"EVERY AGE" JOSE GONZALEZ (2015)

This month, I’m looking back at movies and tv shows to rediscover songs that graced the screen. The scenes and the music are inseparable. They’re engrained in our heads and our hearts. And they’re proof that the best music we have doesn’t exist in isolation. It attaches itself to a moment or an experience. #SceneSongs

TV Series: Parenthood

One of the most underrated guitar players and one of the most understated songwriters of our time, Jose Gonzalez is one of my go-to’s whenever I want something chill. Over the last several years, my wife and I have made date nights out of his shows whenever he’s in town. “Every Age” is one of his simplest, but most reflective songs. When life moves too fast, it’s good to have a song like “Every Age” reminding us to slow the hell down, take a deep breath and stay grounded with a larger perspective. This is also a key strength of the television series Parenthood.

The song “Every Age” appears in the second to last episode of the final season of Parenthood. In the momentous scene, Amber gives birth to a baby – and she’s surrounded by family spanning four generations. It’s absolutely the right scene with the right song. Together, the picture and the music create a sense of wonderment where life seems to happen so quickly, yet simultaneously feels frozen in time.

“TAKE THIS MIND, TAKE THIS PEN. TAKE THIS DREAM OF A BETTER LAND. TAKE YOUR TIME, BUILD A HOME. BUILD A PLACE WHERE WE ALL CAN BELONG.”

"OPEN BOOK" JOSE GONZALEZ (2015)

You can get off to a fast start. You can sustain your opener with the main course, not filler. But can you end on a high note? Sometimes I wonder if recording a strong closer is the most difficult thing to pull off when it comes to album rock. When it comes to the cream of the crop in music, I can think of more strong openers than strong closers. Nonetheless, I still have my favorites which I’ll be featuring on Mental Jukebox all month.

In the hectic pace of daily life, the music of Jose Gonzalez has been a source of respite for me. Whether it’s putting on one his albums or going to a show, his music is best appreciated in silence and wonder. A reminder to slow down, process everything that’s around me, and everything that has led up to this moment. Vestiges & Claws is an album full of reflective, coming-of-age songs. The track “Open Book” is placed delicately in the final track position like a punctuation mark.

Across his body of work, the intricate guitar musings of Jose Gonzalez remains one of his strong suits. The finger picking is a marvel to behold – something designed for the listener to get lost in. “Open Book” is simultaneously an open book and a mysterious sign. After listening to it, I wonder for a moment if I’m a bit older and wiser than before. And, in many ways, this is something to expect when listening to just about any other song of his.

“I feel just like an open book, Exposing myself in this neighborhood. Talking to people as if I'd knew them well. Thinking that everyone has come through different kinds of hell.”

"HEARTBEATS" JOSE GONZALEZ (2003)

Each day in December, I’ll be reflecting back on a song from the 2000’s. The decade saw the return of post-punk and the popularization of folk music, all while some of music’s biggest acts gained their indie footing. Thankfully, it’s a period that I can look back at fondly without cringing. #31DaysOf2000sSongs

So many things constantly compete for our attention. Truthfully, this even occurs at concerts. There’s what’s happening on stage, in the crowd, in the lights, in the back. But I’ve found every time my wife and I attend a Jose Gonzalez show, our full attention is fixated on the performance of his wonderfully magnetic vocals paired with exceptional guitar playing. It seems too obvious to go with “Heartbeats”. It is, after all, the song that put Jose on the map. But the song is just that good.

“Heartbeats” was originally penned by electronic group and fellow Swedes The Knife. However, Jose Gonzalez practically reinvented the song with his reflective, classical guitar approach. “Heartbeats” is life in slow motion, slow enough for us to pause and reflect on every single word and note. It’s a reminder that music can be a catalyst for so many things. The guitar part is much more complex than it sounds as Jose is playing a rhythm guitar line and bass line at the same time. The lyrics, at times cryptic, contain references to God and the devil. It’s a complex, yet beautiful song full of nuances and reflection that will likely remain timeless.

“One night to be confused. One night to speed up truth.”

"LET IT CARRY YOU" JOSE GONZALEZ (2015)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

Vestiges & Claws is my favorite Jose Gonzalez album from beginning to end. On it, he continues to evolve his sound with new techniques and styles primarily driven by his acoustic guitar. But the album is still 100% Jose Gonzalez. On Vestiges & Claws, he never tries to shed his musical persona or attempt to be like anyone else. But yet he does things instrumentally that he hasn’t done before, like on “Let it Carry You”.

On the surface, this seems like a happier, less introspective Jose Gonzalez song. But it’s much more than that. “Let it Carry You” is like a musical inverse of the artist’s standard fare. In concert, he plays both the treble riffs and the bass simultaneously, just as he does with all of his songs in a live setting. But here he flips the emphasis on its head, making the bass the driving force and identity of the song, while the treble notes play a secondary role. It’s a brilliant move, because even with the inverse it still sounds just like Jose Gonzalez.

“And this song into the fall. All things near of things gone to remind of all restless souls of the beauty of being here.”

