By John Michael Cassetta • Aug 11th, 2008 • Category: Music, The Daily Dic
Bark Hide and Horn sound like the bottom of a bottle of whiskey slowly running out while the night’s not quite done. Solemn trumpet solos and the occasional bell part punctuate the sparse arrangement of drums and guitars, the reserved croon of lead singer Andy Furgeson proudly standing in the forefront. Recovering from the feeling of despair that haunts a first listen (despite the marginally joyful melodies that carry the song), I was able to look further into the story of the band’s debut full length titled National Road, which is as interesting as the song itself, if not more so.
Drawing their songwriting inspiration from Furgeson’s obsession with Melville Bell Grosvenor, editor of National Geographic Magazine from 1957-67, the lyrics of “Treasure of the Everglades”, off National Road, confront their seemingly odd subject with solemnity, leading off with the line “I think the rainy days are over, the season is getting late / if you slime(?) your body over, would you let me be your mate?”, followed shortly after by a chorus of “Do you ever feel like you’re dying darlin’, do you ever feel like you’re dyin’?”. True to its “literary” influences, the entire song is a strange, but all together perfect personally emotional imagining of a subject more apt to be covered by scientific observation than music: snail mating.
Leaving aside the fantastic music the lyrics are set to, the story in the song is both comical, endearing, melodramatic and at times everything in between. “I love the way you wear your shell,” sings Furgeson, commenting on his potential snail-lover’s dashing physical appearance and inviting a chuckle from casual listeners and Snailogists alike. But as I eluded to earlier, the sense of despair in the musical arrangements is equally present in the lyrics; “If we were the last of our kind darlin’,” the speaker eventually asks, “would you let me into your shell?”. A metaphor for life? Perhaps. Another cheesy love song? Equally probable, but either way, Bark Hide and Horn handle it with skill, churning out a small masterpiece.
Have a listen to “Treasure of the Everglades” off the new LP National Road after the jump, and then (if you live in the Portland area) check out their CD release show on August 16th (more info here).
Tunes:
Bark Hide and Horn - “Treasure of The Everglades”
Listen to/Download more songs from National Road here.
