Cop Light Parade – High on Stress
What can I say? I’m a sucker for this sort of song. Like Wilco before they decided they were too cool for this sort of thing or like Whiskeytown in the moments when Ryan Adams manages to keep it all in check, High on Stress have produced that sort of song that seems to glide effortlessly, like it just emerged fully formed and complete. It sounds easy to do, but like most things, it’s not as simple as that. When you’re working with simple ingredients you have to exercise special care. If you’re not careful, you end up producing schlocky, overly obvious, boring songs. But when it all works, it comes out like this, twangy and relaxed and heartfelt.
Oh, and they’re from the Twin Cities, so insert obligatory Replacements and Soul Asylum references.