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.
Is This The Best Spot
Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I solemnly devote myself to thee
I'm sorry, but it's true
True is shameful and vile
So I'm not real and I won't call you
And I want to talk about mature themes daily
And I want it to be good
And I want it to be good, my baby
And I want it to be good, to be good, to be good
And I want it to be good, baby
Now let's take steps to rectify your whole life
Take this gift I gave to thee
A promise to be true
Embrace, imagine imaginations that suit you
Yeah, I want to talk about mature themes
I don't care at all 'bout the big or the small
The skies and the air between me
I don't care about you
I wish I was taller than 5'4"
35 years of my life spent
Computing it all, oh hell
And I want it to be good
And I want it to be good
And I want it to be good, my baby
And I want it to be good, to be good, to be good
And I want it to be good, baby
The lyrics of "Is This The Best Spot" by Ariel Pink's Haunted Graffiti seem to be exploring themes of insecurity and the desire for acceptance. The first verse speaks of a young girl who devotes herself to someone, but is aware that her true self is shameful and vile. She acknowledges that she is not real and won't call the person, but still wants to have mature conversations with them daily. This hints at the idea that the girl is looking for a deeper connection with someone, but feels unworthy or inadequate.
In the second verse, the singer offers a gift to someone to rectify their whole life and encourages them to embrace their imagination, but still wants to talk about mature themes. They express a lack of concern for things like social status or physical appearance, stating that they wish they were taller, but ultimately the number of years they've spent computing their worth doesn't matter. The repetition of the phrase "And I want it to be good" throughout the song further emphasizes the desire for acceptance and validation.
The song seems to be a reflection on the human desire for connection and acceptance. The lyrics express a vulnerability and a search for something deeper, while also acknowledging that this search may not always be successful.
Line by Line Meaning
Too young, as a girl, with a boy to be won
I was too young when I fell in love, and I had a boy I wanted to win over
I solemnly devote myself to thee
I promise to be loyal and dedicated to you
I'm sorry, but it's true
I apologize for being honest about my thoughts and feelings
True is shameful and vile
Speaking the truth can sometimes be perceived as shameful or disgusting
So I'm not real and I won't call you
I feel like I cannot be myself, and I don't want to communicate with you
And I want to talk about mature themes daily
I desire to discuss more serious or adult-oriented topics often
And I want it to be good
I hope that things will work out well
And I want it to be good, my baby
I want everything to go smoothly and positively, my dear
Now let's take steps to rectify your whole life
Let's work together to improve your overall situation or circumstances
Take this gift I gave to thee
Here is a present that I want you to have
A promise to be true
I promise to be honest and stay committed to you
Embrace, imagine imaginations that suit you
Be open to different possibilities and imagine scenarios that work for you
I don't care at all 'bout the big or the small
I am indifferent to everything and anything
The skies and the air between me
Even the spaces and objects that seem vast and endless don't matter to me
I don't care about you
I am apathetic towards you
I wish I was taller than 5'4"
I have insecurities and wish I was taller in height
35 years of my life spent, computing it all, oh hell
I have spent 35 years of my life analyzing and calculating everything, and it's overwhelming
And I want it to be good, to be good, to be good
I hope that everything goes well, very well, extremely well
And I want it to be good, baby
I want everything to turn out perfectly, my dear
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., A SIDE MUSIC LLC D/B/A MODERN WORKS MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: ARIEL ROSENBERG, JOE KENNEDY, KENNETH GILMORE, TIM KOH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind