Red Mosquito

Porch vs. Inside Job vs. Sirens

Porch. The other two shouldn’t even get a vote.

What wease said.

Porch hasn't been exciting to me since like '97. These days I'm more likely to reach for Inside Job. I thought that song hit some amazing heights during the S/T tour.

What a doofus

this is good work, rm

tragabigzanda wrote:Porch hasn't been exciting to me since like '97.

ok, ok, fine

tragabigzanda wrote:These days I'm more likely to reach for Inside Job.

what the fuck!?

hey Pete. You weighed in on Earthling yet?

i have not

I’m totally bored with Porch but it’s still obviously the choice.

Norris wrote:i have not

your opinion matters

tragabigzanda wrote:

Norris wrote:i have not

your opinion matters

No it doesnt.

Much like your opinion on Inside Job.

It sucks.

Porch rules.

Porch has made 11 top 32s, putting it in rare company. Alive, Black, Release and Immortality share that record, with RVM and Corduroy clocking in 12 and Long Road, In My Tree and Hail, Hail clocking in 13.

Porch's best performance was a close-fought final against Corduroy in 2007.

Inside Job has made the top 32 once, way back in 2007.

Sirens has never made it past round 2.

Porch is a top 5 song for me.

Inside Job is an easy song to root for, despite its flaws. It's hard not to want to give Mike the win given the subject matter and everything. And it has a nice build. But it doesn't quite peak the way it needs to, and for a song so personal to him, you'd think it would have an epic solo.

I kind of love Sirens, despite and because of what it is. A whole album of Sirens would wear thin, but it's another fairly singular moment in the catalog - a sweet and moving genre exercise with a huge performance that avoids becoming overwrought, a compelling melody, a nice message, and good, if straightforward, music (i really like how Stone colors the song). It does need a better solo, though. L-Bolt is a weird album for Mike. He is terrific in Lightning Bolt and Mind Your Manners, and LTRP is fun, but Sirens, Swallowed Whole, Yellow Moon, and Sleeping By Myself all have huge solo moments that end up falling a little flat.

Anyway, I'd love to vote for Sirens, but I can't over Porch. Not even to show it some love



There is a gourmet cookie shop near me my wife visited yesterday. I'm eating a cornbread cookie. Holy shit. It's the porch of cookies for me.

I'll throw Sirens some love.

It's Porch.

I think Sirens hears the Sirens.

Stip is spot on about "Inside Job." It's the kind of song that could have been something more. It has the DNA of Mike's other epic-style songs like "Faithfull," "Present Tense," or "Given to Fly," but it doesn't fully capitalize on any of that lineage. Everything feels lackluster, so you don't really believe the struggle was successful.

Unsurprisingly, "Sirens" end up in a similar neutered position, also being written by Mike and during the band's oft-referenced creative lull. Though it's also clear that "Sirens" wasn't reaching to be an epic like "Inside Job," but instead a ballad about fear of loss just when everything feels like it's fallen into place. On that score, it does its job dutifully and honestly, but it can never shake the yoke of its hokeyness. For me, the song simply exists, no love, no hate.

I forgot until I was just looking at writing credits that "Porch" was written by Eddie. It fits in so well with the musical DNA of the rest of Ten, that I was pretty sure it was a Stone or Jeff song. I've had my time where the song has hung low in my interest, but just listening through now, it sounds almost fresh. Jeff's bass work is especially a highlight, nimble and deep, able to keep up and drive the song's ever-increasing intensity. It's wonderful to return to a really good song after stepping away for a while. "Porch" easily takes this match, no contest.

Definitely a Porch vote here, but worth noting that every time I listen to Sirens I can't believe it's almost six-minutes long. It manages to just glide by, doing what it does and never seeming to drag.