Ball of Wax 36 Songs: Emory Liu – “Irish Goodbye”

It’s been quite some time since we’ve had a song from Emory Liu on Ball of Wax – half as long as BoW has existed, in fact. (Emory and I collaborated on Volume 18, “One Minute Singles,” for which he provided the track “Misfortune Cookie.”) Emory – whom you might remember for his drum work with Seattle post-rock juggernaut Joy Wants Eternity – has not been particularly prolific with his solo output, but whenever I get something from him it’s a delight. Something about the minimalist production, Emory’s unassuming vocal delivery, the finger-picked acoustic guitar, and the slightly twisted pop sensibility of “Irish Goodbye” call to mind some of Jim O’Rourke’s best work, which is something I’m always happy to be reminded of. I sincerely hope he has a proper solo release in the works. If not, though, this is why I started this dang thing in the first place, to get these strange and beautiful songs that might not otherwise be heard out into the world. Enjoy!