'Reading in Bed' by Emily Haines & the Soft Skeleton
Like many DiSsers, I first heard Emily Haines' voice on Broken Social Scene's 'Anthems for a Seventeen Year-Old Girl'. Listening to that song on repeat, it quickly became something of an obsession and found its way onto every CDR-compilation I made from 2002-2004. Even now, a whiff of something similar to that song and go back to it, thinking I'll 'just' play it once or twice and time stands still as it sucks me into its hypnotic vortex.
On meeting Emily Haines - the voice of 'Anthems...' - for the first time (after I licensed Metric's album 'Live it Out' to Drowned in Sound Recordings) I found myself talking about how obsessed I get with songs - obviously omitting the above for fear of sounding like some kinda c-c-crazeee - and Emily started talking about Elliott Smith in the ways that I usually bore people with and she began telling me about her solo album she'd been working on for a few years. And then I heard the record, absolutely adored it and probably against any kind of 'business' 'sense' (as it had already sold a few thousand on import by the time we were able to release it) I HAD to release 'Knives Don't Have Your Back' because its melancholic imagery and wistful charm is kinda the apex of everything I love about music.
And then the reviews began rolling in, filled with Elliott Smith mentions and speculation that the line in "with all the luck you've had, why are your songs so sad" in this song was possibly about him. Maybe it is but it probably isn't, either/or but it doesn't matter because the song itself is a slight delight. If anything, this [roman] candle-lit ode to late nights is about as far from the synth-soaked p.a.r.t.y?-politics of Metric and I know I'm too close to this record but as the brass descends toward the end of this I begin reaching for the repeat button, and maybe, just maybe, I like it more than 'Anthems...' and I don't think there's much higher praise.

Listen to the 65daysofStatic remix: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BLm-WAQEF_0
Metric covering 'Between the Bars' by Elliott Smith: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yM5kCRrZ2ZE
Listen to the original song on DiS' song of the day Spotify playlist: http://open.spotify.com/user/seaninsound/playlist/2X2pqoL4G7glBX4js6MU8K

Thoughts? Marks out of 10?