LogFAQs > #955805456

141. Elbow One Day Like This (2008)
from the album The Seldom Seen Kid

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mCJ7keVBj6Y

Key lyrics:
Throw those curtains wide
One day like this a year would see me right

It is easy to trace the origins of One Day Like This. In many ways, Elbow come off as the less popular twin of Coldplay. Meaning, both bands clearly take after the lighter songs by Radiohead circa The Bends. With Radiohead quickly drifting toward the experimental, this is a rare case where shameless imitation is respectable. Elbow and Coldplay offer a window into what could have been if Radiohead stuck with this light alternative sound. One Day Like This is a rare example where I actually prefer the imitation Elbow spent years mastering this style, and this particular track carries an astronomical weight.

When someone refers to a rock song as epic, certain concepts come to mind. Almost certainly, there has to be a scene stealing guitar solo somewhere. One Day Like This is an epic in its own distinct way. It comes off almost like a progressive wedding song. The definitive element is a soaring string section, ebbing and flowing throughout the first half before erupting into that colossal finale. Guy Garveys voice captures a sense of elation as he remarks upon a most wondrous day. Though the lyrics threatens the obvious fact that such moments are rare, Elbow absolutely live in this serenity. The outro takes up the entire back half of the song, a dozen voices singing in harmony. Without a trace of sentimentality, One Day Like This manages to create an overwhelmingly joyful atmosphere.

---

My top 100 games (with write-ups): https://foolfantastic.com/top-100-video-games-project/