The Loop : Limbeck - Hi, Everything's Great

Limbeck - Hi, Everything's Great (2003)

This falls into the category of "albums that were around when I was in high school, but I actually discovered in college". Limbeck had already well lived up to its full name of "The Travelin' Limbeck Band" at the point when I heard about them. They had undoubtedly come up on flyers of various shows I did or did not attend as they frequented the southwest, hailing from Orange County themselves. It was only until I met my friend Si during freshman year of college, and after batting around a few similar artists, we had one of those truly High Fidelity moments of:

"Don't tell anyone you don't own Hi, Everything's Great. It's gonna be okay."

There are so many tracks on this album that not only work me up into a nostalgic frenzy, but calm me down with a sense of home. It's ironic, since it follows several transient themes : honking and waving to someone on the 8 . . or the 22, in rush hour traffic . . . meeting at Albatross and Ivy . . . . girls who say they're from Ohio . . . or California . . . or whatever. This is definitely an "endless summer" sort of record, with some incredible pop songs down the road. Not to mention after seeing them play at least two dozen times, they're the most genuinely happy live band I've ever seen. This band and this album are unapologetically optimistic about whatever lies ahead, which I can only hope to be.