Fever Ray, The Beaches, Patrick Watson, more: The Contenders, Vol. 13

Summary

All Songs Considered: Fever Ray, The Beaches, Patrick Watson, More – The Contenders, Vol. 13

Release Date: June 17, 2025 | Host: Robin Hilton | Guests: Stephen Thompson

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1. Opening Discussion: Facing Adversity in the Music World

The episode kicks off with Robin Hilton addressing the recent news about Morton Harkett, the lead singer of A-ha, who has been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease (00:14). Hilton shares a poignant quote from Harkett: "Use what still works." This philosophy, inspired by Harkett's father, emphasizes acceptance and resilience in the face of life's challenges. Stephen Thompson concurs, highlighting the importance of focusing on what one can control to navigate through fear and uncertainty (01:11).

Key Themes:

• Acceptance of difficult diagnoses
• Drawing inspiration from personal resilience
• Managing fear and anxiety

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2. The Beaches' New Album: Embracing Joy Amidst Challenges

Shifting the conversation to more uplifting topics, the discussion turns to The Beaches, a Canadian rock band known for their vibrant sound. Hilton expresses her enthusiasm for their upcoming album, No Hard Feelings, set to release on August 29th. She highlights the single "Last Girls at the Party," describing it as an "incredible new song" that exudes joy and defiance against fear (02:20).

Stephen Thompson praises the song’s anthemic quality and catchy riffs, suggesting it could be the song of the summer (07:24). Hilton reflects on how the song serves as a joyful response to managing fear, advocating for embracing life's moments to the fullest.

Notable Quote:

• Robin Hilton: "It's impossible to ignore. It's impossible to not absolutely love that song." (05:43)

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3. Patrick Watson: Overcoming Vocal Cord Hemorrhage

The conversation transitions to Patrick Watson, a singer who endured a severe vocal cord hemorrhage, leaving him unable to sing or speak for a year and a half. Hilton narrates Watson's recovery journey and introduces his new song, "Peter and the Wolf," from the upcoming album Oh, I Could Hear, releasing on September 26th (09:00).

Watson's music delves into themes of personal crisis and finding light in dark times. Hilton interprets his work as an embodiment of using what still works, drawing parallels to Harkett's outlook on life.

Key Insights:

• Resilience in the face of physical challenges
• The therapeutic role of music in personal healing
• Finding peace and beauty amidst anxiety

Notable Quote:

• Robin Hilton: "What do you do when life pulls the rug out from under you? You find the light where you can." (14:01)

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4. Deb Talon’s Solo Journey: Healing Through Music

Deb Talon, formerly of The Weepies, is spotlighted next with her new solo album, I Thought I Saw You. Hilton and Thompson discuss Talon's reflective songwriting, which touches on themes like surviving childhood abuse and personal loss. Her song "A Glimmer in the Grass" is highlighted for its emotional depth and relatable lyrics (19:06).

Talon's music serves as a balm, offering listeners solace and a sense of connection through her honest and nuanced storytelling.

Notable Quote:

• Guest (Stephen Thompson): "She manages to weave [her personal experiences] into her music in ways that never feel didactic." (24:12)

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5. Fever Ray’s Bold Exploration of Fear

Fever Ray is featured with their remake of "I'm Not Done (Therapy Session)," originally from their 2009 self-titled album. Hilton describes the accompanying music video as "absolutely horrifying" yet infused with dark humor (30:14). The video portrays a monstrous group therapy session, symbolizing the confrontation and mockery of fear.

The discussion emphasizes Fever Ray's approach to fear as a central theme, using artistic expression to explore and defy anxiety.

Key Points:

• Artistic portrayal of fear and vulnerability
• The blend of horror and humor in visual storytelling
• The role of music videos in enhancing thematic narratives

Notable Quote:

• Robin Hilton: "Fever Ray... laugh in the face of it. It's almost mocking fear in a way." (30:16)

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6. Celebrating 25 Years: Reflecting on Iconic Songs

As part of the 25th anniversary celebration of All Songs Considered, Hilton and Thompson engage in their traditional segment of selecting top songs from past years. Focusing on 2016, they debate the best song of the decade, ultimately spotlighting Beyoncé's "Don't Hurt Yourself" from her Lemonade album as a seminal work that blends rock elements with profound lyrical content (45:07).

