The Proper Ornaments - Who Thought
I'm going to adopt the hyperbolic tone of mid-90s Sports Center anchors here for a second: The Proper Ornaments are a band that only knows how to write short, perfect songs. "Who Thought" is, much like the other two songs I've posted by this band ("Waiting for the Summer" and "You Still") incredibly fun to listen to, brisk, intricate, and supremely lovable. Sometimes you need music that is crafted to astound you, to confuse you, to confront you, and other times you need music that you can summon up from memory to provide a moment of sweet solace when no other music is available. "Catchiness" as a property is somewhat underrated, I think for this reason specifically--if I were left to my own devices in, say, Lençóis Maranhenses (pictured above), at least I would have "Who Thought" knocking around in my head to keep me sane(-ish), whereas, as much as I love someone like Kevin Drumm, I'm not going to be humming the entirety of "Sheer Hellish Miasma" while falling down dunes and trying to recall the protocols of urine-drinking from the desert episodes of Man vs. Wild.[BUY Waiting for the Summer LP]