In the two years that I have been working on this blog, I have surprised myself only a couple of times about subjects that have come up (Per Gessle, anyone?). Here comes another one of those subjects…Barenaked Ladies. They have posted one of the finest ballads of their career on their website, and I can’t get enough of it. It is not the quirky humor we’ve come to expect with “One Week” and “If I Had a Million Dollars”, but it holds true to their expert lyrical skills.
I tried but you tried harder
I lied but you lied smarter
You made me guess who was it
I did my best but it wasn’t enough
Someone commented on the sound of “You Run Away” as “Coldplay meets the Beach Boys”, and I cannot think of a better comparison, unless you maybe include the Goo Goo Dolls. This song is ripe for Adult Top 40 radio, and although I am not sure if it will make the cross over to Top 40, I would not even think about betting against it. Their full-length CD All In Good Time should be out at the end of March. (H/T to Bill’s Top 40/Pop Blog)
[I would be remiss in not noting that this is among the first material that is being released after co-lead singer Steven Paige left the group. He is also planning on releasing an album this year, although from what I have been able to gather, it is not a solo effort. He recorded an album in early 2009 with the Art of Time Ensemble that is being released in February, but he has also been working on a solo record. According to Page, his album is all over the place:
“Turns out, it sounds a lot like Steven Page: Power-pop, gay disco, big band swing, acoustic ballads. It seems as eclectic as the best BNL albums were, but I guess I’m biased that way.”
(Source)
Can’t wait to hear what that one sounds like, either.]