It’s sobering to think that North Carolina band Whiskeytown formed 25 years ago now, and while they’re best known for being Ryan Adams’ first project, they were more than the sum of their parts and very much a group effort, with Caitlin Cary and Mike Daly in particular being a key part of what made their sound so appealing (notably the Smashing Pumpkins’ James Iha was a member of the band at one point too). ‘Houses on the Hill’ was the highlight of the elegiac ‘Strangers Almanac’ album and not just Whiskeytown’s canon but Adams’ whole output for me. The lyrics and melody are still unbearably moving, and regardless of anything that’s gone on personally for Adams, I will always love this song dearly.
Songs for the apocalypse: Whiskeytown “Houses on the Hill”
