We cover the High-Bias Cassette-Based Operations fairly regularly so it’s likely you’re familiar with the regular output from the label. While this new track isn’t one of the four-track undertakings that they are known for, all you really need to know is that this track is a collaboration with Davis himself (Superdrag, Epic Ditch, The Lees of Memory), Andy Herrin (Cavo, Two Chalfonts) and Matthew Caws.
If that last name doesn’t ring a bell, go back and revisit any Nada Surf album liner notes and you’ll see that he’s the lead vocalist and one of the primary songwriters. If you have funny feelings about Nada Surf, you haven’t been paying attention for the past twenty years, as they have grown to be a rightfully beloved rock band with just the right balance of sensitivity and powerful execution. If you have warm feelings about them, you’re in the right place.
Musically, the song pounds its way forward with an anthemic call to arms expressed through the perfect marriage of Davis and Caws vocals. Lyrically, it’s also rather optimistically leaning with phrases like “I’ve got a feelin’, I see it in the sky. let’s raise up the ceiling, and treat each other kind.” Great advice for 2019 and beyond.