Great things happen when two of Massachusett’s much loved musicians Sam Gas Can and Secret Lover decide to collaborate and release a seven inch together. While SGC is constantly active (releasing two albums in the past few months with Sunburned Hand of the Man!), Secret Lover, Worcester’s homegrown psych popsters, have been noticeably absent since finishing their ambitious rock and roll movie musical (Check out the trailer!) Until then these two songs should hold fans over with effortless melodies that mix a joy and sadness like memories of that last summer before you had to get a job.
Sax solos in rock music have always been debatable. While in the 50’s it was considered a wild, sultry instrument I can’t help but feel the 80’s neutered them with so many adult contemporary musicians latching onto them.”Ernie” lands on the right side of this coin hitting a longing, heartfelt tone that would fit perfectly on a doo wop ballad. Consoling and comforting, the song deals with an old friend going through a loss pleading them to “let your feelings show”. References to getting stoned give it a modern twist that are the only reminder that it’s not actually from the past. A sweet song for jaded hearts .
The eye catching b-side “Kurt Cobain Hamburger” has little to do with the deceased minus a killer line I sold my soul for the Kurt Cobain hamburger and is more memorable for it’s insistent refrain have you met my neighbor?, have you met my girlfriend?. Unless you’re really paying attention you wouldn’t even realize its a song about an internal crisis (I’ve steered my life in the wrong direction) but that gives another reason to come back to it and there’s nothing wrong with that when the music is this good.