They discuss the song's impact, musical innovation, and its accompanying film, which together represent a cultural milestone in Beyoncé's career.

Notable Quote:

• Robin Hilton: "This was Beyonce stepping into the rock space and absolutely destroying it." (47:00)

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7. Mitski’s "Best American Girl": A Decade-Defining Anthem

The episode concludes with an in-depth analysis of Mitski's "Best American Girl," lauded as a defining song of the 2010s. Both hosts commend the song's powerful guitar riffs and its exploration of identity and self-acceptance (49:12). They admire how Mitski combines emotional depth with compelling musicality, making it a standout track that resonates deeply with listeners.

Notable Quote:

• Stephen Thompson: "It's the anthem of our lifetime. I mean, it's incredible." (51:09)
• Robin Hilton: "There have been a handful of guitarists and albums... but the sound in Mitski's song is just perfect." (52:35)

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Conclusion: Embracing Resilience and Joy Through Music

Throughout the episode, Robin Hilton and Stephen Thompson weave a narrative that underscores the power of music as a tool for overcoming adversity, celebrating joy, and exploring complex emotions. From Morton Harkett's steadfast acceptance of his diagnosis to the anthemic resilience in The Beaches' and Mitski's music, the discussion highlights how artists channel personal experiences into universally relatable art.

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Timestamps Reference

• [00:14]: Introduction to Morton Harkett's Parkinson's diagnosis
• [01:11]: Discussion on managing fear and anxiety
• [02:20]: Introduction to The Beaches' new album and single
• [05:43]: Hilton's admiration for The Beaches' song
• [07:24]: Stephen Thompson's take on "Last Girls at the Party"
• [09:00]: Patrick Watson's vocal cord hemorrhage and recovery
• [14:01]: Hilton on Patrick Watson's approach to adversity
• [19:06]: Deb Talon's new solo album and song
• [24:12]: Guest comments on Deb Talon's songwriting
• [30:14]: Fever Ray's music video and thematic exploration
• [30:16]: Hilton's description of Fever Ray's approach to fear
• [45:07]: Debate on best song from 2016
• [47:00]: Discussion on Beyoncé's "Don't Hurt Yourself"
• [49:12]: Mitski's "Best American Girl" analysis
• [51:09]: Thompson's praise for Mitski's anthem
• [52:35]: Hilton's admiration for Mitski's guitar work

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Listen to the full episode on NPR's All Songs Considered for an enriching journey through music that inspires, heals, and defines moments.

Transcript

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[Robin Hilton]

Did you see that news about the aha singer? The lead singer?

[Stephen Thompson]

Yeah. Aha.

[Guest]

What is.

[Robin Hilton]

He's got Parkinson's.

[Guest]

Parkinson's, yeah.

[Robin Hilton]

Morton Harkett. Morton Harkett. Which, I mean, I mean, that's awful. But it's actually what he said about it that really hit me. And I've been thinking about it ever since I read this quote from him about it. He said that he's totally fine accepting the diagnosis. And he said that he takes inspiration from his dad, who, like in his 90s, and he said that his dad's whole thing is that, like, as you get older, he said you just use what still works. Use what still works. I don't know. I found that really, really inspiring. It made my shoulders kind of lower in a way. You know, I think we spend a lot of our lives sort of fearing horrible things. And. And if you just sort of like think, okay, I'm gonna roll with this, even though it's awful and I'm just gonna. I'll use what I can. I don't know. I found that super inspiring.

[Guest]

Yeah. I mean, I think controlling what you can control is a really useful mantra for getting through life. And if you think about just the accumulation of just time and energy that we waste in our lives worrying about things.

[Robin Hilton]

Oh, my God. So this is a theme, I think, in this week's show. This is every time we pick these songs for a contenders ep, all these questions come up and sort of recurring themes. And I think one of the things that ties a lot of the songs together that we're going to talk about today is like, how do you manage fear? How is it present in your life? What do you do with it? What do you do when life pulls the rug out from under you? You know, like, what do you do when you come up against some sort of personal crisis, Especially if it's so bad, it feels like it's sort of an extinction level event. Like, what do you do with that?

[Guest]

Right.

