Grandpa's coughing in the kitchen, but the strings sounds good

Lambchop has always been a great example of the power of quiet. And of the ability for a big band to make the smallest sounds. Their latest continues the path of perplexing lyrics delivered in that pre-cancerous rasp, mingled with music of ever more refined beauty. All that was brought into powerful relief when I saw them a few months back, which made me want to live in that house of whispers for as long as they could keep the noisy world at bay.

Lambchop - If Not I'll Just Die

I broke my glasses riding a mechanical bull

True fact. It's OK; everything else is intact. And I have a new respect for rodeo men. Meanwhile, I'm rocking my back-up wire frames, and this has caused a change in many things, including the shape of my face and my perceptual habits. Funny how you get used to old blind spots and thrown off by new ones.

My brain always associates wire frames with strings. Which brings us to string music. Which brings us to today's song. As faithful covers go, I like this one nearly as much as the original, which would probably be the closest thing Aphex Twin has come to a pop song. It strains and tugs like film music.

I wish I was more in love with this album than I am. It's impressive to hear human beings play music that was intended to be near-impossible to perform live. And yet, it's a bit like watching robots bicker. Neat trick, but I'm not so sure about lasting impact. At any rate, this track is a delight, and it makes my new old glasses vibrate at nice frequencies.

Alarm Will Sound - Fingerbib