Shadow Of The Season (track) by Screaming Trees

From soundguardian 05/20/2013 09:55

The narrator struggles to find a purpose, a significance for existing in a state of depressed spirit during "the shadow of the season", probably an analogy to a rough time in his life. This is truly contemplation of suicide: "the Hour is ending, can't you see there is no way now, to get free?", "in a world of hurting, I'm moving on".

He turns to religion, but find no fulfillment there, cast away by God, who can only explain to the narrator that "there's pain and misery" which is inevitable and intrinsic to life. So what then? Naturally, the narrator finds some solace in some "sweet oblivion", which "feels alright" and who "calls [him] onward to her side and feels her song deep inside". This 'sweet oblivion' [eponymous lyrics of the album's title] could conceivably be anything that gives the narrator some comfort from the harsh realities of consciousness, but in the context of early 90's rock bands, it might be another metaphorical allusion to a drug, namely heroin.

As usual, the energetic drumming by Barrett Martin is of highest quality, the jagged guitar scorches your senses, and Mark Lanegan's robust baritone voice shines (it's at once silky and strident, somehow). The intermission's ascending line leading to an almost chaotic climax of repeated sequences of notes stands out on this track. The presence of guitar solos is something that sets The Screaming Trees apart from a lot of their contemporaneous grunge peers, and this one is pretty interesting - not overwhelming, but its direct assault to the senses is a change of pace from the rugged sound of the guitars ripping throughout the background of the chorus and verse sections of "Shadow of the Season".

Sweet stuff!