It's weird the way a song can affect me sometimes. There are some songs that I've loved for decades even though I still can't fully make out the lyrics. Something about the overall feel conveys what the song is about, or maybe the sounds just stimulate something in my pre-human, animal brain. Then there are the ones for which I can sing every, single lyric while mimicking the voice of the lead singer. Finally, and kind of most interestingly, are the songs that have a single lyric that just grabs me. A lyric that, even outside the context of the rest of the song, is a little thing all by itself.
For example: "You spent the last five years trying to get with the plan and the next five years trying to be with your friends again."
It's from LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends." Is it about a twelve-step program? Is it about graduating from college, growing up, and wanting your youth back? I don't know, but I feel it.
There are a few lines like that for me on Has Left the Building, the three-song EP from Long Branch's Gay Elvis (aka, Matt Butcher). I'll preface the rest of this by saying that Butcher provides lots of context for where he's coming from as a songwriter in the write-up accompanying the EP on his Bandcamp page: "...it sucks to grow up, I'm scared to grow up, oh grow up you loser, and it's pretty cool growing up." I think he and I have a bit in common.
"But if you think that I can make a good man, I'll believe if you say so" from opener "Good Man" touches on something I feel almost daily. CoolMom seems to think I'm a pretty good husband, father, guy; and it gets me through a lot of down times.
"Sing When I'm Alone" contains the line "Words and sounds and nonsense things come together when we start to sing." There's that thing you share with your significant other after a while: The way you're able to communicate that's just between the two of you, the shared catchphrases, or the "nonsense things" like the wordless communication and body language that you instantly recognize in one another ("Do you believe this asshole?" "Don't say anything! I'm warning you!" "Save me, please!"). There's also the idea of building this great enterprise together out of, basically, nothing.
Finally, "'Cause you're not that lucky anymore" on set-closer "Lucky." In the short span of three songs, Gay Elvis does a good job of touching on some of the highs and lows of growing up and getting older. You may build a life with someone, a life that's better than anything you could have built alone; but it's work, every day, to stop doing all of the same dumb things you did when you were a kid and to try and move forward.
Has Left the Building features the help of some familiar faces from around here. Paul Rosevear, Erik Kase Romero, Jon Leidersdorf, and Matt Jaworski all contribute musically; and the Lakehouse team of Leidersdorf, Romero, and Tim Pannella produced / engineered the record along with Butcher.
As I've mentioned before, I think Lakehouse Recording is developing a signature sound. It suits this material well. The pristine power-pop and swelling backing vocals provide a fitting backdrop for Butcher's songs about resigning himself to growing up and deciding he's ok with it.
Has Left the Building is available as a Name Your Price download over at the Gay Elvis Bandcamp page. Straight from Gay Elvis himself, entering "$0.00" is fine, even encouraged.
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