The catalogue of ships in Book 2 of Homer’s Iliad might be the least loved book from the ancient Greek poetry classic. Forget stories of romance and martial derring do. The second book is barely more than a list of the numbers and geographical origins of the warriors headed to Troy, rattled off with the diligence of an accountant.

For many it’s a fatal (and early!) roadblock to tackling the epic poem. But the real heads know that it’s the highest test of a poet’s skill to rouse interest purely with the sound of it all.

Lists, catalogues, reams of names like the one Pink Navel strings together in our highlighted track “Character Select” don’t enjoy the luxury of a propulsive narrative to draw the listener in. The naked phonemes and sonic triggers that live in the subliminal world beneath words have to do all the heavy lifting. And if you can get those suckers to lift, the sky is the limit for you, dear poet. Any story you might tell is just icing on the cake. Off the latest LP How To Capture Playful.

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