[Robin Hilton]

And then sort of related to both of those, I think, is how do you make sense of your life when things don't turn out the way you expect them to? But before we get into all that.

[Guest]

Heavy stuff, let's experience joy.

[Robin Hilton]

Let's experience some joy. Because there's this album coming out this year that I know you've been. It feels like you've been Excited about it basically all year. And I know you want to play something from it this week.

[Guest]

Yeah, it's. The wonderful Canadian rock band the Beaches put out one of my favorite albums of 2023. It was called Blame My Ex and had this killer song called Blame Bret.

[Robin Hilton]

Like Brett.

[Guest]

Like it's Brett. The problem is Brett. Like, the chorus has this, like, I'm probably gonna let you down. I'm probably gonna sleep around, you know? But don't blame me. Blame Brett.

[Robin Hilton]

It's Brett. Everyone knows it's Brett.

[Guest]

Anyway, so the Beaches have a new record coming out in late August. It's called no Hard Feelings. And one of the singles from it is this just dynamite jam. It's called Last Girls at the Party.

[Stephen Thompson]

I'm not gonna slow down I'll never look as hard as I do now. Cause I don't wanna miss out As I pick myself up off the ground Every the lights are turning, love no hard feelings we're not leaving while you're sleeping we're not leaving Gonna be the last girls at the party Gonna be the last girls at the party Gonna be the last girls at the party Gonna be the last girls I might need a smoke break. Cause you miss out on the shots that you don't take and if you don't think it's your lucky day I'm open late. So great. Everyone's gone home. The lights are turning, love no hard feelings we're not leaving while you're sleeping we're not leaving Gonna be the last girls at the party Gonna be the last girls at the party Gonna be the last girls at the party Gonna be the last girl party. We should, at some point. It's only one, right? I don't want to go home. We should. There's so many hot girls here. It's only 2, right? It's only 3, right? It's only 4, right? It's only 5, right? It's only 6, right? It's only 7, right? It's only 8, right? Going to be the last girls at the party no hard feelings we're not leaving while you're sleeping we're tonight leaving Going to be the last girls at the party Going to be the last girls at the party Going to be the last girls at the party Going to be the last girls at the party Going to be the last girls at the party Going to be the last girls at the party Going to be the last girl at the party Gonna be the last girl at the.

[Robin Hilton]

Party I gotta be honest, I wasn't sure what I thought about the Beaches before. I hadn't had a moment with them yet. Like you did with that last record. This song. It's impossible to ignore. It's impossible to not absolutely love that song.

[Guest]

It's so joyful. And you're always looking for themes, right? You're always looking for themes.

[Robin Hilton]

I don't look for a man. They just pop up.

[Guest]

No, I understand. I understand. I find this, you know, hosting new Music Friday, where it's like, oh, I've noticed that the overarching theme is all these songs are about gr. Most. Most weeks.

[Robin Hilton]

Almost every week.

[Guest]

Most weeks. But it was like, oh, we're gonna start out with some joy, and then we'll get to the meaning. But there's so much meaning in the joy, Robin.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, I agree. I actually felt like listening to this that it's like we're starting with the answer to all of those questions, right? Yeah. And if you ask the Beaches, like, how do you deal with fear and anxiety and certainty and all that sort of stuff? It's, well, just go to the party, have some fun, and do not leave or be the last ones to leave. Like, squeeze out every ounce of joy.

[Guest]

You can exactly get the absolute most out of life. You know, I cover the Billboard charts. I cover the unofficial quest to be song of the summer. What's the song of the summer? Robin? You know, every year we have this conversation. What's the song of the summer? Last year, the songs of the summer were like Espresso by Sabrina Carpenter. You know, I had some help by Post Malone and Morgan Wallen. Just these, like, big, rowdy, catchy, fun songs. The entirety of Brat, you know, by Charlie xcs. Big, joyful stuff this year. Where's Brat? Give me, give me my. Give me brat 2025.

[Robin Hilton]

Is this the song of the summer for you, then?

[Guest]

So far, this is maybe my song of the summer. Yeah.

[Robin Hilton]

Am I getting a little bit of Pat Benatar? Totally on this. Do you think? Are you hearing that, too?

[Guest]

Absolutely. I think especially kind of in the vocal delivery. Big, anthemic. You're singing into a microphone, but you're also singing to the back of the room.

