Late November never fails to be a special time. Just when the last straggling leaves break away from their home at the ends of tree branches and cold winter winds begin frosting the landscape, warmth and rest arrive in the forms of the end-of-year holidays. Even if I’m not going anywhere or doing anything in particular with the time off from school or work, the breaking up of my busy schedule is enough for my brain to pay special attention to the period of time, causing my future self to think back on non-exciting happenings with a soft, cheery remembrance. 

Galaxie 500’s music encapsulates beauty in the mediocre. The light production style, lethargic yet hard-hitting instrumentals and casualness of the vocals evoke teenage nights in a gray mid-western town. Chronicling the thoughts of the narrator as he walks around a drugstore, “Strange” has accompanied me on my drives home from college. Getting away from the amalgamation of classes, assignments, internships, professors and classmates feels liberating when I’m making my way down I-75, fenced in by muddied orange forests of naked tree limbs and blasting “Strange.” 

 The song itself sets in quietly with clean guitar and reserved drums before they build up and crash down into a slow-tempo groove. Cymbal heavy, the drums crash and bang rigidly on downbeats like ocean waves crashing against a coastline. The lead guitar line soars out above the rhythm, passionate and heavy. Escalating even further, Dean Wareham’s heart-filled vocals yell out above the instruments, informal and lax in their delivery, yet perplexed in its lyrics. The song’s verses move up and down the scale, with Wareham narrating a trip to buy snacks:

“I went alone down to the drugstore /

I went in back and took a Coke /

I stood in line and ate my Twinkies /

I stood in line, I had to wait”

Just like the slow-burning aspect of the music, the lyrics take their time in telling a story about having to wait and slow down. As the end of my schooling and my eventual career loom closer, small moments like these hold a special charm. I know that I will enjoy my break away from life this week, and I hope everyone finds some well-deserved respite. Happy Thanksgiving!