Tynan's Anger

SONGS OF THE DECADE #47

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

Jay Reatard - My Shadow (2006)


Picking one Jay Reatard single is like trying to pick one symphony by Haydn; distingushing one composion over all the rest belittles the fact that Reatard's prolific recording habits have been the most impressive part of his career. By the time he hits 30, Reatard will have been writing punk singles for 15 years, and there's no sign he's letting up anytime soon. All of these sings combine the unfiltered youthful energy that made punk such a viable force in the first place, but also combine a precocious maturity that still doesn't dismiss Reatard's roots.

If any one of Reatard's singles stands out, it's "My Shadow," and that may be because just how hard the beating heart is in the song. Reatard is smart enough to know that you can be emotional without being emo, epic without being bourgeois. Reatard is able to transition from a traditional verse to the sing-shout chorus seamlessly, something few bands this side of Nirvana have able been able to pull off effectively. "My Shadow" plays to Reatard's strengths, which turn out to be rather exceptional.

Labels: 2000s, Jay Reatard, lists, my shadow, pop music, songs of the decade