Before I get all analytical, I must say that above all else: this song is beautiful.
With their poignancy regained, the true depth and maturity of Nada Surf is explored in this, the first single off of their January release, The Stars Are Indifferent to Astronomy. The song accurately reflects the lyrics, as a light carefree tune is redirected into a focused review of what it’s like to dream as a kid, when limitations and objections seemed so… adult.
The song is handled by Ira Elliot (Vulcan Death Grip/The Fuzztones) who uses the drums not as pacemakers or accessories, but as to complement everything else going on, allowing every other sound put into the recording to shine a bit brighter. The guitar makes a smooth transition from acoustic to electric, but the distortion does not take away form the clarity of what’s going on, and the vocals help ease the transition. Matthew Caws (guitar/vocals) provides a snapshot of what it’s like to look back on his own life, and lets us in on his question posed throughout the song, “I wonder what was that world I was dreaming of?”