Thursday, December 30, 2021

Songs of the Year, 2021: Hard Drive, Cassandra Jenkins


There is a LOT going on in "Hard Drive."  It's got a definite Laurie Anderson feel to it, almost as if it were a lost track from 1989's "Strange Angels."  Each verse tells a different micro-story, featuring a diverse cast of characters: the security guard, the bookkeeper, the driving teacher, and Peri.  The thread binding each of the stories together is what Jenkins addresses in her spoken intro - "our spirit, our humanity, our sense of self."

The emotional payoff, from both a narrative and a musical perspective, comes in the final verse:

I ran into Peri at Lowell's place
Her gemstone eyes caught my gaze
She said, "Oh, dear, I can see you've had a rough few months
But this year, it's gonna be a good one
I'll count to three and tap your shoulder
We're gonna put your heart back together
So all those little pieces they took from you
They're coming back now
They'll miss 'em too
So close your eyes
I'll count to three
Take a deep breath
Count with me"

It's an extraordinary song.

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