Spain
She Haunts My Dreams
Restless Records
Release Date: August 1999
I only listened to the latest Spain record, "She Haunts My Dreams," after much prodding. From everything I had read, it just didn't sound interesting. Each article simply stated the obvious: Jazz progeny makes sad sappy songs about love and loss for all the forlorn souls of the world. I really saw no need for a thorough listen.
In fact, I've had my fill of songwriters claiming to have captured the human experience of love. The majority of these "poets" simply rehash old metaphors and attempt to play on the emotions of everyone whose loss of this month's love happened to coincide with their record's release. Luckily, for these moping minstrels, there's always another breakup somewhere to give their music meaning in the shallowest sense. But no matter what my superficial sentiments were, I decided to give Spain a try.
And to be completely truthful, at first, I was still not moved. Simple acoustic love songs. Nothing more. But for some unknown reason, I found myself going back to She Haunts My Dreams.
I kept telling myself that I was just trying to prove to myself that it wasn't really that great of a record. So I listened again. And again. After a week or so I had to accept the truth. I forced myself to realize that my passing interest had become an infatuation. After a week more I found that my infatuation had grown into something completely more dangerous. I fell in love with every song. I knew none of the song titles, nor did I really know the lyrics to any particular track. But I felt every song and every chord.
This not a record to which one simply listens and enjoys. Josh Haden forces his listeners to feel everything love has ever taught him. For that reason, She Haunts My Dreams is more than good music, it is a pure and honest glimpse into the human experience of love.
-- Miguel Banuelos
banuelos@outersound.com
