Ist - "Evelyn Harper"

This song is devilish, that is, "like the devil". And for 3:52, I do. What's so devastating is the perspective: it seems to be of the man with whom Evelyn Harper cheats on her husband. Which is fine, but the first half of the song is the man describing how shitty her life is, and how much she wants this affair, and the second half is about how much of a whore she will feel like (and how much of a whore he will consider her) after its over. It's like a Mike Leigh film, especially with the ending, which is deftly executed on the part of Ist, not sung like an ending, sung like the end of a verse, like it's not the end at all, but that's all we're told. The rest, well.

[Info]

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The Fiery Furnaces - "I Am Leaving (Junior Kimbrough cover)"
Junior Kimbrough - "I'm Leavin' You Baby"

Someone was talking on some blog somewhere, some blog everywhere, probably, about how a mash-up should heighten the enjoyment of both songs involved. I really felt this come true in this case, though it's not a mash-up. These two versions compliment, and complement, each other. It somehow becomes one story, the Fiery Furnaces version taking place before the Junior Kimbrough version, in time. Eleanor is singing to her lover, Kimbrough to himself. She's banging on his front door, his windows, trying to get one last reaction before jumping in the car. Kimbrough, however, has been on the road for three hours, and he's just repeating these words at every city-distance sign that waves beneath the headlights (L.A. 3000, NYC 3000). Hence the extended silences, the slower pace, the constant return to that low note, that's the tar lines clicking beneath the wheels. He's sorry right now.

[Buy Sunday Nights or sample more / Junior Info and Buy]