A Song You Should Hear: Nada Surf - "In Front of Me Now"
New from a band that never fails to make amazing music
I’m easily prone to go overboard without a life raft over Nada Surf so I’ll try and be brief. Their music hits me on every level. First, nearly every song just sticks in my head. Second, the lyrics are always interesting and often hit me on a sheer emotional level. Every album sounds great, too. I’m going to quickly run out of adjectives, especially for their new single.
From their new album, moon mirror, out September 13 comes this gem, “In Front of Me Now.” Its immediately vaulted to the top of my personal power rotation.
About the song, from Nada Surf’s Facebook page:
this song is about doing too many things at once. a couple of years ago i was vacuuming the house while wearing noise-canceling headphones when my wife asked me to run a bath. i started the water and went back to vacuuming and... totally forgot about the bath. ten minutes later all the smoke alarms were going off (they have a flooding sensor) and i had a disaster on my hands. everything ended up fine, no permanent damage, but my ears were ringing from turning the alarms off and i felt really dumb. while driving a couple of days later, feeling better, i started to hum a tune about wanting to be present for everything from now on. one thing at a time. well i'm gonna try at least!
LYRICS:
i used to be dreaming when i was driving
i used to be leaving when i was arriving
i used to be calling when i was walking
i used to be thinking when i was talking
i used to be counting when i was sharing
i used to be blanking when i was staring
i used to be rolling when i was parking
i used to be raining when i was sparking
today, i do what's in front of me now
today, i do what's in front of me now
i used to be stopping while i was trying
i used to be landing before i was flying
i used to be haunting not just remembering
in the middle of summer, i was decembering
always re-writing what i was reading
but also doubting what i was conceiving
i used to be dropping when i was collecting
i could have been building, but i was dissecting
today, i do what's in front of me now
today, i do what's in front of me, what's in front of me
i do what's in front of me now
i used to be missing when i was kissing
why wasn't i present? i could have been living
i used to be dodging when i was catching
i used to be dying, i could have been hatching
i used to be drowning when i was drinking
i was only masking, i could have been feeling
you used to surround me whenever you found me
i could have learned more from the friends i had ‘round me
i used to be falling when i was leaning
catastrophe courting, i could have been dreaming
i was careening, looking for meaning
wish i was relaxing, i could have been breathing
today, i do what's in front of me now
today, i do what's in front of me, what's in front of me
oh there's too many lanes
there's too much to see in the frame at once
there's too much to contain
oh there's too much terrain
i can never explain it all
it's too much for my brain
today, i do what's in front of me, what's in front of me
i do what's in front of me now
© 2024 New West Records, LLC
While I was really late to this genuinely great band - when Nada Surf first broke in the 90’s with “Popular” I just didn’t dig that song, then, and never checked them out further. Until about 10+ years ago, and I’ve since made up for lost time, devouring every album and seeing them every time they come town. In fact, tickets went on sale today for their upcoming tour!