Ben Smith

This song is the result of loving Strand of Oaks’ new single, “Goshen ‘97.” New favorite songs always make me want to go write a song of my own–to enter the conversation. I want to walk around in that song. Mine certainly isn’t an “answer song”–that song needs no answer from me. Heck, that song is the answer. Still it got me to write this new song “Squelchtown (or Bust)” and I’m thankful for that.

We had our own Goshen in '97–East and West Goshen are just between where I grew up in Malvern and where I live now in West Chester, PA. Like the Strand of Oaks song, we had basements and Casios, and my dad had an old tape machine–although by 1997 I had already moved out for good. 

My old band, Missing Palmer West, played a show with Tim from Strand of Oaks and The Mural & The Mint, back in 2010 at Johnny Brenda’s in Philly. It was just Tim and a guitar but his voice just about knocked me out. My former colleague Kathy came and watched that night–fresh from retirement. She came by herself but never looked lonely listening to those songs of his. 

Years ago, still in the basement, we used to refer to our suffocating suburb as “Squelchtown.” I swear my friend Matt came up with that term, but he wasn’t able to confirm that fact recently. It was an apt term–it’s a good way of describing any old, familiarly worn-out place. 

I couldn’t take Tim’s cue to remove any metaphors. I fell in love with a line I came up with– “you’d follow the lights but they’re wrapped up in kites”–and I was done for. I could pretend that I mean it literally, but that’s besides the point now. 

But given the choice of Squelchtown (or Bust), I’ll choose"bust.“ That’s what "Goshen '97” does for me. It makes me feel like running down the street and tearing down some banner stretched between two street lights–or something like that.