What can I say, Mike. Why I'm crying right now, can only mean you've once again touched my heart in the deepest of ways. This is sublime. "some talk of transcendence letting go of desire but the night's pretty cold when you put out the fire" Whew, Brother. This is the first and most likely last time I might ever call someone an ant whisperer, but the moment has come. The way you interpreted your partners conversation with this poor confused ant, and reflected our follies in the grander scheme of life is truly brilliant. Bravo, both of you!

This is painfully beautiful, seriously.

Don't hear "lie-la-lies" often enough these days, they're put to very good use here. Beautiful guitar tone which complements this delicate tune wonderfully. They way you sing "Best of days" has this optimistic sadness that evokes the Blue Nile, like there's a meaning behind the meaning or a complex mix of emotions.

This is tapping into the same troubling feeling I have while watching Severance. Except this a soothing, consoling song. The narrator is in it with us. You sing it really beautifully as well. I was captivated, listening to it.

and a fine 14 mike, a nice variety as well. I like the inspiration here and how it's weaved onto a life reality story! love the li li li lis. pretty music. fine song and the 14. winner winner chicken dinner!

Great sweet and poignant summation of our predicament. Plenty have pondered the question, you've put it in a re-listenable format, with love and logic. My only technical question is whether it's one guitar or two. I'm liking to think that it's one.

"are we lost in these bodies or is that's all we are?" that is the question. is there an escape from the meat maze? i hope so. nice folkie approach to the electric guitar and and a sincere vocal approach,

Love the spacey sound to this, and the guitar squeak was perfectly timed for the optimum effect. There's so much that I love in this, and that I wasn't expecting out of you Mike. Love this.

feels elegiac, altho it's a lament for the living. maybe because they're living dead? that guitar effect is the perfect accompaniment for the reflection seeking to outgrow the maze. wounderful! and congrats on 14!

The reverb and delay add some poignant atmospherics to accompany these great lyrics. "but the night's pretty cold when you put out the fire" is a perfect couple of lines. Well on done on hitting 14

This is gorgeously written and performed. The Lie-luh-lie's remind me slightly of Simon and Garfunkel in that one song... but it carries so much more weight here. You've given it a weight that is heart-aching but ultimately comforting with the last lines of the song. This is incredible.

Congrats on the 14, Mike! It's just a shame you've totally forgotten your book deadline (joke..I hope??). Such a gorgeous rising and falling melody. The guitar tone is really nice, reminds me of Song to a Siren (the This Mortal Coil version)

I think this is my favourite of yours so far this year (and so glad you ended up pumping out a full album this year!)

Love the title and so many gems of lines in here. The arrangements and vocals make it feel like leaving the bar as the sun rises, rubbing your eyes. It's just so perfectly balanced but wobbly, it's beautiful prosody.

Love the production, love the space you created. "we're all filled to the gills but we want something more" are such important lines...maybe they belong on a T-Shirt? I am always looking forward to your songs and this is a wonderful tune. My heart warms as I listen, there is still kindness and love in this world. No reason to despair as long as there are mikedebenham songs.

I saw the title and was expecting...well, I'm not sure what I was expecting, but not this beautiful dream of melancholy. Yet you make it work. Why am I not surprised? I like the way that the song takes its time. I love the space and the "lie-la-lie" s. That little bit does a lot.

You roll up the sweetness and despair of what makes us human.