One of our favorite albums of the year so far is the first solo album by Eleanor Friedberger of The Fiery Furnaces.  We posted her official video for her brilliant summer song, My Mistakes, during the depths of the coastal June gloom, and it remains one of our favorite songs.  We just found this sweet solo acoustic rendition of the song below as captured by Jeff Martin and Matt Tanski.  And below that is a brand new heart-strings song, Stare At the Sun, done up acoustic by Eleanor (she of the Patti Smith/Feist visual motif).  The song is so new she has to read the lyrics, and the emotion is palpable.  We can’t wait to catch her at The Wiltern on September 10th in LA.

Eleanor Friedberger – My Mistakes from Jeff Martin on Vimeo.

Here’s Stare at the Sun, the lyrics of which are:

“In the back of the taxi, you turned off the TV
And read me a book on your phone
Here’s the return of your skeleton key
Oh baby the places we’ve gone
If that was goodbye then I must be high
You know I’ll be seeing ya soon
If that was goodbye it’ll snow in July,
Like it hailed in the middle of June

If that was goodbye it’ll snow in July
Like it hailed in the middle of June

Give me your toothpaste
Give me your ointment
Give me your body in bed
Keep this in amber
Keep our appointment
Remember the things that we said
If that was goodbye
Then I must be high
You must be the sugar I need
If that was goodbye
Then i am a fly
The future is guaranteed
Because when I’m with you
Everything’s treasure
I forget what it’s like to be gone
Far from the town
In the suburbs of your pleasure
You can tell I was in exile so long
Try not to stare at the sun
Try not to stare at the sun
Try not to stare at the sun

Cooperative coffee and synchronized showers
Try not to look at the clock
Bye to your castle
Wave from the tower
Then drop me a line at the dock
If that was goodbye,
You must be high
and maybe I’m losing the thread
If that was goodbye,
Our sea has run dry
So fill it with tears instead
Because when I’m with you everything’s treasure
I forget what it’s like to be gone
Oh far from the town
In the suburbs of your pleasure
You can tell I was in exile so long
Try not to stare at the sun
Try not to stare at the sun
Try not to stare at the sun”

Eleanor Friedberger – Stare at the Sun from Jeff Martin on Vimeo.