When You Come Around

I remember thinking what a brilliant idea it was to release an entire album’s worth of original songs/videos to YouTube over the course of several weeks. That was 13 years ago, and the person who did it first (as far as I know) was Terra Naomi. I love all of those videos, but the one I chose for this post was produced a few years later and is my favorite.

I am a bit frustrated at the tidal wave of “relationship songs” that wash over YouTube. So many talented young songwriters throwing their hat in the ring choosing to compete in a genre that is glutted with forgettable songs. Sorry. I think many of them could channel their talents more productively. That said, Paul McCartney made it clear that another silly love song is just what we need. And fortunately, when it’s done right, he’s right. So, I am encouraged when I come across songs that treat relationships in a mature and complex way without pretense. Terra Naomi has written a number of these songs: Never Quite Discussed, Say It’s Possible, and Close to Your Head are early examples. Each of them showing complexity in harmony, melody, and lyrically. Later efforts are even better.

This is a performance of the song, When You Come Around. Given that she controls both the piano and voice, she can make this song breathe as she wishes. That gives this performance a maturity that’s difficult for many younger performers/composers to match. The piano part is brilliantly voiced and would work as an instrumental piece. The lyrics are poetic without being cheesy. Hard to do. And her voice is the real thing. Cheers.