slimdan - “Problem Solver”

slimdan suffers from a dilemma that plagues many human beings: listening to others vent without trying to offer solutions to their problems. He, of course, took this idea and put it quite perfectly to music with the song, “Problem Solver.”

The acoustic opening to “Problem Solver” is a touch misleading, causing the listener to believe that it will be more of a folksy number; however, the people that air their grievances in our presence can also be somewhat misleading– do we simply sit and listen? Or do we offer guidance? When in doubt, it’s probably best just to remain quiet and memorize the lyrics of this song (it will not be difficult– it’s quite catchy).

After the first verse, the listener with soon discover that, musically, this track is equal parts indie rock and indie folk– and vocally, a bit of Death Cab with a dash of The Shins, though much more bouncy, despite the seriousness of the subject matter. slimdan delivers lyrics, like “Maybe I should be someone who listens and not try to fix it… Because sometimes the answers don’t really matter,” but puts an almost playful spin on them with this playful melody.

This is one of those rare instances where a song will work with multiple moods and, thus, multiple playlists. That’s a hint, people– you should take it.

slimdan adds that “Problem Solver” is “a song about being a better listener. sometimes when people vent to me my instinct is to immediately try to resolve the conflict at hand, when all they wanted was someone to listen to what they were going through. This song is about squashing that urge on my end and being more empathetic. I recorded it with Ryan Linvill (Olivia Rodrigo, Chapell Roan, Dermot Kennedy) and am so glad it’s out in the world.” We are too, slimdan… We are too.

-TM