Suckered In By Sirens

While I may have already documented my list of favorites of 2010 in previous posts, I never quite landed on what my favorite song of 2010 was (and for good reason). Trying to narrow it down to one song out of the plethora of amazing pieces is nearly impossible. While Grouper's “Hold/Sick” definitely had the most plays and still haunts me with each passing listen, it's not necessarily the kind of song I could put on at any time of day. It's more of a blanket I put on to keep the cold away (or inside, depending on how you look at it). The same could be said for Crocodiles' “Girl In Black” and “All My Hate And My Hexes Are For You”, also strong contenders for most played songs of the past year. Both possess a numbing effect that is often the exact prescription my mind desires - but aren't necessarily songs for every circumstance.


Truth be told, the song I covet the most for every occasion didn't even make it on my 2010 list because the album its on didn't quite do it for me. The tune in question is “Suckered By The Sirens” by Japanese indie-pop band Ice Cream Shout. I first came across it on a mix CD Sarah made me in September, and that tune in particular jumped right out of the speakers amongst the rest of the compilation. From the opening line of “Maybe you're lonely/Baby, you don't have to be”, I was owned. The gentle ukulele strums and tambourine rings, coupled with the soothing coo of Bob's vocals bring to mind an instant familiarity and fondness that charmed me in the same way Belle & Sebastian and Papercuts did upon first listen. With each successive listen of “Suckered By The Sirens”, I fall in love more and more with the subtle, understated song structure that builds oh-so affectionately. For example, when the first bass note comes in at 25 seconds, the song goes from a folky-lament to an ominous-dream, as Bob stretches out his vowel sound achingly below the grey low-end. Quiet ghost-notes pluck across the guitar and build up until Mika and Fumi's back-up vocals chime in sync with the haunted synth-notes that steer the song further down the road toward a slightly darker route. The repetitive clacking-beat keeps the song chugging along at an optimistic pace, but is counteracted by all the other elements in a way that satisfies it as both a song to wake up and fall asleep to. In a weird way, it actually reminds me of the success that was Beck's “Lost Cause”, an extraordinarily sad song that was uplifted into an undeniable pop-song thanks in large part to the carefully-coated sonic textures that sweetened its woes.

So, now that I've built it up beyond reasonable means, I present “Suckered By The Sirens” for your own consideration.



Oh, and in case you're wondering why this didn't make it on my year end list, it's due to the fact that its only one of two songs Bob sings on their entire album. While Ice Cream Shout certainly have a nice variety in their vocalists, I am not as partial to the tracks he doesn't take the leads on (sorry, no offense to the other two vocalists). Therefore, it didn't really qualify as one of my favorite albums. Bob's also got a new solo project he's calling Cloudy Busey, which seems quite promising based on the first song he's got up on the Ice Cream Shout bandcamp page. I'm looking forward to hearing much more of his work.

Pssssttt! Thank you Sarah ♥