Heartshine

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by Mother Love Bone

~ The groove is in the heart ~

A recurring theme of mine through all of these songs is the idea of “groove” – give me a good rhythm and a nice flow over top of it and I’ll happily settle in for a multi-hour road trip of music. The driving rhythm of the bridge lead-ins giving way to a sliding arpeggio is just technical brilliance, but not in a sanitized, sterile, guitar-clinic way. The muted riff underneath the verse is tougher to play than you realize and the fact that the guitars are mimicking the rhythm section is just insane. It’s the kind of thing you find on a hip-hop inspired album, not a Seattle groove from the forefathers of grunge.

Andy Wood’s lyrical genius is still off the charts, 25 years after his death. The pictures he paints are incredible, and the turns of phrase are unmatched these days except possibly by Pete Wentz.

My brother’s drowning / like a star baby / like a slower suicide / Me, I gave / Mine away

You feel the pain and he’s not letting it control him. You feel the sadness but he’s exulting in it. You feel the groove and he’s living in it.

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