[Robin Hilton]

Oh, yeah, yeah.

[Guest]

And I need that right now.

[Robin Hilton]

Counterpoint.

[Guest]

Counterpoint. Sadness.

[Robin Hilton]

No, I agree with all of that. And it's hard not to enjoy that. The song Last curls at the party from no Hard Feelings in the Beaches. That again is out August 29th. I have to say Counterpoint, because I've got a new cut from Patrick Watson that could not feel more different than that song. And this is kind of on that question of what do you do when you're faced with a personal crisis, like a really big one. Not the stupid stuff that I know has defined most of your life, Stephen, but Patrick Watson, the singer Patrick Watson, he recently faced this profound personal crisis. And I'll say he is okay. He has come through it. But there was a time when he thought he wouldn't come through it. And what happened was he lost his voice. You know, which. You're a singer, you're a musician. That's terrifying. Couldn't sing, couldn't speak. So what happened was he had. He did a show and he said while he was singing and performing the show, his voice felt kind of funny. And the next morning he woke up, couldn't speak, couldn't make a sound, and he had a vocal cord hemorrhage and it had paralyzed his vocal cords. Couldn't speak. Wasn't sure if he would ever recover. His doctors weren't sure if he would ever recover. It took about a year and a half, but he did fully recover. And he says it's just basically dumb luck. He just got lucky that his voice came back. And you can hear his voice on this incredible new song. It is very Patrick Watson. Y song from him. It's called Peter and the Wolf. It's from a new album he has coming out called Oh, I could hear.

[Stephen Thompson]

That breeze two blocks away Blowing through the south wind into God dark in the strangest way Slowly, slowly came this way like that moves through the truth Something about the way the metal sway you can move a shiver at the same time as a baseline, you know it's night six two different d Pearly white teeth I guess you're old friend we are lives in life of El GRE she strangely spoke of French to me from the middle to the crow Everything that grow every everybody know she she wants to come, she wants to.

[Robin Hilton]

I said this was a very Patrick Watsony song because just the tapestry of sounds that he weaves together is always mind blowing to me.

[Guest]

Yeah, when you talk about somebody like that losing their voice, I mean, he has a special voice. He has a gorgeous, gorgeous instrument. And first of all, so relieved that he got it back. But, you know, hearing this and kind of hearing that story reminds me of you just reminded me of something I used to. Of a joke I used to tell my friends all the time. I always said, you know, the good Lord doesn't give you anything that you can't handle. And because I'm incapable of handling anything, nothing bad can ever happen to me.

[Robin Hilton]

That's your solution?

[Guest]

That's my solution.

[Robin Hilton]

Make sure nothing bad happens. It's the only way I can get through.

[Guest]

Now, the downside of being so blessed is that I can never create something that beautiful.

[Robin Hilton]

Do you think that great art comes from suffering?

[Guest]

No. I mean, it can, but I don't want it to.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, I think the way that Patrick Watson answers the question of, like, what do you do when life pulls the rug out from under you? Like what happened with him is it's kind of that you use what still works. You find the light where you can. I think when you listen to the song, there's so much anxiety in it, you know, there's the line, I see two bright eyes shining in the night, something in the street staring back at me, you know, Then he's out in the woods and, you know, he says, I guess you're the wolf and Peter is me. Like something's chasing after him and. And then it sort of brightens up a little bit at the end. It's still very, you know, sort of washed in all this sort of dreaminess, you know, it kind of glitters and flickers, but there's a hint that there might actually be something very lovely and peaceful in those deep, dark woods. And that's that finding light where you can.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Robin Hilton]

Stephen, this album from Patrick Watson, again, it's called, uh oh. Which is in fact inspired by just those moments in life when, oh, no, things don't quite turn out the way you think they're gonna turn out. It is not out until the end of Sept. We are now talking about fall releases. We are September 26th is when that album is out.

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[Robin Hilton]

A reminder that we are celebrating the 25th anniversary of the show by looking back at our number one songs from across the years. This is something, Stephen, you and I have been doing at the end of each episode. It's been going on for a while now because it's the 25th anniversary. 25, 25 years. We've got to get through. We're gonna do the year 2016 later on this episode and we're gonna have that along with your weekly reset. All that's coming up. But let's go to what I think is maybe one of your all time favorite singers.

