For the first time since Jack was born, we have experienced what I would call a “stereotypical” winter. That means it’s been freezing cold, snowed too much, and we’ve been to the pediatrician no less than 5 times. To cap things off, earlier this week I tested positive for the flu.

(On that note: it’s been bad but not terrible, and I fully attribute that to getting the flu shot last year with my Covid Booster.)

Jack was out of school for a week, but he’s finally back with his friends. Let’s hope the positive trends continue. Sending good vibes to anyone with a sick kid, a sick spouse, or who’s tired of shoveling snow every 3 days.

Fittingly, today’s song is an upbeat jam perfect for a family who’s ready for some social interaction.

James Vincent McMorrow - “Me and My Friends” (June 29, 2018)

Thanks to longtime reader (and honorary aunt), Sam, I was reintroduced to Irish singer-songwriter James Vincent McMorrow. His 2014 release, Post Tropical, was a good kind of switcheroo. From its title to its soft, blissed-out album cover, it seems like it was made for a desert island. But in reality, songs like “The Lakes” and “Glacier” make use of McMorrow’s earnest falsetto and firmly plant us on a windowsill when Autumn is turning to Fall.

Don’t just a book by its cover and all that. In fact, as I was playing “Glacier,” my spot-on wife asked, “Is that the new Bon Iver song?” To which I, tail between my legs as a music-centric person said, “I didn’t know he had a new one.” So if that tells you anything, great. If not, what else is new.

Now the song we’re highlighting today is actually from 2018, and as you see above it’s called “Me and My Friends.” A bit of a departure - sonically - from McMorrow’s normal tunes, it features a thumping bass line, delicate and upbeat piano line and a story that unsurprisingly takes place in LA.

Popular music is made to be immediate, but that doesn’t mean it hits you instantly. “Me and My Friends,” however, is three minutes of a dang good time. Your toe is tapping, the chorus is being sung by the second verse, and you do that thing where you start looking around to see if everyone else is rocking and rolling. Which brings me to…

Is it a JackJam?

Yes! He loved it! I haven’t been in the car with him all week because I’m trying to quarantine as much as possible, but this made it to the playlist with ease. He also loves the album artwork because it is very bright and cheerful (his favorite color is rainbow), so that didn’t hurt things either. In short, if you’ve got a folk/soft rock-adjacent playlist, “Me and My Friends” would be a perfect addition. Give it a listen, and let me know what you think by hitting the reply button.

That’s it for this week (two in a row!), thanks for reading and please let me know if there are any songs you think me, and especially Jack, would like. See you next week if the flu doesn’t kill me first.

BLAKE