My Top 1000 Songs #457: Every Word Means No

[I've been writing up my Top 1000 songs on a daily basis--you can see them all in descending order by hitting the All My Favorite Songs tag.]

"Every Word Means No," off Let's Active's 1983 debut EP Afoot, is another track that unfailingly transports me back to my college radio days. Akin to the like-minded dB's, the song is a nice midway point between 60s-styled power pop and the emerging R.E.M.-championed jangle pop of the day, with just a touch of new wave sheen. (See also, e.g., the Hoodoo Gurus' "Bittersweet.") Let's Active frontman Mitch Easter may get more recognition for his production work (early R.E.M., the Connells, Game Theory, etc.), but this song instantly established him as a compelling songwriter to boot.

2014 reunion gig: