Redd Kross, "I Don't Know How to Be Your Friend" - Song of the Week

For this song of the week, I've mined a power pop gem.

To celebrate the release of a brand new album by punk/power pop hybrid Red Kross, I invite you to go back in time to 1990 and listen to the band’s torn and lovesick “I Don’t Know How to Be Your Friend.”

Be warned; this one is a bit of a bummer. With the opening lines yearning and depressed, “I looked at my face this morning/I just couldn't comb my hair/Ate two candy bars for breakfast/Guess I really didn't care.” The song bursts with melancholic and unsatisfied emotion, telling the story of a breakup and wanting desperately to hold on to friendship but hopelessly unable to.

It’s a devastatingly sad song in lyrics and tone, the verses billowing with soft acoustics and bluesy pedal steel guitars. However, the track is uplifted with an empowering power pop chorus that confronts the confusing feelings head-on.

So, with Halloween just around the corner, I implore you to confront some terrifying feelings with this potent, beautiful, and intelligent song, and while you’re at it, check out Red Kross’s new self-titled album.

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