Tynan's Anger

SONGS OF THE DECADE #64

[For more info, read the Ground Rules of The Song of The Decade List]

Marnie Stern - Transformer (2008)

Here I was ready to heap on the praise to Marnie Stern—that she's the best female guitarist of all time, one of the most creative songwriters of the past decade, a hallmark of creativity, yada yada—and before I could get into full rock critic mode, I heard Marnie pleading, "I cannot be all these things to you." It's one thing to be as creative as Marnie Stern. It's another thing to acknowledge that creativity and its limitations. It's even more impressive that she was able to wrap this lyrical-self reflection ("I turn this moment into something new/ It's true") in the most anthemic song Stern has released to date.

This is one case where the limits of the current music industry affected the music in a positive way: lyrical honesty that didn't diminish the power of a song that was never going to be a hit to begin with. Form even follows function in Stern's ultimate call to arms: "the future is yourself fill this part in."

Labels: 2000s, lists, marnie stern, pop music, songs of the decade, transformer