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“Crossed Wires” – Superchunk
(Words: Mac McCaughan, music: Superchunk, available on “Crossed Wires” single, Merge 2009)

I’ll keep this one brief, mainly because I already wrote about why I was so excited that Superchunk was recording again in 2009 and that I finally got to see them last summer as well.  If these two moments were enough to reignite my nostalgia, “Crossed Wires,” the second Superchunk release last year (granted, their entire 2009 output would fit on Side A of a cassette if we still used those), sounds like a power-pop master class.  It’s three and a half minutes of hooks – from the guitars, from Mac McCaughan, even the bass throws in a couple excellent melodic licks too.  This forceful melody combined with a lively tempo makes “Crossed Wires” as immediately compelling and infectious as anything else in 2009.

On its own, “Crossed Wires” would be a great pop song, but the deeper parts of the track kept it in my rotation months later.  Specifically, Jim Wilbur’s lead guitar spends the verses complimenting the melody in a subtle and unobtrusive way that it’s easy to miss out.  While it takes a back seat to McCaughan’s double tracked vocals in the chorus, Wilbur’s lead lines bend notes, slide up and down the neck, and generally encase the vocals in the verse.  He never wails in an overpowering way (and after seeing the band last summer, I’ll vouch that he could if he wanted to!), instead nimbly dancing between the vocals, the acoustic and electric rhythm guitar parts, and the rhythm section.  Would it be a good song if a power trio tore through it? Yes, but it’s these extra touches that distinguish a Superchunk single from their imitators.

More on Superchunk: Allmusic | Amazon MP3 | Emusic | Last.fm