[Guest]

Oh my gosh. Remember, Robin, when we talked about holiday music and I brought in the Weepies all that I Want and said that it was basically my favorite Christmas song?

[Robin Hilton]

I do remember that.

[Guest]

Of all time. And I described her voice, Deb Talon, the lead singer who sings in the Weepies or sang in the Weepies. And I described her voice as a balm. And I did that. And the year wound to a close. And then I completely blew past in February when Deb Talon released a new album, a new solo album called I Thought I Saw youw. And you know, if you recall, Robin, I host New Music Friday.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, I mean, this is, again, it's a reminder. And this is, I know this comes up every time we do a show of just how terrible you are at your job.

[Guest]

No, I really genuinely thought you were going in a different direction. I appreciate this.

[Robin Hilton]

No, this is someone just mentioned somebody to me recently. It was just last week they mentioned some artist and I said, now is that a band or who is that? You know, and they have someone who already has a billion streams. And I told them I have never listened to more music and also simultaneously been more behind than at any point in my life.

[Guest]

It's just there was an article that went by a while back that I don't know exactly how they did the math on this. This would be a pretty hard thing to do the math on. But their theory at least was that more music is released every day than was released in the entirety of 1989.

[Robin Hilton]

I believe it.

[Guest]

So here I am. This is one of my favorite singers, Deb Talon. She put out this new record. Missed it. And the album opens with this beautiful song I've gone back to again and again. It's called A Glimmer in the Grass.

[Stephen Thompson]

There it is again. A glimmer in the grass A lover's only friend Alone again Oh oh, oh oh oh oh, oh how much time has passed since you checked your phone? You didn't know yourself but you can be alone now? Who comes out to meet you now? There it is again that roomful little smile the sun is in his eyes and it's gonna be a while oh, oh oh oh oh, oh, oh how much time has passed? Hacking in a place it started as a real life but he couldn't stay that way now for you who again comes out to meet you now for you home again that's love to meet you look at all the faces look at all the places you've been the love that you gave saving nothing, nothing and you can go now it's not your fault the curves kept turning then you can go now now it's not a shame to love and keep on learning There is again a glimmer in the grass Your heart being open, frozen to open now for you home again comes out to meet you now for you Hope and love you too. It's static in the edit. It's hard to recommend, but you gotta find the end, you gotta find the end to begin. Oh, oh, oh oh oh, oh, oh.

[Robin Hilton]

This is some classic Stephen Thompson core right here. Little folky, you know, a classic voice that's kind of sturdy but a little frayed, you know, very reflective.

[Guest]

I mean, it's definitely Stephen Corr. It's interesting, you know, to play the song after the Patrick Watson record where you talked about that story about, you know, kind of coming out the other side of an existential crisis. Deb Tallon's music is reflecting on a lot of that sort of thing, you know, and she's. She's written openly about surviving childhood abuse. You know, she's a cancer survivor. She and her partner in the Weepies, Steve Tannen, got divorced in 2020. There's a lot of. A lot of loss and a lot of survival in her personal that she manages to weave into her music in ways that never feel didactic, in ways that never feel too literal or on the nose. It makes her music so relatable and so approachable.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, it's interesting, I heard some overlap with some of the themes that come up in the Patrick Watson song as well, especially the question of what do you do, you know, when you've been absolutely flattened by something. And I think in the case of this song and Deb Talon, she seems to be saying, basically, you pick yourself up and you start all over again. And you just keep picking yourself up and you keep starting over again as much as you have to, and you soldier on. It's also a song that I think seems to be asking what matters most in life. She invokes the idea of home and the people that you find there and them sort of being there for you and how important that is. Again, the song is a glimmer in the grass from Deb Talon from the album I Thought I Saw youw that came out in February. So I want to come back to that topic of fear. You know, this is something that I have been thinking a lot about after spending some time with this new Fever Ray song that's out called I'm Not Done In Parentheses Therapy Session. Actually, it's not an entirely new song. It's actually a remake of a song that they did back in 2009 from a self titled album that they did. But this is one that, you know, I guess on the one hand it reflects on just how you stay inspired as an artist as you get older and kind of what keeps you going and how you stay relevant. But really I think this is a song about fear and remaining defiant in the face of fear.

