Lonesome Crowded West is just so cohesive and well structured. Plus almost every song on that album ranges from excellent to damn-near-perfect. Brock was just writing so well. It still just narrowly beats out Moon & Antarctica, which overall is less focused lyrically but more focused atmospherically. And I guess that’s where the difference lies, some people may prefer the chilly expanse of M&A, and some, including me, prefer the sharp wit and thematic focus of LCW. Can’t really go wrong with either, but I like the choice to put LCW at the top.

“Nothing Better” is one of the most relatable break-up songs of all time in my opinion. I have always had the sense that a lot of the album is centered around that song, and it honestly really helped me through my worst “break-up” to date. That being said though, I have only spent about 4 years with the album, while I’m sure a lot of people have spent much more with it. But it holds a very special place for me, even though I would not put it in my top 5 or even 10 favorite albums of all time. It’s just special.

Ha ha! And he used the phrase “solid but frustrating” or some iteration of that at some point.

It’s a real travesty. They were the only band that had the audacity to believe they were the most important thing in the world, and in doing so, it kinda felt like they were. I hope they at least finally feel at home.

Yeah really. No Age? The Men? DFA1979? MODEST MOUSE?? Are these all just speculative or do you know something?