Gentle Readers

After my post about Paul Melancon the other day, in which I mentioned how much I like his guitarist Lee Cuthbert and her band Gentle Readers I was in a mood to spin them. Thus I do. I brought a stack of CDs to work, listened to them all and now I’m listening to Hi Honey and You in Black and White in alternation all day. It’s a real bummer that I found them right about the time they went on what turned out to be a multi-year hiatus. I’ve been thinking for a long time that I need to write them a fan letter just so they know how useful I find their music as an antidepressant. The music is great, Susan Fitzsimmon’s voice is so perfect for their tunes being slightly gravelly and imperfect but warm and human. I’m listening to the last track on Hi Honey, “California Part 2” (Part 1 is what I interpret as an indictment of the music industry). It is so hardassed in the lyrics, I love it:

Since you went to California
It’s like you don’t exist
Here I am just sifting through the clues I must have missed
About this stupid place
You’re not free and I’m not stuck
You never were that gifted
I never was that dumb

Now imagine those harsh words sung in Susan’s wonderfully expressive voice, with this pure “California sound” lush music underneath it, replete with bird sounds and sun drenched atmosphere. It’s a beautiful song with ugly sentiments, which is exactly the stuff that floats my boat. Gentle Readers, please make some more music! I need it.

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Dave Slusher is a blogger, podcaster, computer programmer, author, science fiction fan and father. Member of the Podcast Hall of Fame class of 2022.