Ball of Wax 42 Songs: Visceral Candy – The Meaning of Life

Seattle locals Visceral Candy return to Ball of Wax for the second straight volume with their take on “The Meaning of Life.” Like “Catastrophe” from volume 42 and Visceral Candy’s Seth Swift’s other band, Soft Blows (see volume 39), the music is kind of dark and a little bit funky (I immediately fall back on the Afghan Whigs as a reference, please suggest other RIYL bands in the comments, people of the internet). Subtitled “The Red Wheelbarrow,” the song is propelled by a sparse drums and electric bass groove, with Swift’s slinky, semi-R&B voice pleading “so much depends on / a red wheelbarrow.” So, according to Visceral Candy, the meaning of life can be found in the great William Carlos Williams poem “The Red Wheelbarrow,” with commentary from the band in the bridge, with the refrain “it ain’t what you think.” Nicely done, Visceral Candy – there’s lots to chew on there.