Sweepstakes Prize - By Mirah
TITLE: Sweepstakes Prize
ARTIST: Mirah
GENRE: Indie / Lo-fi / Chamber Pop
MOOD: Sweet / Cute
SIMILAR TO: Joanna Newsom, Thao & the Get Down Stay Down
(one part sounds kind of like "Gigantic" by the Pixies)
As the summer days slowly grow hotter and hotter, I always find myself inclined to listen to songs with folksy, even country, undertones. There’s something very comforting about songs that remind you of peach picking and warm golden sunsets, and that’s basically the feeling you get when listening to Mirah’s “Sweepstakes Prize”.
"Sweepstakes Prize" premiered on her debut album You Think It’s Like This but Really It’s Like This (1999), and matches the album’s intimate yet wholesome theme. Unlike her ensuing albums, which are rather dark yet meaningful, “Sweepstakes Prize” is cute, honest, and impossible not to bob your head along to. Mirah’s whole sound is heavily based in the lo-fi genre, but there’s something in this song that distinguishes it. Her sound is a variation of the typical hollow sound of lo-fi, but with an 1950s twist. Her voice is low-pitched, and every bit of strings she uses incorporates a satisfying and homey effect.
There’s a wholesome atmosphere to the song, the lyrics are intimate, and Mirah's voice is wistful as she sings, “I could walk all day on the railroad tracks, but there’s much more to it than that.” Although the track may seem plain and unadorned at first, its relaxed and candid tone perfectly captures the mood of an oncoming summer.