Far - Man Overboard
#13 on the seemingly infinite list of favorite songs because Bee asked for five and I can’t stop.
Far was a little known band out of Sacramento. I swear, I think I know maybe five people who have heard of them, and two of those people hate them.
Their album Water and Solutions remains one of my favorite albums ever. I think what I love most about it is Jonah Matranga’s voice. He sounds tired and worn out. While that might not sound like a compliment, it works Far. There’s such a rawness, such jagged edges that it all comes off as imperfect and sometimes imperfection is just what you’re looking for.
This song. I’m not sure what it’s really about but for me it’s about getting derailed, about having these grand dreams about your life and the things you’re going to accomplish and getting lost along the way. And the way he sings it, it’s almost painful sometimes. But it’s poignant in its painfulness, and sometimes it reminds me that I need to get back on board.
‘Open Areas’ was the name of the book he never wrote…
We paved the roads
We really blanketed everything
We never…
He tried the West
He really studied the signs
He never…
Man overboard!
Jonah’s voice is pretty much guaranteed to cause your heart to bleed if you have any interest in that style of music at all. Water and Solutions hasn’t weathered as well as Tin Can With String to You, for me, though.
