Three songs I've been thinking about of late that seem to demand some acknowledgment from me.

1) TMBG, "Lucky Ball & Chain". I always liked this one, right from the beginning. Only recently did I come to the conclusion that I probably like it the most among the other tracks on Flood. Christgau says they have more charm and wit than they let on at first, and this is a good example. I was initially not a fan of the "Confidentially..." verses, but what're you gonna do? The guys are what they are. Importantly, I'm not really distracted by them when the really powerful lines take their turn (and there are definitely a couple here).

2) John Prine, "Spanish Pipedream". No point putting any of the better known numbers from the debut, which I probably hum to myself more. This one has...quality, man. Whimsical, I suppose, but it takes some skill to take such a simple (and naturally appealing) life philosophy and turn it into something that really makes sense, rather than something naive and out of reach.

3) Nick Cave, "The Ship Song". This feels ooold, because I've heard it for so many years, but only recently have I come to truly appreciate it. And it turns out that many people place it as the highlight of The Good Son, which I can understand. Like the above song, it's simple, really, but to make it truly resonant requires a master's hand. It's easy for me to see why I once thought it slightly cheesy, but nowadays it seems dead serious to me. The imagery isn't particularly embellished because it doesn't need to be!