Absence Makes the Art Grow Stronger

by @vomvorton

Liner Notes

Another one where I'm mostly pleased with the music (especially the bassline) but don't really feel like I'm hitting the targets with the lyrics. It's about working from home being a slow march towards death, I guess. The "you" I'm singing to is me. I don't know. Octave pedal guitar solo? I ran out of words.

#newwave #powerpop

Lyrics

take a break, it’s not that hard a short walk, or a cry in the car ride out this heavy weather and pull yourself together

you hid yourself away but can’t take it any longer you can’t convince yourself that absence makes the art grow stronger

you’ve got your shield, you’ve got your screen talking to people that you’ve never seen what is business without leisure? a life devoid of pleasure

Comments

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I think these lyrics leave some space for the listener to co-create the story. As someone who started wanting to write music in 2019 and to share music in 2020 almost all my music life has been on line. That seems cozy and comfortable. The idea of doing an office job remotely on the other hand seems horrible to me. This song feels like tue narrator is gearing up to make a change.

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A power pop classic. That verse riff is so hooky with its start stop rhythm. That chorus is really strong, can’t work out why you think it’s underwritten!

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Sometimes I see tags on a song and I'm let down by the gap between my expectation and the reality. This is not one of those times. This sounds straight out of the Ric Ocasek songbook. I love the verse guitar riff/rhythm and earworm synth.

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OKay, everything about this really works. The title/refrain alone is such a winner! The Cars-y breakdown at around 1:50 is really great, the whole arrangement is so fun, especially with that synth line, and the lyric is really crisp and clever. I love how your "I'm not really hitting the targets with the lyrics :-( " is still smart and clever as hell and better than like 90% of people!

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I love the stop/ start nature of the riff and vocal lines in the verse, the pause at the end of each line, gives it a really nice rhythm. Synth is nice and woozy and fuzzy and cool. Chorus melody is really hooky and like the little harmony parts too.

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@owl

Love that synth, I was listening to the Cars earlier and the synth/guitar combo and catchy vocal kind of remind me of that. The octave solo is super cool! And the breakdown/buildup! I feel a bit anxious about the subject matter, having worked from home for like 15+ years now 😅 but surely that has nothing at all to do with any mental health issues?!

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@tfish77

Nailed that new wave sound. Production is nice and clean, and the chorus hook is catchy as hell.

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the dynamics on the warm synth part as the song goes on draws me deeper and deeper into that chorus

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I love how you've put this one together. Every sound is perfect and they all fit together so well. Really nicely done

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super strong indie vibe, likeing this muchly

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oh yes, some great guitar indie-riffage in here, love the slidy synth sound as well. The BVs in the chorus work a charm, and lovely solo to boot! Love the stripped back bit straight after too.

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That "cry in the car" line. Oof! The title line is a great one to build a song around. The simple single note synth bits elevate things nicely.

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I know 'well-crafted' is a bit of a running joke (maybe just with me and Dan), but I really do mean it! The instrumentation, the tones of each instrument, the form of the song, the dynamics, the arrangement, everything feels like it's put together exactly as it should be, and if anything was to change it would just sound plain WEIRD. The clean tone start/stop riff is giving me real 00s indie vibes, but otherwise it sounds fully contemporary.

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This is really catchy and has that kind of Americana / New Wave blend that characterizes some of my favorite 80s songs. The music and vocal performance are simultaneously comforting and energetic. I feel like this would be perfect to listen to on a road trip (which is kind of ironic given the "stay at home" theme of the lyrics)!

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@danxduran

Good little tune - so good that half an hour after listening to it, the damn hook is still in my head.

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@burr Mod

when i skimmed the title i totally missed the pun until i heard it in the chorus! very cool late 90s indie vibes for sure. i get what you're saying about the "you" being you, but i think even in its current form it's open to broader interpretations.

i mean, still about work in some form being a slow march toward death, but... :)

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@iveg

Working from home is a slow march toward death? I wonder if it's the lack of social interaction, no change in scenery, no escape from work environment? Is there a way to get more face to face, different places, etc, to make it better?

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I like the idea of taking break from work by having a cry in the car. Not 'like' as in a thing I would like to do, but as a lyrical image. Sad poetry. The vocals in this are all kinds of good - the harmonies in the chorus are great. Guitars sound ace - more tiny amp action? I concur on the bass part - very nice indeed. The synth too - that's some lovely stuff. Talking to people you've never seen - is that a MS Teams reference? I get very freaked when I actually meet people I've frequently chatted with on Teams, and they turn out to be much taller/shorter than I thought they would be. One of life's little modern surprises.

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Liked this a lot, as usual! Really good solo, and typically nice analogue synth work.

Oddly I've got another track just begun that has a more "alt-rock" feel - there's clearly something in the air!

[FAWM]