9. Advance Base - “Pamela”

Much like Sam Ray, I have an intense love affair with Owen Ashworth (a.k.a Casiotone For The Painfully Alone & Advance Base). Owen is part of my musical trinity, the three artists that within my lifetime have stood above the rest creating music that never seems to get old and consistently resonates with my soul. (In case you were wondering the other artists that complete this godhead are Yoni Wolf and Spencer Krug.)

Owen has a way of creating music that is intrinsically human. His lyrics paint the portrait of individuals in their rawest form, characters that speak out to the soul with their simplest highs and most complex lows. The music is often melancholy, a cough syrup of depression, swaddling you in the warmth of reverb and encompassing you with the emotion of humanity amidst the coldness of a life too often adverse to the warmth of existence. However, throughout it all it stays true to the human experience. We often are alone, sad, depressed or lost. These valleys make up our lives as much as the highs, only these valleys are often hidden, smothered behind awkward silences, forced laughs, locked doors or unanswered texts and calls. They shouldn’t be shameful or covered up, they should be embraced, just as those going through them should be embraced. They’re part of who we are, part of our story, and without them none of us would be who we are. This song is pure beauty. Its beautiful in its simplicity, its pain, and ultimately its humanity.