Number 9: "The Moon"- The Microphones

There once existed a band so talented and so unique that they could keep it together only for a tragically short period of time. That band was called The Neutral Milk Hotel. The band benefited from a unique lo fi sound that was instantly recognizable unique and yet familiar. Now the reason why I would start my paragraph this way is because the only band I can ever compare The Microphones to is Neutral Milk Hotel. The prime reason why is the 3rd track off their seventh album. "The Moon" has a very distinct sound building up using a few acoustic chords before letting lose into a giant explosion of static and intensely personal lyrics. Phil Evrum depicts a romance that feels so perfect and wonderful that it can only exist in fantasy. But of course it isn't perfect and it collapses leaving Evrum to reminisce on the moments that were undeniably perfect to him. The lyrics switch from wonderfully romantic to crippling heartbreak usually within a few seconds. The romance that Evrum sings about is heartwarming and tear jerking. He describes a true love with liberating detail, there is a certain sense of freedom that the listener will achieve, even if they have never felt true love, or events like the ones Evrum describes it is still instantly relate able. So far you have not heard me mention anything besides the lyrics, so you may be wondering what about the sound to the whole song. Well honestly, the thing that I find so perfect about this song is that the sound only adds to it. Making it whole. This would still be very much the same song if Evrum was to speak the words without instrumentation. Yes the static is strangely inviting and the use of lazy sounding trumpets and trombones is lovely. But this is very much a story, not a song. The reason why I started with the whole Neutral Milk Hotel comparison is because you never find songs like this. A track that sends the wide range of emotions all across the board. Like Jeff Mangum, Phill Evrum is able to do what very few musicians could ever dream of doing, and that's creating a passionate real and utterly human story of love loss and all of the emotions that come with it.