Eyes black and blue from the war

This one just kills me. Whenever it comes on the iPod, I stop what I'm doing, stare into space, and lose myself in the gorgeous piano and harmonies.

You may recall my writing about The Speakers, a duo who preyed upon my English major soul by sending me Yeats Is Greats, a record partly comprised of lyrics by W.B. Yeats. It was surprisingly good, and I was eager to hear what else they had up their sleeves.

The Lightning Bug Situation - Message To Myself After Franny Was Born.

The Lightning Bug Situation is basically a solo moniker for Brian Miller, one half of The Speakers. His new record A Leaf; A Stream is about many things - growing older, the war in Iraq, friendship. This song is about his new daughter (who is, according to his liner notes, "obsessed with trying to stand"), and, like I said, just wrecks me every time I hear it. Those vocals, that piano, that weepy George Harrison guitar solo. It's the perfect length, sliding in quietly and leaving after only two minutes and forty-six seconds.

You can buy A Leaf; A Stream from The Speakers website.