John Moreland - "Terrestrial"

WOW.

That was the first thought I had when this track started up midway through John Moreland's latest album, LP5 (coincidentally his fifth). "Terrestrial" just unfurls over the course of its near-four-minute runtime, beginning with an acoustic guitar alone before it's joined by the bass, drums, electric guitar and a piano.

OH THAT PIANO.

So wonderfully recorded - you get the warmth of the low notes and the sparkle of those chords the right hand is forming. Focusing on just the piano on this track is a rewarding exercise, particularly when it goes on a little vamp at the 2:41 mark in the upper registers of the keyboard. Plus there's friggin' percussive clapping flitting around those notes.

AND WE HAVEN'T EVEN TALKED ABOUT MORELAND'S VOICE.

Did you ever have an old blanket that was thick, a little bit coarse and not the best to snuggle up in but damn if it wasn't the perfect thing to pull over your legs on a cool evening outdoors? Maybe you kept it in the trunk of your car for a picnic or an emergency? That's Moreland's voice - it's not fleece soft, but it is secure and comforting nonetheless. I can picture taking a drive out of the city, pulling out that blanket to cover up with my back against a tree and a view of the stars in the night sky with "Terrestrial" wafting out of the open window.

This is one of those perfect songs and is a front runner for my favourite of 2020.