Each day in November, I’m revisiting a song from the 90’s — a decade that was a sorta coming of age for me. In that span, I experienced high school, college and my time as a young single guy in New York City. It was a decade of ups and downs, and the music never stopped playing during that span. It was always there with me. #30DaysOf90sSongs
If I could step into a time machine to experience a heightened music experience, one of the stops I would make is Laurel Canyon in the 60’s. The notion of groundbreaking musicians going over to other groundbreaking musician’s homes to jam and write music together is much too hard to pass up. I would die to hear the Byrds, CSN&Y, Joni Mitchell and others on their lawns and in their living rooms. But without a time machine, I still have Belle & Sebastian. What I love most about their catalog is that throwback, 60’s Laurel Canyon vibe, which is all over The Boy With the Arab Strap and one of my favorite tracks from it: “Ease Your Feet in the Sea”.
Over the years, B&S has created a wonderful eccentric world filled with eccentric characters, like Lazy Line Painter Jane, Judy, Seymour Stein, Allie, Jill Pole and many others. But one of the most refreshing aspects of “Ease Your Feet in the Sea” is that it’s all about us. The carefree spirit of the song feels as if it’s guiding me to the shoreline with every listen. The song transports me there. The acoustic guitar nudges me along only to be given that final gentle push into the water by the dancing string arrangements.
“Take your shoes off, curl your toes. And I will frame this moment in time.”