by Pat Pilch (@apg_gomets)
Old Joy’s “Cinco De Mayo” is Alex Reindl’s everything song. Written on dog walks, the Austin-by-Chicago’s latest number is the answer to his own question; “If I could only ever write one song, what would I want to say?” At eight minutes, it’s Old Joy’s epic, a grand reflection of the beginning, the middle, and the end. It feels like thumbing through every picture relevant to your life.
Alex Reindl is a poetic genius and a couplet master. Picked apart, "Cinco de Mayo” has plenty two-liners to chew on, each offering a vivid or poetic snapshot of love, pain, purpose, addiction, and everything in between. Reindl is joined by his band a third of the way through before their exit in the final stanza. Instead of going up in flames, we’re left with the ashes.
Reindl shares in the press release: “You’re born alone, you die alone, you think alone, but for a beautiful few minutes you have everything that matters in your life all there, swirling around you, and you really need to enjoy it while it’s there.” Pretty neat.
“Cinco de Mayo” is the third single from Old Joy’s upcoming full length Why Burn Bridges You Can Live Under, which is out on Candlepin Records on September 1. Listen to “Cinco de Mayo” below: