In its original form, “Should Have Taken Acid With You” stood as a master stroke of slacker longing, young Alan Palomo swooning over warping synths with a mellow, half-awake hazy regret for a lost chance at love, or maybe a high, or at least a nice memory. Call it the hypnagogic (or maybe amniotic) blues. Now the song’s fallen into the hands of the even younger CMJ hero Brad Oberhofer. I make age an issue because it’s interesting to hear a sound and lyric rooted in regretful hindsight and lost memories channeled through ever younger guys with so few years to look back on.

Both serve their version of the lament well, though their styles and feelings are markedly different. The difference begins with the synths, starry and romantic in Neon Indian’s instance, more aggressive and pronounced for Oberhofer. But the contrast is embodied most in their voices: Palomo is resigned, romantic, accepting; Brad’s fills his track more urgently, letting out a low-mixed guttural howl, later a heavily processed whoop. In the end, Alan is sweetly acknowledging a mistake was made. Brad is aching to make sure that mistake is never made again.

Both versions:

Oberhofer – “Should Have Taken Acid With You (Neon Indian Cover)”

Original:

Neon Indian – “Should Have Taken Acid With You”

Oberhofer’s going on tour, lots of dates for 2011:

01/12 – Larsen Student Union – Grantham, PA

01/13 – Brillobox – Pittsburgh, PA

01/14 – The Basement – Columbus, OH

01/15 – Lincoln Hall – Chicago, IL

01/17 – The Drake Hotel – Toronto, ON

01/18 – Casa Del Popolo – Montreal, QC

01/19 – The Monkey House – Winooski, VT

01/20 – Bowery Ballroom – New York, NY

01/22 – Glasslands Gallery – Brooklyn, NY

01/26 – Billiken Club – St. Louis, MO

01/27 – Gardner Lounge @ Grinnell College – Grinnell, IA

01/28 – High Noon Saloon – Madison, WI

01/31 – Grog Shop – Cleveland Heights, OH

02/01 – The Blind Pig – Ann Arbor, MI

02/03 – Paradise – Boston, MA

02/05 – Johnny Brenda’s – Philadelphia, PA

02/07 – Rock and Roll Hotel – Washington, DC

02/08 – Jefferson Theater – Charlottesville, VA

02/09 – Grey Eagle – Asheville, NC

02/10 – Cat’s Cradle – Carrboro, NC

02/11 – The Earl – Atlanta, GA

02/12 – Mercy Lounge – Nashville, TN

02/14 – The Bottletree – Birmingham, AL

02/17 – Fitzgerald’s – Houston, TX

02/18 – Emo’s – Austin, TX

02/19 – The Loft – Dallas, TX

02/21 – Sticky Fingerz Chicken Shack – Little Rock, AR

02/23 – Mojo’s – Columbia, MO

02/22 – The Opolis – Norman, OK

02/24 – The Waiting Room – Omaha, NE

02/25 – First Avenue – Minneapolis, MN

[Photo by ithinkyoureswell.com]