"STAY ALIVE" JOSE GONZALEZ (2013)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

In Jose Gonzalez’s limited, but impactful contributions to movie soundtracks, he has tended to venture beyond his comfort zone, opening up the musical possibilities and significantly expanding his instrumentation. What makes “Stay Alive” an unusual track is the song appears to be completely devoid of his trademark classical guitar sound — and that’s exactly what makes it so good.

From the get go, the song is driven by piano, not the acoustic guitar. In your first listen, you wait for the acoustic guitar to arrive, but it never does. Instead the song continues to evolve and expand beyond the piano with drums, electric guitar and synthesizers to supply a symphonic accompaniment. While it’s a significant departure instrumentally, there’s something about “Stay Alive” that seems to capture the essence of Jose Gonzalez. Perhaps it’s this, that even with a more sonic, fuller expression his signature soft vocal melody is still firmly intact.

“Dawn is coming. Open your eyes.”

"CYCLING TRIVIALITIES" JOSE GONZALEZ (2007)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

In my first #RockBlock selection for Jose Gonzalez, I briefly described the hyper-awareness with which his fans enjoy his music. Aside from his acoustic guitar and voice, there’s rarely anything else to distract us. So we are hyper attuned to those two elements. Of course, there are exceptions, particularly Jose’s work on movie soundtracks. But the stark, clean approach of his music is what’s most appealing. In many ways, “Cycling Trivialities” is a treatise of this approach to music.

Few bands break the 8 minute barrier, but those that do usually do so in a highly memorable way. Zeppelin. Dylan. Neil Young. Even The Stone Roses. But when Jose Gonzalez did it, the length came out of nowhere. It was unexpected. But in true fashion, the artist was trying to make a point. The entire In Our Nature album is about the human condition. And on “Cycling Trivialities”, he used the entire 8 minutes and 9 seconds to hammer home the theme of his song. It’s a brilliant listen and a transcendent experience live in concert.

“All this time you were chasing dreams. Without knowing what you wanted them to mean.”

"CROSSES" JOSE GONZALEZ (2003)

Pick four songs from any band and you can tell a lot about their sound. This summer, I’m featuring #RockBlocks, four picks from bands across various genres. They might be wildly different from each other, but what binds them together is the fact that they’re all a part of my life soundtrack.

For music fans, the world of Jose Gonzalez is one of hyper-awareness. A world where every single note created by Jose’s voice and acoustic guitar matters. Having seen him several times live, I can attest to the fact that his shows always felt different compared to other concerts. The crowd observes attentively and silently at every word muttered and every pluck of his intricate guitar work, which often play two parts at the same exact time. “Crosses” was one of the first few songs that brought me into this world, one which I continue to escape to every so often.

While “Heartbeats” was the front door to Jose Gonzalez’s music for many fans, “Crosses” is the foyer. It welcomes you and draws you in. The musical marvel of rhythmic guitar and bass being played at the same time on an acoustic guitar and Jose’s captivating vocal presence are like the spiral staircase and chandelier. We stand here in this space in full admiration and we can stay there for quite a while. But when the time’s right, we also want to explore the rest of the house and see what each room in this phenomenal musical catalog has to offer.

“We'll cast some light and you'll be alright.”

"STEP OUT" JOSE GONZALEZ (2013)

Exceptional soundtracks can make good movies great. They can also take on a life of their own, becoming a greater highlight than their respective films. In this series, I’m selecting some of my favorite soundtrack songs. While quite a few are well-known recordings, I’m also including a few that have flown under the radar over the years.

The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was an odd movie about an odd character that happened to have a pretty stellar soundtrack. “Step Out” came out as a single, and isn’t found on any of Jose Gonzalez’s full-length albums. It’s probably one of his most well-known songs, but in many ways it’s wildly different than most of his catalog.

For the most part, Jose Gonzalez’ music tends to exist in a slow, meandering tempo universe. His songs are reflective and atmospheric, often relying on his vocals, incredible acoustic guitar skills, and not much else. In “Step Out”, Gonzalez literally steps out of his comfort zone, revving up the RPMs and bringing in a much fuller sound. The high intensity isn’t built up, it exists from the very beginning — with more instrumentation, uncharacteristically loud percussion and full background vocals. It's a great song that happens to sound nothing like a Jose Gonzalez song.

“House on fire, leave it all behind you. Dark as night, let the lightning guide you.”

"EVERY AGE" JOSE GONZALEZ (2015)

One of the most underrated guitar players and one of the most understated songwriters of our time, Jose Gonzalez is one of my go-to’s whenever I want something chill. Over the last several years, my wife and I have made date nights out of his shows whenever he’s in town. “Every Age” is one of his simplest, but most reflective songs so far, and it’s one of my favorites because of those things. When life moves too fast, it’s good to have a song like “Every Age” reminding us to slow the hell down, take a deep breath and stay grounded with a larger perspective.

“Take this mind, take this pen. Take this dream of a better land. Take your time, build a home. Build a place where we all can belong.”