Lift me into your mouth

I've documented my longstanding XTC fandom in this space before, and I thought I'd rung that bell enough. But like all my favorite bands, they keep finding ways to nudge themselves to the forefront of my attention. For a bunch of years, I favored their post-punk peak period, but the lush pop craftsmanship of late albums like Nonsuch has been steadily unfolding its charms. Andy Partridge has always been a great—if usually understated—lyricist, and this one is deliriously appropriate for these days when the air itself seems villainous. For a few minutes at least, an ocean wave overtakes a heatwave.

XTC - That Wave