2000 Great Songs #1249: Farmer's Daughter

Here's a second cut from the late Epic Soundtracks' wonderful and endlessly surprising 1992 LP Rise Above. "Farmer's Daughter"--no relation to the Beach Boys track of the same name--perhaps best encapsulates the magic of the record, the former drummer of experimental post-punk rockers Swell Maps unexpectedly embracing gorgeous piano balladry and full-on Burt Bacharach-styled orchestral pop. It starts off quiet and melancholy, augmented by some bold brass, before flipping into a boisterous, double-speed bit of big-band jazz (with guest drummer J Mascis of Dinosaur Jr., no less). Totally unique.