#19
John Maus: “Hey Moon”
[from We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves / Upset The Rhythm] 

I’ve put a lot of polish on my extreme obsession with the music of John Maus over the past year. Between We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves and the compilation of “unworthy” tracks recorded for that aforementioned album, I’ve had a lot of material to immerse myself in. Maus is a fearless musician. Whether it be on tape, in performance or during an interview, Maus never holds back any part of himself. It’s a quality that has gotten him into various bouts of trouble, but has put him in a small class of musicians and personalities that I deeply respect from every angle.

Among the chaos that erupts on We Must Become The Pitiless Censors Of Ourselves, “Hey Moon” stands out as the one seemingly sentimental number. Like Geppetto from Pinocchio and Fievel from An American Tale, Maus joins a long tradition of heroes making their pleas to the moon. It’s achingly beautiful.