The Radio Dept. - Every Time

Dream-pop pastel colored lights, a staple of the industry, used for full indie effect

I just got news that I have to replace my cars tax and inspection stickers. They're expiring soon, and if you don't own a car, then you probably don't know that you have to go out of your way to pay for these and get them processed, and it doesn't help that they cost 65 dollars each. On my way to the building to pay the sticker bills, I had been listening to Pet Grief by The Radio Dept., and due to my unimaginable incompetence, had been lost for a good 45 minutes within less than 600 feet of the tax building. However, in retrospect, this did not make me angry or frustrated, as the album cheered me up immediately. In a movie like moment, I saw the signs pointing towards the office as the last chords of the final song on the album, "Always a Relief" played. I payed my bill after a wait in the line, and was on my way, surprisingly joyful.

At this point, we've established that the only good bands pictures are ones in pastel or black & white, barring they were shot by Terry Richardson.

The song that stuck in my mind the most from the album was "What Will Give". There are songs with more original themes on the album like "The Worst Taste In Music" and there are even songs with better instrumentation like "What Will Give", but the reverb drenched goodness of "Every Time" gets me again and again.

The instrumental is poppy yet nuanced, as Swedish pop music tends to be, but the constant drone of reverb, and the shoegaze guitars are what give the song good effect. The tone of the piece is bolstered by breaks for a beautiful guitar that would be at home on any harmony for a song in the middle half of Loveless. Johan Duncanson, the band's lead singer, alters his vocals to a point that they straddle the line between comforting and creepy. The lyrics recall a drunken night of relationship sturggles, but are slightly ambiguous. I'm not one to pretend like I understand everything going on in a song, but the tale of difficult love is one that has been written on immemorial in music, and thankfully isn't overdone here (like a Taylor Swift song). Overall, a pretty good song on a very wavy album. It makes me happy.

So what is the point of the story and how does it have anything to do with Track Genius or the Radio Dept.? Well for one, owning a car is too fucking expensive. But secondly, life can get pretty shitty. It's not just the big things either, like the death of a loved one or firing from a job that barely keeps you alive in the first place. The minutia of the world, something as insignificant as the hand dryer in the public restroom not working at the full technological efficiency that an invention of the sort should work at in 2013, or something as necessary as getting your car stickers updated. In the world of minor inconveniences and perpetual misery, everyone finds solace in something, whether that something be their girlfriend or their favorite TV show. I find that in music, and listening to something relaxing and something that hit all the pleasure centers of my brain, reminded me of what music is really all about. And for that, I can thank the Radio Dept.

As always, please share, enjoy, and spread the love. Peace.