This House Is Finding A Home.

This House Is Finding A Home. July 5, 2010

Posted by admin in : Songs , trackback

I’ve posted about Griffin House before, and I’m sure I will again. At the time, I’m not sure I did Griffin justice, to be honest, calling his music songs

sung by a man with a Bono-type timbre to his voice (but don’t let that put you off). The song itself is, while not quite forgettable, one of many – similar to a lot of what is out there, but with an added element of something else, something to take it above the others.

On repeated listening, “Homecoming”, from 2006, has found a semi-permanent place on my MP3 player, with some wonderfully catchy soft rock tunes. Nothing outstanding, to be sure, but enough to keep the attention.

With his newest album, “The Learner”, I feel Griffin is now finding his way – and from that album, I give you “River City Lights”.

Griffin House

An absolute gem of a song, “River City Lights” is reminiscent of Ryan Adams or Whiskeytown at their best. A very, very simple tune, with an insistent guitar line and a non-stop snare drum beat, it’s sing-song, lullaby-like, and just beautiful – and once you add backing vocals by Alison Krauss….Well, just have a listen.

With a wonderful air of wistfulness, of losing someone you love and wishing for that back, “River City Lights” is just perfect.

The rest of the album is good, but this track stands out. Should Griffin reduce the soft rock musings, and produce an album of such alt-country (or even country) gems, then this House will have found a home (I’m sorry; I’m so, so sorry for that awful joke. Sorry.)

I met her down
In Tennessee
Went by the name
Of Amelie
She was a character
Anyone could see
She had eyes
Just for me

Time would fly
And the summer would end
And I would never see her again
And I hear thunder in my head
When I wonder
Where she is

And the river runs
Through her town
And all of the stars
They’re out tonight
She’s up on the rooftop
Looking down
Just staring at the river
Lit up with the city lights

And I roll on
Years gone by
The sun goes down
On another sky
And there is nowhere
I’d rather be
And there is no-one
I’d rather see

Where the river runs
Through her town
And all of the stars
They’re out tonight
She’s up on the rooftop
Looking down
Just staring at the river
Lit up with the city lights

Shouldn’t be so torn upside
From losing what is hard to find

But that’s just the way
The way it goes sometimes

The way it goes sometimes

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Griffin House – River City Lights