My favorite song is the first one

The allure of a good album opener

Before he walks on stage, the crowd chants: Pat fuckin’ Green. Pat fuckin’ Green. Pat fuckin’ Green. Pat hasn’t released a great new song in years and it doesn’t matter. He has a good opener and that’s what the people came for. When Pat swaggers onto the Stubb's stage with his cowboy hat, sunglasses and beer belly, the calls continue until the first line hits on “Carry On”, the first song off his best album, Three Days. He sings to the Austin, TX crowd about their local Tex-Mex spot and the place erupts.

“We’ll go down to El Arroyo, have some tacos and beers and let ourselves go.”

My biggest song obsessions are almost always album openers. They were all over this top 100 songs list. A good album is all-consuming, and the best ones use their first tracks to transport you in different ways. “3 Sisters” is my most listened to song of the year, because it’s Katie Crutchfield of Waxahatchee announcing that yet again she’s created something that demands your attention. (Katie has never not nailed an album’s opening track). 

Sometimes this music is rooted in sadness — like hey, here’s my damage this time around, here’s what I’m working through. Sometimes it’s a musical mission statement, transitioning you out of wherever you are and into wherever the artist wants you to be. Sometimes it’s a party that rattles and rocks and says let’s fucking go. Here’s a playlist of my favs (not ranked), and what makes them so good:

• It’s cool when an artist just comes out of the gate with the best song on the album, and especially cool when it’s one of their best songs ever. Examples: “Deceptacon” by Le Tigre, “Age Of Consent” by New Order, “Want You Back” by Haim (Haim always get this right), “Cover Me Up” by Jason Isbell

• Grief and anxiety play well up top. You quickly get into the artist’s head and grasp the emotional issues at the heart of the album. You’re not quite wrecked yet — they’re building up to that — but you’re ready to get wrecked. Examples: “Blacktop” by Julien Baker, “On The Other Hand” by Randy Travis, “Texas Reznikoff” by Mitski, “I Want You To Love Me” by Fiona Apple

• I like a big mission statement, a rallying cry around something you’ve never heard before, an accelerant into cover-to-cover listening. Examples: “Bring Da Ruckus” by Wu-Tang Clan, “Norman fucking Rockwell” by Lana Del Rey, “Born Under Punches” by Talking Heads, “Nikes” by Frank Ocean

• Emo and pop-punk bands have always overindexed on being particularly good at this. They don’t mess around. While diving into the archives here, my consumption of Brand New (“The Shower Scene”), Saves The Day (“All-Star Me”), Fall Out Boy (“Thriller”) and MCR (“Helena”) skyrocketed.

• There’s a version of an album opener that’s a little quieter and transitory without just being a short, boring “Intro” track or poem. (Not a fan). These are the most difficult to pull off, but when they work, they’re gorgeous world-builders. Examples: “Untitled” by Interpol, “Zebra” by Beach House, “Small Stakes” by Spoon, “Intro” by The xx

• Then there are the fun ones, some of which are wild from the start, like a roller coaster that drops without any slow build. Examples: “Mystery” by Turnstile, “Fill In The Blank” by Car Seat Headrest, “Dumbest Girl Alive” by 100 gecs, “Heavy Metal Detox” by Wavves

• Others start off slower before crescendoing into perfect, bold, memorable moments that give you a rush every time they hit. These are the openers that rack up the most repeat listens for me. Examples: “All-American Bitch” by Olivia Rodrigo, “Neighborhood #1” by Arcade Fire, “Welcome To Earth” by Sturgill Simpson, “Second Hand News” by Fleetwood Mac

I’ve stumbled into a real dining out kick lately and I have takes, so we’ll see if music month continues next week or not. And maybe I’ll drop the Jabroni’s menu. Plans are in motion.