Labradford consists of bassist Robert Donne, guitarist/vocalist Mark Nelson, and Carter Brown on keyboards. Their music style is ambient post-rock, although their earlier releases such as "Prazision" and "A Stable Reference" were much more related to drone rock.
In 1993 they released their debut album on Kranky which has remained their home since. The group's music mostly drifts on the guitar effects and the keyboard passages, with the vocals, when present, in the background.
In 1999 they started a tour with Godspeed You! Black Emperor and their Festival of Drifting series, which featured appearances from Pole, Matmos, Papa M and Sigur Rós.
Though the group has not officially disbanded, they have not released another album since 2001's critically acclaimed Fixed::Context, and the band members have apparently moved away from their former base of Richmond, Virginia. Robert Donne has joined the slowcore group Spokane. Mark Nelson continues to release records on Kranky under the name Pan•American.
http://www.brainwashed.com/labradford
Accelerating on a Smoother Road
Labradford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
that no matter how hard i try
i can never recapture
what my heart remembers as pure--
just like the lot
that got turned into a bar;
and every time i go,
all i notice is how
i saw you walk by a window;
i went out on the sidewalk and watched you go.
days are few when i don't wonder
what happened to you.
sometimes i see
a picture of you wondering about me;
on good days, this makes me think
that there's always a link.
and on bad days, i'm fooling myself.
and on bad days, i'm kicking myself.
i saw you walk by a window;
i went out on the sidewalk and watched you go.
freeze time, it takes me back
freeze time and i'm climbin' back
freeze time and take me back
freeze time and take me back
The song's title, "Accelerating on a Smoother Road," sets the tone for the theme of nostalgia and longing for the past that permeates the lyrics. The opening verse introduces the idea that memories of the past can never be recaptured in the present, no matter how hard the singer tries. This concept is illustrated by the mention of a lot that has since been turned into a bar, and the noticeable absence of growth on the grass that once covered the lot. These images suggest that the singer's attempts to revisit and revive their memories of the past may be futile.
The following verse suggests that the singer has lost touch with someone from their past, and they spend days wondering what happened to this individual. They admit that on good days they imagine that there is still a connection between them, but on bad days they blame themselves and feel foolish for thinking that such a connection exists. The repeated line "I saw you walk by a window; I went out on the sidewalk and watched you go" conveys the pain of watching someone they once knew move on without them.
The final lines of the song are a plea to "freeze time" and take the singer back to a happier moment in the past. The repetition of this phrase underlines the singer's desperation to escape the present and find solace in the past. Overall, the song portrays a sense of loss and longing for something that can never be recaptured.
Line by Line Meaning
cozy with the thought
Comfortable with the idea
that no matter how hard i try
Despite my best efforts
i can never recapture
I will never again experience
what my heart remembers as pure--
The pure feeling my heart once had
just like the lot
Similar to the empty lot
that got turned into a bar;
Which was transformed into a bar
and every time i go,
Whenever I visit
all i notice is how
I see only that
the grass won't grow.
The grass doesn't grow there anymore
i saw you walk by a window;
I caught a glimpse of you by a window
i went out on the sidewalk and watched you go.
I followed you from the sidewalk as you walked away
days are few when i don't wonder
There aren't many days when I don't think
what happened to you.
About what may have occurred in your life
sometimes i see
Occasionally I envision
a picture of you wondering about me;
An image of you pondering me
on good days, this makes me think
Sometimes it makes me believe
that there's always a link.
There may still be a connection.
and on bad days, i'm fooling myself.
But other days, I know I am only deceiving myself.
and on bad days, i'm kicking myself.
And on those days, I am filled with regret.
freeze time, it takes me back
Sometimes I wish I could stop time
freeze time and i'm climbin' back
So I can relive certain moments
freeze time and take me back
And travel back to the past
freeze time and take me back
If only I could go back in time
Contributed by Allison G. Suggest a correction in the comments below.