[Stephen Thompson]

Sam so I lost my head a while ago but you seem to die no better me set fire in the snow it ain't over Sam is the alpha what do space how do you say your story? There's nothing to be afraid of Is it dark already? How light is sun do you laugh while screaming outside? One thing I know for certain pretty sure it ain't nowhere I'm not Sam how do you say a story? Sam.

[Robin Hilton]

Have you seen the video for this song?

[Guest]

No.

[Robin Hilton]

Oh, it is incredible. And it's absolutely horrifying. It is. Well, it's, it's funny. As I was talking into the song about Fever Ray and we're talking about fear and the theme of fear, I thought, and we're going to go now to what I often find is one of the most terrifying artists of all time, Fever Ray. So much of what they do is so unnerving, but I think it's also very ironic. And I feel like that's Fever Ray's answer to the question of fear, which is basically they laugh in the face of it. It's almost mocking fear in a way. And if you watch the video, it's basically the most terrifying group therapy session you can imagine. Everyone in the group looks deranged and kind of monstrous. I don't know how else to describe it, but, you know, they all just like kind of hideous with all the makeup. One of them has an axe that they've brought to the therapy session which, you know, always sort of sends a powerful message to the rest of the group, I guess. But it's also very funny. It's just very, very funny. And you know, I feel like fear is sort of at the root of a lot of Fever Ray stuff. Exploring fear and sort of the ways that it seeps into our lives and shapes our views and our behavior. And then I think again, their answer is just laugh it.

[Guest]

Yeah, I think Fever Ray kind of fits into a tradition of a lot of like great horror filmmakers.

[Robin Hilton]

Right.

[Guest]

Where like a great horror movie isn't just like watching people splattered, it's facing your fear head on watching it. And my favorite horror movies are punctuated with humor.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah. They're also always about something other than what is obvious. Like it's not the action, it's, you know, some troubled relationship or childhood trauma or something. You know, there's some bigger question that they're tackling.

[Guest]

Exactly. Using horror, using fear as ways of getting through those emotions.

[Robin Hilton]

But Fever Ray, the song I'm Not Done Therapy session again, this is a remake of their 2009 song that was on their self titled album. No word on a new record or anything from Fever Ray at this point, just this one off single. But definitely check out the video.

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[Guest]

This message is sponsored by Udemy. If you're looking for new ways to get ahead, then you're a Udemy's kind of person. Udemy helps learners like you upskill in AI productivity, leadership and management and more. Learn at your own pace from real world experts. You can also prep for certifications that show employers what, you know, upskill for the career you [e-mail] all right, Steven.

[Robin Hilton]

I know we're going to talk about the year 2016 here shortly, but you've got one more song that you want to play.

[Guest]

Yeah, just an absolute stunner. Ethel Cain put out a debut record in 2022 called Preacher's Daughter followed it with a long and weird kind of experimental drone record called perverts. On August 8th, she's gonna release, like, the official follow up to Preacher's Daughter. It's technically a prequel. Now we're talking about prequels with albums. Okay, fine. It's called Willoughby Tucker, I'll Always Love youe. It's about Ethel Caine's first love. And the song Nettles is a pretty straightforward love song for Ethel Cain. Pretty straightforward. It's eight minutes long and it just unfurls like smoke.

[Stephen Thompson]

Yesterday through today till tomorrow but when the plan blew up a piece of shrapnel flew and slowed that part of you the doctors gave you until to the end of the night but not till daylight not till daylight Time passes slower in the flicker of the hospital light I pray the race is worth the fight Made a fool of myself down on Tennessee street it wasn't pretty like the movies. It was ugly like what they all did to me. And they did to me what I wouldn't do to anyone, you know, that's for sure. Tell me all the time not to worry Think of all the time I'll have with you When I won't wake up on my own Wake up on my own how close? All the time Knowing you lay me down where the trees put me down where the green to love me is to suffer me I believe that I when I lay with you and that all wishing I was so bright you could fight a war that picture on the wall you're scared of Looks just like you I wanna bleed, I wanna hurt the way the boys do maybe you're right we should stop watching the news Cuz baby I've never seen brown eyes look so bl. Not to worry, not to worry Think of all the time I I'll have with you When I want to wake up on my own Wake up my how close all the time now When I'm half with you after the weather go to what makes no difference.

