"The One To Wait" - CCFX

"Is home a trap and growth a phase?"

CCFX is a newer band signed to DFA Records (LCD Soundsystem, YACHT, The Juan Maclean, etc.) who echo the dreamy/other-worldy sound of Q. Lazzarus and Saint Etienne. Close listeners will probably understand why I love this track so much, especially if you've been following along on the companion playlist (Available here on Spotify).

This song fully could have just been instrumental and I would have been in love. The guitar tones themselves are bright, but diffused just enough so that they don't overpower the eventual synth and breakbeat elements. It's amazingly well produced by itself - but once the vocals from Mary Jane Dunphe enter the scene everything is pushed to the next level. It's just so good, plain and simple. Her vocals are mysterious and pointed in a relatively unique way - thus the earlier comparison to Q. Lazzarus. From the deliberate hushes at the end of phrases, to the almost operatic effect her voice takes, it’s an absolutely exceptional performance all-around.

If this is something you dig, I highly recommend this track from the Kentucky Route Zero soundtrack. I can't really give anything away as to why or how this song plays into the game but it's such an amazing experience. It's this blog, but a game basically.

Lyrically, this song ties into the running themes of this blog so far particularly well: "is it right to stay?", "is home a trap and growth a phase?" We see the narrator questioning actions - implied to be relatively life-changing, and knowing that no matter what someone, somewhere, somehow will be left behind. To me, "The One To Wait" is a song about accepting growth and most of all allowing yourself to go where you are needed, even if you don't know where that place is right now. What could be more perfect for 3 A.M.?

Given the state of the world/this country, it's hard to know what that place might be for us (individually and as a people), so I think this is one of those rare positive/hopeful entries for 3 A.M. While melancholic, I don't think that this is a sad song. I think, like many of the selections thus far, it came to me at a time that I needed it - and I hope it can do that for you too.

Thank YOU for reading about tonight's song. Check out the full playlist here, and stay tuned each night as I add more and explain my thought process. Feel free to discuss your own thoughts on the song either here or on social media where you can yell at me, free of cost, as much as you'd like.

Today, listen to something new. I dare you.
Britton