There’s no other way to say I need my spaceīut Tess can also be lighthearted and downright funny. Her new single “Not In The Mood” perfectly captures the relationship ennui that the other Henley often sang about. Singer-songwriter Tess Henley should consider changing her name to Dawn Henley because many of her songs have the world-weary sophistication of The Eagles’ frontman. As the band jam lazily away into that warm summer night, you realize that whichever party they’re playing at, it’s one you’ll want to gatecrash. That gives it a strength and a quality that bears multiple replays.

The lyrics are just ambiguous enough to keep you guessing throughout.Īfter the “flood” comes a spritely and beautifully played organ solo, and in the last verse, my favourite lyric of the song:Īgain the title is not quite correctly pronounced, so that Wynn’s idiosyncratic vocal delivery continues to trip you up to the end.Īll the parts of “Simpler Than the Rain” connect so well together, but not in the way you might expect. Why is the rain more complicated? Does it amplify the pain he’s feeling? Does it make all the parts of love more complex as he watches it fall? At least it’s simpler “till the floods come back once again.” Perhaps the flood washes all the feelings away for him. Indeed, he doesn’t even seem to sing the words right it sounds like ‘slimper than the rain’ and any predictability you might be expecting from the track stops right there.Īpparently ‘the pain,’ which could be attributed to a failed relationship which he would like to rekindle, is ‘simpler than the rain’ which is a fascinating concept. But throughout this, Wynn’s singing undermines the familiar sounds of organ and slide guitar by stuttering the first time he sings the title. The way the band plays evokes a bunch of friends who have gathered spontaneously at some summer party to try out their latest song and get couples dancing with a sweet country vibe. His edgy drawl’s DNA might be more likely to be heard in indie rock (and his work with The Dream Syndicate suggests this is the case) but here it gives the whole song a weird and highly refreshing edge. “Simpler Than the Rain” starts in an easy way with acoustic guitar, but after the band gently kicks in, the song’s warm and slightly loose playing is given an unusual tension as Steve Wynn starts singing.

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