After years of recording in relative seclusion in the hills of Los Angeles, Ariel Pink (the first non-Animal Collective member on the Paw Tracks roster) made his official Paw Tracks debut with The Doldrums. Recording at home with a guitar, bass, keyboard, and 8-track (the drum sounds were created with his mouth).
Ariel Pink blends Lite FM and warped lo-fi pop into something by turns beautiful and confusing. Some may find his personal yet detached approach highly addictive, while others may be instantly turned off by the obvious lo-fi production and the vocal drumtracks.
In the summer of 2003, Pink passed a CD-R on to New York based band Animal Collective after being introduced by mutual friend Jimi Hey (of All Night Radio and Beachwood Sparks) at one of their shows. Unbeknownst to Pink, Animal Collective had recently started their own record label, Paw Tracks, and several weeks later they contacted him expressing an interest in releasing his music. Pink became the first musician on the label aside from the members of Animal Collective. The next year, the label reissued The Doldrums, an album which had been originally recorded in 1999. Since then, Paw Tracks (now co-owned by Carpark Records) has released two other reissues of Pink's previous recordings, Worn Copy and House Arrest.
Pink has gradually caught the attention of media sources around the United States as well as internationally. As most of his albums are self-made, many of them have never been heard by fans. Almost all of Pink's albums which have been commercially released come from his yet-unfinished "Haunted Graffiti" series and are thus the best known.
Pink's tours have generally been met with much negativity, primarily because his music was never intended to be performed live for commercial audiences. As he explained to LA Weekly:
“People boo me everywhere...They don't even hide their contempt. I'm used to it now...Hey, I'm giving audiences the real thing...For better or worse, I'm out there, and those are the circumstances. People don't like it when it seems like you don't know what's happening, or I'm getting bummed out with certain aspects and I can't hide it. I think people feel that pain and just think it's bad.”
Initially playing shows alone with pre-recorded music, Pink has since employed the efforts of keyboardist Kenny Gilmore, bassist Tim Koh (White Magic), drummer Jimi Hey, and guitarist Cole M. Greif-Neill (Ethnik Klensr) as Haunted Graffiti. However, even with a backing band unfamiliar audiences are generally hostile towards the unrehearsed nature of the live compositions.
In July, the band embarked on Pink's "Thanks Mom, I'm Dead" tour.
One genre that may interestingly define Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti is one known as Hauntology.
Bright Lit Blue Skies
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I call my mind
I look for the things I can't find
Why am i so far from the ground ?
My voice is quiet but my
Thoughts are loud
Bright Lit blue skies
Lies
My tired thoughts are
Just like chalk
Rub it across your mind
Just like a clock
2:45 and 8pm
I'm sorry but you won't
See me again
Bright Lit blue skies
You're full of lies
Lies
Bright Lit blue skies
You're full of lies
Lies, Lies, Lies
You're full of lies
The lyrics of "Bright Lit Blue Skies" by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti bring out a sense of confusion, disillusionment, and frustration. The opening lines reveal that the singer is struggling to comprehend the inner workings of his own mind. He questions his inability to find the things that he seeks and feels disconnected from the earthly realm. The contrast between his quiet voice and loud thoughts further showcases the disparity between his inner turmoil and outward appearance.
The chorus of "Bright Lit Blue Skies" strongly condemns the titular "blue skies" that the singer believes to be full of lies. It is unclear what exactly the reference to "blue skies" symbolizes, but it could potentially represent a sunny and optimistic outlook on life that the singer finds untruthful. The song's title alludes to the common phrase "bright blue skies," which is a common phrase used to describe beautiful, clear weather.
In the last verse, the singer becomes more explicit in his rejection of reality, describing his "tired thoughts" as mere chalk on the mind. He references specific times of day (2:45 and 8pm) before resigning himself to never seeing the addressee again. The recurring refrain of "Lies, lies, lies / You're full of lies" further drives home the theme of deception and disillusionment.
Line by Line Meaning
What is this thing
I'm questioning my own mind and thoughts
I call my mind
I'm trying to understand my own conscience
I look for the things I can't find
I search for answers to things that seem elusive
Why am I so far from the ground ?
I feel detached from reality
My voice is quiet but my
I don't speak up much
Thoughts are loud
But my mind is always racing
Bright Lit blue skies
The sunny sky is deceiving
You're full of lies
It's not as perfect as it seems
Lies
Everything is a lie
My tired thoughts are
I'm exhausted from thinking too much
Just like chalk
My thoughts are clear and visible
Rub it across your mind
But others may not understand
Just like a clock
They mark the time
2:45 and 8pm
But even the passage of time is disillusioning
I'm sorry but you won't
I regret I have to leave
See me again
But maybe we'll meet again
Lies, Lies, Lies
At the end of the day, nothing is true
You're full of lies
It's all a façade
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Ariel Marcus Rosenberg
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
roku
What is this thing
I call my mind
I look for the things I can't find
Why am i so far from the ground ?
My voice is quiet but my
Thoughts are loud
Bright Lit blue skies
You're full of lies
Lies
My tired thoughts are
Just like chalk
Rub it across your mind
Just like a clock
2:45 and 8pm
I'm sorry but you won't
See me again
Bright Lit blue skies
You're full of lies
Lies
Bright Lit blue skies
You're full of lies
Lies, Lies, Lies
You're full of lies
bh617
I found out recently that the bass was Ariel's first instrument - no wonder the basslines in all his songs have been incredible, even as far back as the songs from the Doldrums.
MD
I Wait for Kait is ones of the absolute most bizzare and labrynthian bass structures ever. Dude is a hugely underrated bassist.
Jessey Waller Diemont
I feel like he was fucking destroying it on the bass since thrash & burn
Thando Mdlalose
Among dreams
Denise Wilson
Love your music..Hang in there..
ipzy88
Glad someone else enjoys the bass line
Eric Kolkey
One of the best songs ever! Play it LOUD!!
Henry Guthrie
With or without shrooms or LSD....this is a timeless classic. My heart is full.
Tom M
"Bright lit blue skies, you're so full of lies". Do you ever feel when you're down the weather is laughing at you? I think this sums that feeling up perfectly.
Jonny Stiz TV
He’s talking about the leftists