Geraldine (radio edit) – Glasvegas
I’ve always had a soft spot in my heart for the name Geraldine. There’s lots of reasons but most significantly, it was my first girlfriend’s name. So I’m glad its now turned out to be a pretty good song. I think she would have really liked this one a lot, with its combination of fuzzed guitars and more traditional (almost hearkening back to 60s pop) melodic structure.
And there’s something really powerful about the twist of the song. It’s a statement of love and caring, a willingness to put your heart on the line for someone. But all of that is put into a new light when it’s revealed that the singer is a social worker. You’re left with an uncomfortable anxiety that’s difficult to create in such a short song. On one level, you feel a tremendous amount of respect and admiration for those who devote their lives to social work, to helping the less fortunate. And you wonder who many people could be the subject of this song, brought out of the darkness thanks to the tireless work of one selfless person. But on another level, you can’t shake a sense of deep sadness, that the optimism of the song is tilted inexorably with the revelation that the only one who is there for this poor kid is a stranger. And you wonder if, despite all the efforts, it will actually be enough. Or if the song is an exercise in the self-delusion of those who desperately want to make a difference but sometimes simply cannot.
I’m still waiting to listen to their upcoming album, but from the couple songs I have heard – and the various home demos that have been floating around for a while – Glasvegas (along with the previously gushed-about Frightened Rabbit) could be paving the way for a serious Scottish Invasion this year.