2000 Great Songs #1243: Are You Loathsome Tonight?

It's the most recent release to make the list to date, and our first entry from the halcyon pre-Trump47 days of 2024, before the downfall of America and democracy. Ooh, chills!

The Paranoid Style are another one of my favorite bands of the past decade, Elizabeth Nelson's hyper-literate lyrics overflowing with sly pop culture references and surprisingly informative historical studies, sending me running for Wikipedia (or a thesaurus). I generally prefer the more rocking songs, where the adept and versatile band can deliver everything from Hold Steady anthems to playful pub rock to keep Nelson's rapid-fire delivery grounded.

But "Are You Loathsome Tonight," off the excellent The Interrogator, is the rare ballad I find myself playing on repeat-mode, a lovely tune with rustic American vibes for the end of the day, somber and melancholy yet relentlessly provocative. "The outside is dim, the silhouettes are slithering, everything you loved has grown hidebound and withering." Indeed!

They've got a new album out, which I'm still working my way through; meanwhile, you can check out all their music over at Bandcamp.