine smile in response, so rock on with your (beautiful) wimpy vocals. You're doing important work, here.
posted by It's Raining Florence Henderson at 10:27 AM on February 27

I love chococat contributions in MeFi.

Just one question . . . has anyone compared this song to "So. Central Rain" by R.E.M.? I noticed an immediate similarity when I listened to Better Soon the first time, and the second time, and the third time.

Go listen to So. Central Rain and compare for yourself.
posted by brianstorms at 5:40 PM on March 1

YES.

That chorus is really great; the way the tom fill opens up into the harmony vocals is awesome.

This rules.

OMG GLOCKENSPIEL

I love Bubblegum. I love songs that have me singing along during the first time I hear it.
posted by Karlos the Jackal at 1:32 AM on March 2

This is fantastic. You at your best, I would say. I really like those little instrumental bits you do sometimes, like you do here with the guitars and the pianosaur. (kinda like what you did with guitars in the middle of "In The Rain"). I like that but I also really like the melody line, your drumming and the muffled sound of the bass, so I'll just say I like everything about it.

What's that muffled bass, by the way?
posted by micayetoca at 6:05 AM on March 2

has anyone compared this song to "So. Central Rain" by R.E.M.?

Wow, you're right, the melody of the first half of the verse is real similar. Completely unintentional. It's funny 'cause when I was writing it the verse was a different melody and much higher but it didn't flow very well so I changed it.

What's that muffled bass, by the way?

That's a Moog.
posted by chococat at 7:40 AM on March 2

Thanks for this, choc. It's a good start to the day.
posted by Bearman at 7:11 AM on March 5

Wow, don't really no how I missed this. I'm guessing that's you on the drums? I've never realized that you're actually pretty good on the drums too, is there nothing you don't do well senor cat?
posted by BrnP84 at 12:32 AM on March 20