Popcorn Noises

Here We Go Magic - “Collector”

How can they look so stoic and reserved in this video? I mean, I know they’re sort of an introverted bunch and they like to take their time and ‘get into the zone,’ but this song is an anomaly in the Here We Go Magic oeuvre in that it’s practically bursting with energy and momentum. The krautrock stuff is key because it only goes one way—the voices only get louder and clearer, the drums only get stronger, and those trumpet sounds only get more exultant. There’s no ‘climax,’ but the ending is just firm enough to have a sense of finality. Temple’s “mild fascination” starts to look hugely important.

Interesting tidbit: Tampa is routinely named one of least bike-friendly / most-hostile-to-pedestrians cities in America, which is sad and stupid and terrible. The Bay area is very spread-out and there are numerous bike-related deaths every year. As such, I don’t find myself biking around a lot the way I used to when I lived in Gainesville (a veritable pedestrian’s haven). If I did, though, this is the song I would want to listen to as I crested a big hill and went speeding back down, pedaling faster and faster until the wind made my eyes water.