I first heard "A Little Lost" at a dorm event when I lived on Broome Street. It was "Freeform Music Night" hosted by Prof. Bryan Waterman in his faculty apartment. My friend Kelly played it and we were all silent. At least that's where I think I heard it first. Since that night, I've been going in and out of hours that turn into days that turn into weeks where that song is all I want to hear.
This first installment from YouTube is the original song. Given my penchant for marine life, it's like the person knew I would need a video like this to supplement my life on a regular basis.
The second version is from Jens Lekman, a Swedish singer/songwriter. He uses a pretty cool little instrument called the kalimbo and I like what he does with the melody. This is an instance where poor video quality "works."
I've been watching various live versions and whatnot that he does with the song. It's calming. He takes it so slow, like he's forfeiting his feelings. Plucking away at the thumb piano, it's a delicate and pretty way of "giving up" and finally getting it all out there. A musical sigh. It's a bright, at times, like when he sings "I'm so busy, so busy/ Thinkin' aboutttttt kissin' you." And then it goes back to contemplative and confessional and grave, as if being pulled back down to reality.
Russell's version is driven and a little hypnotic. I think it's way more playful and sweeping than Jens' version. I like how he delivers parenthetically: "I'm a little lost/ Without you (but that could be an understatement)." It's funnier. The punctuation and delivery throughout his version is funnier. And more hopeful, like he's trying to win someone over by being a little self-deprecating and amusing. Hmm...sounds familiar! We have similar styles, haha.
Depending on my mood, I go back and forth between the two. Somedays I listen to both several times, back to back.
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