Another Form of Relief

Ed is Dead laments superb bands that are no longer with us. It’s named in honour of the Pixies song to remind us that even though it’s sad they split up, it’s far worse when they get back together.

It’s hard to believe that it was nearly ten years ago that I first listened to Semisonic, of which their Feeling Strangely Fine album would become the first ‘proper’ album I would ever buy. It’s even harder to believe that the version of FNT that’s below is fifteen years old at this point. Another version of the song went on to appear on the 1996 Great Divide album, but this dates back to when they were putting out demos under the name Pleasure.

It’s kind of sad that they will seemingly forever be those one-hit wonders behind Closing Time, and perhaps, to a lesser extent in the UK, for Secret Smile. All three of their albums were loaded with superb songs, but they seem to be little more than a musical footnote at this point.

Semisonic were my ‘gateway band’ when it comes to indie. Even without a direct connection, it was this band that eventually led me to REM, to Weezer, to Nada Surf and to Ben Folds Five. Which isn’t to say that they are responsible for everything, but they were certainly a catalyst. An entire world of records that would rarely ever be played on the radio entered my sphere, and eventually I’ve ended up here.