I remember watching a video essay about horror soundtracks, and how they often feature the most beautiful music as a way of relieving tension. It remarked that the counter to horror wasn’t music that was bright and joyous, but rather sounds that were calm and peaceful. A brief moment of respite like the eye of a hurricane. In some strange way this song reminds me of that philosophy. The title track of Lily Kershaw’s latest album, ‘Pain & More’ lives in the shadow of heartbreak, full of a wistful yearning for brighter days. Yet the antidote for that pain isn’t a balm of grand overwhelming joy, the days that Lily longs for aren’t the greatest days of her life. Instead the remedy for heartache lies in simple pleasures, the kind often taken for granted. The true best days of our lives are the unremarkable ones we forget about. The song’s lyrics speak of merely having enough fuel in the car and money in the bank to get by, its video a nostalgic reflection on a quaint afternoon at the arcade. The sparse bittersweet arrangement and Lily’s bright Joni Mitchell-esque vocals offering a peaceful oasis, the eye of the storm safe from the horrors of heartache.