I think it's a parallel fifths thing he stole from a monk somewhere, but the opening harmonies here feel decidedly spiritual, in a very Tibetan I-want-the-knife sort of way. Then the premise turns out to be us, and who we think we are, and you start saying, hey he's talking about me.

This is the kind of song we need right now, which is mellow, reflective, soothing, and just a tiny bit of message: we are all just people. This place needs to work for all of us. Parker Ainsworth takes a Petty-style drum groove and infuses some deep vocals, an in-crowd vibe, and a monastic harmony. The political tone of the lyrics just adds to the sense of cool.

Parker Ainsworth was born in Texas and lives in Los Angeles. This song is featured on our Roots Collection playlist.