Shark Smile by Big Thief

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I don’t feel like it’s an exaggeration for me to say I’ve listened to this song 100 times since finding it a few days ago. “Shark Smile” grabbed me on the first listen as appearing to be  something I could grow to really like, which manifested into an intense need to hear it by that same night. It’s a simple song, three verses interspersed with the same chorus only lasting a little more than three minutes. The drums remain the same throughout the entire track, steady eight notes that set it’s foundation. Big Thief, a four-piece band from Brooklyn, put this number out as a single from their sophomore album “Capacity” in 2017.  So, why is this song so memorable?
Let’s start with the lyrics. The speaker in this runaway tale starts the first verse by introducing the love interest, Evelyn, by saying she “was quiet as a roses sting,” a beautiful simile to depict the characters silently alluring, but deadly nature. Perhaps the most dreamy lyric of the song shortly follows: “It came over me at a bad time, but who wouldn’t ride on a midnight line?” It places the listener in a vague but imaginable location, while simultaneously introducing the reoccuring lyrics about “it coming over” either the speaker, or Evelyn, at a bad time. Whatever “it” is is never defined, whether it be a feeling of anxiety or some drug, but it doesn’t even matter because of the sexy and dangerous storyline it produces. The All-American Bonnie and Clyde outlaws of passion, masked behind sentimental indie production and thoughtful characterization. Each verse holds so much information the choruses are called in to balance them equally with simplicity. “And she said woo, baby take me/ And I said woo, baby take me too.” The song drips with a sensual intimacy that isn’t even explicitly shown, apart from the swoon-worthy line “Evelyn’s kiss was oxygen, and I leaned over to take it in.”  

The simplicity of the song’s composition is what makes it stick with you. The driving drum beat and five chord compilation seamlessly link together to create a perfect template for lead singer Adrianne Lenker’s clear and sultry vocals. The chord pattern of D/F#-G-D/F#-Em flows like a downward river, smoothly dropping the verses off into the chorus. It’s hard to say the song could work as effectively with a different composition, the bare instrumentation provides a sense of isolation and intimacy that allows the storyline to breath. Halfway through the track, wailing, stripped electric notes are implemented along with the chorus, adding a touch of drama that ups the intensity and emotion already created. Overall, the song sounds like a sort of Bruce Springsteen-Mazzy Star hybrid, channeling his middle-of-the-night driving imagery mixing with the likes of her production and sound. One of the current largest music blogs, Pitchfork, rated this album “Capacity” fifth in the top 20 best rock albums of the past year, and this single alone grants it it’s place. Take a listen.




https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w1QlOfYxykI

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