Thursdays with J.R. is our new weekly column from lifelong musician and lifelong-er music fan J.R. McIntire, drummer of Arctic Char and multi-instrumentalist on more projects than we have bandwidth to list.
This week my ears were lucky enough to strip down and dive into the track “Through Tryin'” by Skinny Dippers. Though the title seems dire, the music opens quite optimistically. Cleanly picked guitars wind around the upbeat melody of the bass and tight poppy rhythm of the drums. Whether the vocals are doubled or not, they partner with the mix beautifully. Vocals these days are usually more front forward in the mix but these surround your headspace, drawing you into every word. The lyrics tell a story of someone who is fed up while also honest and relatable. He speaks of things we all have gone through or are going through currently while using descriptive details that put you there. It’s not you, it’s me but seriously I’m not good and we’re not good, so hence you cant be good for me. The tag line is beautiful but solidifies the idea that the storyteller is done putting energy towards this relationship. “Tryin'” is repeated as the bridge builds towards the finale chorus resembling the frustrating cycle of constantly forcing something that just isn’t healthy for anyone. This reminds the listener, hey in case you forgot, I’m done. The song slowly untethers to a beautiful acoustic outro chorus that shows the vocals ARE doubled and just as pretty sharing the mix with the one guitar. Where you may expect it to fade out, a resounding chord with the entire band is our ender. A very pleasing tune, thank you Skinny Dippers. Some great content on their Soundcloud as well, give it a spin, clothing optional.