Negative Players - “Nowhere Now”
Most of the friends that I’ve made in my adult life have come from a shared love for Elliott Smith– whether we’ve discussed his music, his life, or his untimely death, he is generally the foundation onto which we’ve poured our relationships. So when a band submits a track and has Elliott Smith listed in their ‘similar artists,’ I am fully prepared to be protective of more than just the man’s music.
Friends and future friends, meet Negative Players and their new track, “Nowhere Now.” I know that some of you have already skipped these words to press play because you A) love Elliott Smith and want to check it out/ do some gatekeeping or B) want me to be wrong. And that’s fine, just scroll back up here when you see that I’m right. The first time I pressed play on “Nowhere Now,” I will admit that I was quite skeptical, but the track kicks off with guitar work that is eerily reminiscent of the style and tone of Either/Or. It could be because Smith was already in my head after reading the submission, or it could be because it’s something that he would have one day played. We’ll never know.
Moments later, the vocals come in and when you hear: “Sure I’ll smile and toe the company line,” that’s all it will take. Welcome friends, you are now fans of Negative Players, filling the void left in our hearts since 2003. I wish I could say that the similarities stop there, but once the vocals double and the harmonies begin to layer, it can be quite maddening. It’s the Beatles-esque guitar work; it’s in every lovely vocal fluctuation; it’s inside of the dark lyrical content. This band from Southwest, Michigan, who, two days ago, did not exist to me, is suddenly my favorite discovery of the year.
“Nowhere Now” is also available to stream everywhere you get your music, including Soundcloud and Spotify. Give Negative Players a like and a follow. Rest assured, you need not be an Elliott Smith fan to listen to their music. All you need are your ears and four minutes and thirty-five seconds of alone time.
-TM