Song of the Day: Spiral Stairs - Trams (Stole My Love)

Every Monday through Friday, we deliver a different song as part of our Song of the day podcast subscription. This podcast features exclusive KEXP in-studio performances, unreleased songs, and recordings from independent artists that our DJ’s think you should hear. Today’s song, featured on the Midday Show with Cheryl Waters, is “Trams (Stole My Love)” by Spiral Stairs, from the 2017 album Doris and the Daggers on Nine Mile Records.

Spiral Stairs - Trams (Stole My Love) (MP3)Scott Kannberg helped form the voice of 90's rock as a key member and songwriter of Pavement. And while Pavement didn't make it as a band past the 20th century, Kannberg kept busy with his own label and Preston School of Industry, a band he formed soon after Pavement's demise. The most exciting solo endeavor Kannberg pursued however, was certainly his solo project Spiral Stairs. Backed by members of Preston School of Industry, Spiral Stairs kept the looseness and clever lyrics of Pavement but injected a new blend of soul and folk into them. The 2009 release of Spiral Stairs' debut album The Real Feel along with a 2010 Pavement reunion gave Pavement fans and fans of good music in general plenty to cheer about. However, the reunion ended, Kannberg moved to Australia, and Spiral Stairs went silent for eight long years. A follow up album was planned for 2015 before the death of Preston School of Industry member Darius Minwalla derailed those plans. Kannberg brought the shock of the death, along with the experiences and woes of growing older to the studio and began working on what would become Doris & the Daggers. The 2017 album, which features Broken Social Scene's Justin Peroff and Kevin Drew as well as the National's Matt Berninger, is packed full of mellow, emotionally charged songs that benefit from Kannberg's deep grainy vocals. The album is packed full of horns, organs and synths, but is arranged expertly to give Kannberg's voice the needed space and sparseness to thrive.

Song of the day "Trans (Stole My Love)" is a perfect example of this, as it features a guitar solo, a saxophone interlude and horns throughout, yet these sounds never impede on the slow rumbling melody. The song swings like a Sunday, moving slowly but purposefully through past heartbreak. "Trans (Stole My Love)" may be cleaner and more heavily produced than any Pavement song, but as the music cuts out to Kannberg begging "don't make that call," it's evident he still has that magic touch that helped bring Pavement to greatness so many years ago.

If you missed Spiral Stairs in Seattle in April, keep on eye on their website and Facebook for tour updates. In the meantime, checkout Spiral Stairs play Doris and the Daggers track "Exiled Tonight" live at the KEXP studio below: