vintage

I just want to mention that I’m well aware of how unorthodox my track of the week list is — most of them aren’t new releases or promotional for upcoming material, and that’s pretty strange in the music blogosphere. But I figure there’s enough people doing that right now that you can find it if you want to (Matt over at i (heart) music is excellent at that), so my job here is to pick out some old stuff you might not have heard, or maybe that you’ve forgotten about.

This one probably falls into the latter category: it’s a track from Hawksley Workman (born Ryan Corrigan)’s first album, For Him and the Girls, released in 1999. Since then, he’s gone on to win Juno Awards for Best New Solo Artist and Best Video, started a record label and put out albums by Serena Ryder, and recorded a duet with Academy Award winner Marion Cotillard. He’s released ten albums, one of which includes the continually famous “Jealous of Your Cigarette” (2002), and has toured everywhere. It is hard to not have heard of Workman — he’s all over the place.

Like I said, though, this track goes back to his beginnings. It’s pretty straightforward, and feels shorter than it is (it clocks in at exactly four minutes), but it’s immediately likeable. Best enjoyed on a moving vehicle of some kind, preferably at night: it’s a calm and quiet evening travel sort of song, and Workman’s almost-Martin-Tielli voice is perfect for it. And the lyrics are just awwww.

Tunesday 18: Safe and Sound