With shimmering instrumentation from the very beginning, the new tune from Jeff, Mario and Shena, collectively known as Gainesville, Florida’s indie/dream pop group Light Ages, conjures musical images of Beach House, The Sundays and recent discovery Mannequin Flowers, as it takes us on a melancholy nostalgic journey down memory lane.
The backstory behind the song is beautiful and tragic, with singer Shena explaining, “When Mario brought me this song and told me it was called Street Signs, it immediately reminded me of how my older sister used to steal street signs when she was 17. My most vivid memory is when we were driving up to Gainesville from Tarpon. I was following her car. My car’s heat gauge needle swung to overheat, and steam was coming out of the hood. I had to pull over to the side of I-75, and I watched her car drive away. I just sat there in the car on the side of the road. I had no phone. I figured I would have to start hiking to an interstate pay phone they used to have on the side of the road in those days.
But then, to my joy and amusement, there was my sister coming from the opposite side of the interstate, driving madly across the grass median to get to me. She then crossed the Northbound lanes over to the side where I was and parked behind me. She got out of her car and ran to get in my car, and we hugged and cried. She said she kept looking behind her but didn’t see me, so she came back to get me. I wish she were still with us. She passed at age 37, along with her baby boy. The lyrics to this song are a tribute to that time in our life, and Mario’s melodies and Jeff’s guitar parts take me back to driving with her”.
It’s a fitting tribute to someone who was obviously very special and whose short life left a lasting impact on those around her, most notably her eternally grateful sister.
The instrumentation is stunning throughout, with chiming guitars and subtle, sombre synths. It’s tasteful, characterful, and, crucially, it stands up entirely on its own, even without the context of the backstory.
Written by Kinda Grizzly
