From The Desk Of Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws: The Reigning Sound’s “Bad Man”

Nada Surf’s Matthew Caws isn’t big on organized religion, but when the spirit does move him, it always has a soundtrack. And that soundtrack has come a long way over the last 16 years. You’d be hard-pressed to discern so much as a whiff of snarky 1996 hit “Popular” amid the bracing, impeccably crafted power pop the trio hammers out with breathless efficiency on its new release, The Stars Are Indifferent To Astronomy (Barsuk). The transportive power of music is something Caws touches on quite frequently on Astronomy—that is, when he can tear himself away from more pressing concerns for our fucked-up planet. Caws will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our new Q&A with him, and check out our cover story on Nada Surf in last month’s issue of MAGNET.

Caws: I have watched this Reigning Sound video dozens and dozens of times. Everything about it appeals to me. The song, the audience, the way it’s shot and, most of all, Greg Cartwright’s unbelievable performance. The words “like a man possessed” would be very accurate here. His whole body is shaking, his right arm barely keeping up with the furious tempo. The first time around the words, he sings, “I’m no good for you,” but the second time it’s, “I’m still too good for you.” This little detail makes the sentiment of the song come alive for me. He’s both processing and taking shelter from his pain in the healing arms of some very fiery rock ‘n’ roll.

Video after the jump.