Inspiration comes from many places. For Jared DeMeester, he found it a quote from the fictional Friends character Phoebe Buffay. She claims, “you can actually see old lobster couples walking around their tanks holding claws.”
That sweet depiction of lifelong lovers birthed the bright and whimsical “Lobster Song”. “Let’s do what lobsters do,” DeMeester breathily whispers. The intimate timbre of his voice drips with his longing desire. “One look—it’s all it took for me to know.”
The bright, staccato, and very melodic vibraphone pops like underwater bubbles. It lifts the swelling strings, balancing the quirky with the intimate. “I’m so glad forever looks like you,” he concludes before the instrumental outro fades to black on this romantic moment.
All along, DeMeester introduces surprising chord changes and interesting timbral choices. The untuned piano brings a raw honesty to the tone that a precise note could never achieve. Even the recording, filled with woody creaks and passing traffic, adds to the authenticity. It’s like Jared sings to you, not to some PR-generated, prefabricated audience.
Stream “Lobster Song” below.
Ben is an advertising Madman who spends his days with words and music. When he’s not writing for his supper, he’s eating it at some of NYC’s most interesting restaurants.
