Another resonating track from The Goodbye Radio, “That’s the Point” enamors with its jangly rock radiance and relatable perspectives on disillusionment from the daily grind. Part of their upcoming album, In This Sleeping City, “That’s the Point” marks another success from the songwriting partnership of Mike Aronow and Jeff Walsh, conjuring a sound that reminds enjoyably of acts like Teenage Fanclub, Big Star, and R.E.M. — and making for an excellent follow-up to the previously featured “Twisted Time Travelers.”
Initial lyrical perspectives of “weather the storm” proves enamoring alongside a peppy bass line, which bridges together jangling guitar enjoyment and a title-touting affirmation — culminating in an adoring “I love you” vocal soaring; the vocal harmonies in that particular section envelop, particularly in their final higher-pitched allure. The “grey skies, as they pass away” optimism continues the melodic overall drive, playing throughout with replay-inducing charm.
They elaborates on the track’s inspirations and creative process:
“That’s the Point” is one of the earliest written songs for the forthcoming album In This Sleeping City. “We wrote it over a decade ago—but it’s evolved a lot since then,” Aronow explains. “The core elements have stayed the same: same lyrics, same melody, same central guitar riff. But the original version was much softer, almost hushed. I sang the entire thing in falsetto, and it leaned into an alt-country vibe, sort of like R.E.M.’s original version of “Gardening at Night”—where Michael Stipe is barely audible in the mix, more mood than message.”
““Lyrically, it’s about a burnt-out corporate lifer, disillusioned by the grind and searching for some kind of meaning. And ultimately, the answer he finds is love—not some abstract idea, but the real, grounding kind that comes from someone who sees him clearly and loves him in spite of the monotony, the weariness, the weight of his daily life. Whether he’s “looking into an unfamiliar space” or “looking out on an unfamiliar place,” it’s that moment—someone saying “I love you”—that gives his life not just hope, but meaning. That’s the point.”
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This and other tracks featured this month can be streamed on the updating Obscure Sound’s ‘Emerging Singles’ Spotify playlist.
