"It began as a joke", says Southey. "Well it's still a joke. You can't take the title seriously. But it began as something I said to myself mid-writing session, totally understanding even in the moment I sounded like a cartoon villain music manager, but there was no cigar was present. No feet up on a desk."

"I Think I Smell a Melody" is acoustic guitar-based, like his previous single "Never Listen", but that's about where the similarities end. "Never Listen" was tight, and it popped; this, on the other hand, is a photo out of focus. "I Think I Smell a Melody" begins with loosely double-tracked vocals and rhythm guitar, until a smear of mellotron, cello, and strings enters and completes the personality of the song: A roiling pool of half-warnings of instability and spring imagery.

Maybe this sounds dark. It's not. The song is light, beginning to end. Something something "makes the medicine goes down".

Eschewing the high quality of Union Sound Studio in Toronto, Southey moved back to his modest production roots: The majority of the recording was done in his Toronto condo bedroom with one guitar and some simple laptop instrumentation. Once the full demo (including arrangements) was done on Southey's end, he passed the recording, as well as the individual recording stems, on to returning mixing and mastering engineer, and producer of Southey's last few projects, Alex Gamble, who re-constructed "I Think I Smell a Melody" to great effect; an old body in a tailored suit.

No, "I Think I Smell A Melody" was not an obvious choice for a second single. There were other tracks on the upcoming Entertainers Bring May Flowers LP that were shoo-ins.

But where's the fun in that?

- Oh Marlene Music PR


P.S.
Support local musicians. Support music. I know. "Woe is me". But also you'll pay $5 dollars for coffee every day and not $6 to have an EP forever and support music. Paying for Spotify is not supporting music. It is actively hurting everyone except the big guys. People must stop prioritizing convenience over everything else. Do not wonder why in five or ten years your favourite local bands have died off. We are doing every single thing ourselves. Sorry to be a downer. Enjoy the song as a pick-me-up.

- Alex Southey