Apparently, The Classic Crime released Albatross ten years ago, which makes me worried about aging, but also gives me a good chance to talk about one of my favorite bands.
The Classic Crime has undergone several evolutions in their sound. Their songs center on pain, love, and the difficulty of living through life. I would say every album, except Albatross, has also had some kind of thematic concept behind it. This means that their songs mean far more in the context of the album it was released on than it might all by itself. My understanding of each album is listed below:
Albatross: a collection of singles, mostly centering around fighting, victory, and the losses that come with it.
Seattle Sessions: the difficulty of pursuing your dreams and the day-to-day sacrifices that come with that (ie, touring is hard for marriages).
The Silver Cord: Addiction and recovery.
Vagabonds: The life of the artist, both hopeful and painful.
Phoenix: The in-the-moment feelings of a man about God, love, life, and himself. This is also the album that I think best reflects the breadth of themes The Classic Crime has written about over the years.
With that background, let me give you the ten songs that have grabbed me the most throughout the last ten years and the quote that resonates most deeply with me. Disclaimer: I don't believe in writing simple "best of" lists, because the whole point of art is that it resonates with people. Art can only ever be technically good; greatness comes from the reaction to it.
From Albatross:
All the Memories - Take a second and make this last, here where the future meets the past.
Who Needs Air - Life is old, but so short.
Blisters and Coffee - You didn't let me live just to hurt me.
From Seattle Sessions:
When the Time Comes - Will I hold them close and tell them why the life they lived was sacrificed?
From The Silver Cord:
Closer Than We Think - Despite what we've done, we're not alone.
Just A Man - Dripping wet with practiced sincerity; cute slogans for intangible mysteries.
From Vagabonds:
A Perfect Voice - I may not ever see a dime, but I'll be fine, yeah, I still get by.
Solar-Powered Life - I give you everything you want, sitting sipping smoothies with your sunglasses on. (Note: this song reminds me of my mom, so it always makes me happy when it comes on).
From Phoenix:
City of Orphans - She used to spend her lights by firelight and singing to the stars; now she's ours.
Let Me Die - If I drown, let me go, so that you can be saved.