[Robin Hilton]

So much going on in this song. So many just memories and feelings and moments that unfold and she reflects on. But again, I think the question I kept coming back to is, what do you do when your life doesn't turn out the way you thought it would? Especially if it's been derailed by some sort of trauma. Right? Yeah.

[Guest]

And at the same time, I was reading Ethel Caine's press statement about this song because, you know, obviously this is about a doomed romance. And she said Nettles became a dream of losing the one you love. Asking Them to reassure you that it won't come true and to dream instead of all the time you'll have together as you grow old side by side Every once in a blue moon it feels good to slough off the macabre and to simply let love be.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah. How did. What did you take from that? Because I read that, like, several different ways. I kept reading that and thinking about it, and every time I read it, I thought, wow, it's just like nesting dolls here. I just keep finding, right, of, like, perspective.

[Guest]

Sadness, grief, joy, love. All of those things swirl together. And I think that's part of what a great reflection on first love is. Right. You're not necessarily going to live out your entire life in that love, but you're gonna get something out of it and you're going to learn from it. You're going to grow from it. You're gonna figure out what mistakes you made and hopefully adj accordingly.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, I think that part of where she finds solace is simply in acceptance, Accepting what has happened, accepting that life isn't what you wanted it to be or thought it would be. You know, holding on to dreams and the comfort that they bring, but recognizing that they're just dreams. And it's. It's great to carry these dreams with you, but accepting everything else, you know, kind of bringing it full circle. To Morton Harkett of Aha. I mean. I mean, one of the reasons it seems like he's able to continue after getting such a, you know, for many people would be a terrifying diagnosis, is just through acceptance and recognizing, you know what? I'll find light where it is. I will use what works. This is life. It's okay. I can continue from here. Yeah. Beautiful stuff. So this album from Ethel Cain, Willoughby, Tucker, I'll Always Love youe, not out until August 8th. And this song, Nettles, it's the only cut we have from the album so far, but man, man, so good. Knockout, so good. All right, Stephen, we've been going through the years talking about our number one songs from the show. Songs that define the show, have defined the show over the years and that take us back to different times and places. We're up to 2016, you know, the whole time we've been doing this series, looking back at each year, I've let you go first every single time. But I'm gonna go first this time.

[Guest]

Wow. Wow. Okay, fine.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah. Because there was Nothing greater from 2016.

[Guest]

Then, basically, there's only one correct answer, so you're probably stealing my pick because there Is only one correct answer.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, okay, let's just hit it. And you're gonna know it immediately, I think.

[Guest]

Nope, not the correct answer.

[Robin Hilton]

Come on. You know what this is, though?

[Guest]

This is Beyonce.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah.

[Guest]

Oh, is this don't hurt Yourself with Jack White? This isn't one the of go to's from this record. I mean, this is a great record.

[Stephen Thompson]

Boy, you can watch my f. Ass twist, boy, as I bounce to the next day, boy. And keep your money, I got my own. Keep a bigger smile on my face. Being alone, bad God complex. Motivate your ass. Call me Malcolm X, your operator, you hater. You can't recreate.

[Robin Hilton]

I know.

[Stephen Thompson]

You never recreate. I know.

[Robin Hilton]

Gotta wait for the.

[Guest]

For the.

[Robin Hilton]

You hurt yourself.

[Stephen Thompson]

Don't hurt yourself. Will you diss me? You dis yourself.

[Robin Hilton]

Well, here's the thing. So don't hurt yourself from Lemonade.

[Guest]

Yeah.

[Robin Hilton]

To me, a once in a generation album.

[Guest]

Such a great record.

[Robin Hilton]

Incredible.

[Guest]

I'd have gone with freedom.

[Robin Hilton]

Okay. I was gonna say there are maybe better songs on this album and there may be more important songs on this album. There are. But what I loved about this one is it was Beyonce stepping into the rock space and absolutely destroying. Destroying it.

[Stephen Thompson]

Beautiful, man. I know you're lying. I am not broken. I'm not crying. I'm not crying. You ain't trying hard enough. You ain't loving hard enough. You don't love me deep enough. We not reaching peaks enough.

[Robin Hilton]

This whole album blew my mind. And then the. And then the film.

