8. Be Safe // Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever
A dark, intense, palpitating high-octane thriller that features spoken word vocals performed by ex-Sonic Youth guitarist Lee Ranaldo and a seemingly never-ending, emo-kid chorus sung by both the Jarmans. The song opens with a morbid yet grimy guitar and bass, Ranaldo’s spoken word piece fluidly combining with the calculated thuds of the drums. Throughout Ranaldo’s verse, the Jarmans’ chants of “Be safe, be safe, be safe, be safe…” are repeated over and over, macabre and brooding, before exploding into a violent yet sweetly tender chorus: “I know a place we can go, where you’ll fall in love so hard that / you’ll wish you were dead…” It is a grunge anthem that teeters on the gritty and the ardent, all three voices of Ranaldo’s and both Jarman brothers interlacing into a melodic, sombre masterpiece.