Waking Ear

Grandaddy/"The Group Who Couldn't Say" -- By far the best song on Sumday. It could easily be a one-off joke -- a bunch of corporate salespeople take a woodlands retreat and go insane. But the sharp, witty lyrics have enough humor in them to withstand repeat listens, and that bass line sounds so warm and fuzzy.

Also it has this line: "And then the supervisor stood Right in the creek and it felt really gooo-ud." I laugh every time I hear it.

I'm not high on Sumday as a whole -- it seems too laconic and washed-out to really inspire me. But I've given it enough repeated listens to sing along to some parts, and it's starting to grow on me.

Which makes me wonder -- could any album -- even the most awful album, which Sumday isn't -- become likable over time if you just listen enough? I'm thinking about all the crappy pop songs -- "I Want It That Way" comes to mind -- that have become so etched in my mind that I'm actually kind of fond of them. Am I just liking Hail to the Thief and Sumday more these days because I keep giving them a chance? Does this happen to anyone else?