[Guest]

Oh, my God.

[Robin Hilton]

Around it too. I remember watching it next day, came into work, everyone's talking about it. And somebody said, everyone will remember where they were when they saw that. And then someone else said, yeah, their.

[Guest]

Living room watching tv.

[Robin Hilton]

You were watching television when that aired. But I thought that this was a movie monumental. Like I said, once in a generation achievement. This whole. This whole record, like, I don't know how anything could ever top it. When I heard it.

[Guest]

It's a superb record, and it's a superb record across many genres.

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah.

[Guest]

You know, when she ended up, you know, putting out Cowboy Carter and finally winning the album of the year Grammy and everything, it was like, wow, look, she showed that she can operate in this space. It's like, of course she could operate this space. I mean, the proof of concept has existed for album after album. Her self titled record is maybe my favorite of her.

[Robin Hilton]

Oh, okay.

[Guest]

I mean, it's. It's neck and neck between that and Lemonade, but.

[Robin Hilton]

But I mean, you don't win album of the year for a record like this, I mean, that. That was just like, that's it. I am out. I'm done. I. I know I've said that every year with the Grammys, literally every year with the Grammys. But this is what I think of one. I think of 2016.

[Guest]

Yeah. For albums. I think that makes all the sense in the world. But the reason I was like, well, there is only one correct answer.

[Robin Hilton]

I bet I know. I bet I know what you're going to pick.

[Guest]

So song wise to me, this is if I, if you just. If you just said Stephen Thompson, what is the best song of the 2010s? Like, what is the best song of that decade? My immediate thought would be the following.

[Robin Hilton]

Your best American Girl by Mitsk.

[Stephen Thompson]

If I could but be your little spoon and kiss your fingers forever more. But big spoon, you have so much to do. When I have nothing a little of me. You're the sun, you've never seen the night but you hear it song from the morning birds. Well, I'm not the moon, I'm not even a star. But awake at night I'll be singing to the birds don't wait for me, I can't go. You're my mother in the crow how my mother raised me. But I do all I think I do. And you're an American boy. I guess I could.

[Robin Hilton]

You might be right. Man. Every time I hear this song, when that drop comes in, it just, just the anthem of our lifetime. I mean, it's incredible.

[Guest]

I mean, not for nothing, it's also a song that speaks to identity and speaks to the songwriter's place in the world and how she sees herself and how she feels she fits into her relationship and her identity. Like, the song has big ideas around it, but it also has this moment where that guitar kicks in. And look, the, the. The. The landscape of rock and roll is strewn with killer riffs. Yeah, right. Like that, that is the engine that drives the rock and roll economy is, you know, is big riffs. But like, I don't know if I don't know how your, how your brain works. I can't know the, the inside of your mind. For me, when that guitar kicks in, there is an animation that my brain manufactures of Mitski standing astride like a stack of amplifiers. And when that chorus kicks in, the camera pans back to reveal that what she is standing on is a mountain made of amplifier. There is so much heft and power and just force behind the way that guitar comes in. I really sometimes have the feeling when I hear that song of like, why doesn't every song kick ass as hard as this song kicks ass?

[Robin Hilton]

Yeah. You know, let me tell you, as someone who records a lot of music and plays a lot of music, and there are so many ways to get guitar fuzz and distortion. There's any number of combination of pedals and effects and things like that. And I can't tell you how many times I and I know every other guitarist and musician out there has tried all these different combinations, trying to come up with just the perfect fuzz, perfect distortion.

[Guest]

What will rule just a little bit harder?

[Robin Hilton]

Can you just make it rule? And there have been a handful of guitarists and albums and songs over the years where you hear it and you think they found it. They found the perfect guitar noise, guitar distortion and fuzz. And you hear that on that, like when that chord, that power chord kicks in, it couldn't be more perfect. Like, please show me your effects chain. How did you come up with that sound? It is such a perfect sound. But we'll go out on your best American Girl by Mitsky because what a Jam from 2016. But until next time, thanks, Stephen.

[Guest]

Thank you, Robin.

[Robin Hilton]

And for NPR Music, I'm Robin Hilton. It's All Songs Considered.

[Stephen Thompson]

Boy, I guess I couldn't help trying to be the best. SA.

[Sponsor]

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[Guest]

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