The Thousands

Matt Banham writes a good song. Nobody else does, just Banham. Can everybody who isn’t Matt Banham quit writing songs please? You all know who you are.

I think maybe Banham writes good songs because he’s had a good life. Good, not great. He’s been a cab driver, a meat packer and the singer in a band that really ought to be making more money. I guess having a good-but-not-great life helps with the songwriting. It makes for the kind of lyrics that people can understand. A little bit of pathos, but not too much. A little bit of euphoria, but not too much. Some listlessness, some boredom, some hope. It’s all very life-like. Very real.

I wasn’t kidding about the songwriting. You’re terrible at it. Listen to ‘Save Me’ and weep. Banham’s laden the entire song with an awful synth track, but you still want to listen to it again. The song comes through, despite the self-conscious frippery. Now listen to the last track, ‘ttrr’. A few spoken lines, broken up by all of two crunchy peanut-butter chords. It sounds like a second wind, or the joyous tail-end of a hangover. Buy it already. And tip your cab driver.