Happy NPR Song of the (Fri)Day

I'm starting to get to the point where I can guess (accurately) the person in charge of the day's song of the day just by looking at the artist and song.

Friday's pick: "Samson" by Regina Spektor (streaming audio available at the link)

This is clearly Stephen Thompson, and it's a good Friday because of that.

For all its thematic ambition and Biblical allusions, "Samson" functions best as a subtle character sketch, but it also makes a grand showcase for Spektor's knockout arrangement. When a wave of minor-key synths rolls in during the sweetly melancholy chorus -- just as she hits the words, "Your hair was long when we first met" -- the resulting sound is moving to a degree that's practically paralyzing.

WELL DONE. TGIF.

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