Confessions of a Fanboy

The Good That Won’t Come Out

I subscribe to a mailing list that sends out inspirational messages. My morning routine involves checking my e-mail upon arrival at work and reading said message in an attempt to get the day off on the right foot (original, innit?). This morning’s message had to do with bringing out the good in things which immediately reminded me of Rilo Kiley’s “The Good That Won’t Come Out of Me.”

I love this song, and it’s entirely the fault of The Duke De Mondo. I’d never so much as heard of Rilo Kiley before hearing them on his Mondo Radio podcast. It’s a damn shame that show has had to be mothballed as it was shear brilliance, but our Duke shall soon be the King of All Media (so fuck off, Howard Stern) and the podcast had to take the backseat. Anyway, I heard him play the song “Paint’s Peeling” from the Execution of all Things album and within hours, I bought the shit out of it.

The album opens with “The Good That Won’t Come Out of Me.” Jenny Lewis’ vocal is restrained, as is the first three minutes of the song. As you’re listening, you keep waiting for the song to erupt because that’s what these kind of songs do. Eventually it does, but it’s in no particular hurry. Jenny Lewis’ lyric and vocal are completely unassuming; she’s singing in conversation to you. That conversation plays out over simple, repeated guitar melody and a mechanized beat for three minutes with occasional, subliminal steel guitar flourishes. Finally with about a minute left in the song the rhythm section kicks in and gives substance to the floating affair.

I don’t know if this is the best RK song to start with if you’ve never heard them before, but it’s a great song and probably as good as any. My favorite line in the song? “You say I choose sadness, that it never once has chosen me.” Poignant.

Thanks, Duke. So, how about another podcast?

Filed under: Tags: Musical Musings and Random Ramblings