The Latest Obsession: One For the Cutters - The Hold Steady

Today marks the start of a new feature around the blog; The Latest Obsession will showcase any track, blisteringly new or time-worn and rough around the edges, that is being played on repeat in my headphones at the moment, with a brief explanation to why you need to hear this. Today we begin with One For the Cutters by The Hold Steady.

What is it about this dark fairy tale track that holds me in such a tight grip? From the ever brooding drawl of Craig Finn to the complex story of a rich college girl's downfall, I'm hooked from start to finish. Couple the lyrical brilliance with instrumentation that majestically echoes the climaxes and troughs in the tale and you have a timeless song to swoon over.

Backed by a sparse 60s influenced harpsichord which swirls gleefully out of control as the song builds, One For the Cutters is littered with the raw dirt of travellers, bar-fights and illicit sex. With arpeggiated chords twinkling like the sounds of a carnival, the atmosphere for a murder on the outskirts of town is set. My favourite part of the song happens as we learn our heroine's townie lover is a wanted killer. As Finn rasps out "He didn't look that different, except for the blood on his jacket", lead guitarist Tad Kubler storms in with a screeching guitar wail that pins a crescendo onto the very backbone of the song.

Still not convinced? Check this awesome couplet that details the sordid truth of the Ivy elite:

Sniffin' at crystal in cute little cars,
Gettin' nailed against dumpsters behind townie bars

I could go on and on, but if you're anything like me you'll be wanting to check it out for yourself. If you're ready for your latest obsession, get the song here:

The Hold Steady - One For the Cutters

P.S. You know the drill: if you like what you hear, go buy that shizzle!!