The sky and my mood were both blue. I sat on the balcony and strummed a tune that Elliott Smith might have played. The song is about failure, but it is more specifically about loving that failure because it is your life and your identity is tied to it. Thank you for listening.

Bass played by Rodney Kirkland
Written, Performed, Mixed, and Mastered by Alan Parr
Recorded by Alan Parr and Rodney Kirkland

Lyrics:

Balcony, blue; confused the muse
with a melody I heard trailing behind
the year is lost in a gray exhaust
divided the time and cut the cost
it's just as well; there's nothing to tell
nothing realized
I fucked myself, nothing but failures
left to prize
so build my defense
of lives denied, pursuits of fame
that came at my own expense
balcony, blue leaves me bemused
but that's okay

No Name + Negative

Balcony, Blue

If this song is about anyone, it's about myself. Perhaps it's about those things I want and can't have, ultimately causing me to pretend I hadn't wanted them in the first place. I don't know. Unfairwell.

Unfairwell

Negative
Written and performed by Alan Parr except Bass performed by Rodney Kirkland
Recorded at home with Pro Tools 8 and FL Studio 11

Negative

All aspects of writing, performing, and producing this track were handled by myself with the exception of Bass Guitar, which was performed by Rodney Kirkland. Recorded, mixed, and mastered at home using Pro Tools 8 and FL Studio 11. Don't let the title of the song fool you. If you don't like this recording, I do not blame myself. I blame you.

I Blame Myself

Another song I wrote, performed, and produced with the help of my good friend, Rodney Kirkland, on the bass guitar. This song is an open letter to that part of myself that drives me to create, sabotages any meaningful pursuits, and makes promises it can't keep. I do hope you enjoy this song. Please let me know what you think, good or bad.

Say You're True, You Lie

Rodney Kirkland on bass guitar. Recorded at home. Thank you, Ward, Arkansas, for nothing and everything. Enjoy the recording.

Nova Ward

Bass performed by Rodney Kirkland. Recorded at home with Pro Tools LE 8 and FL Studio 11. The title is a reference to another song. Let me know if you figure it out. Enjoy.

So Far, So Bad

Bass performed by Derek Mobbs. Additional Bass performed by Rodney Kirkland. Recorded at home with Pro Tools LE 8 and FL Studio 11. This is a song about a return to sanity and reflecting on past hysteria, paranoia, and delusions. It's also about doubting yourself and your perception of reality.

The Grand Premiere

My name is Alan Parr and I'm a songwriter from central Arkansas. I listen to a lot of The Beatles, Elliott Smith, The Beach Boys, and Pink Floyd. Those are the artists that should give you some idea of how I approach music, if not what the finished product is. I write a lot about myself. That's the only topic I feel truly comfortable exploring in song at the moment and most times I don't trust myself to do that. I'm a decent musician with clumsy hands and my voice is inadequate for my ideas, but I make it work. If I feel self-conscious about my ability to perform, then I feel pride at my ability to create. I enjoy constructing chord progressions and melodies. I love to build a song one instrument at a time on a recording and listen to it become (though not always exactly) what I've been hearing in my head. I like to surprise myself and I throw out more songs than I keep. If you like what you hear, let me know. If you don't, let me know. We can argue about it. I really don't have anything better to do. Thank you for listening to my music. Have a pleasant day or night.