Ball of Wax 66 Songs: Virgin of the Birds – “Dreaming with the Hobgoblin”

I think Jon Rooney/Virgin of the Birds first shared his minimalist, synthy side with us on Ball of Wax 53, with his simmering meditation “The Earth Won’t Die, We Will.” He hasn’t stopped writing erudite pop songs, but I appreciate that he’s continuing to explore and share this side of his musical psyche. “Dreaming with the Hobgoblin,” as you might imagine, conjures a dreamlike state, albeit with some dark, foreboding themes. (Maybe it’s me, but as much as I love a long, low, droning bass note, my brain is almost always going to perceive it as dark and foreboding.) Melodic and almost-percussive elements chime in here and there over the subtly-shifting low-end swell, but the mood remains static, perhaps like one of those dreams where you’re just sitting in a room looking out the window and trying to remember who you are. Despite the somber mood and simple arrangement, the piece’s six minutes go by all too quickly, and once it’s over I need more, like trying to find my way back into a dream after a premature awakening.