So much of my listening habits these days start at the computer, with Soulseek or sample mp3s on websites, that I forget what a magical place the record store can sometimes be. The one I frequent, Music In Orbit, is small and doesn’t have the greatest selection, but the guy who runs it will order anything for you if you’ve shown you’ll buy it and most of my purchases are made there. Like all music stores, good or bad, there’s always something playing when you go in.

Last time I was there, this song was playing. I was so intoxicated, listening to it rattle around the nearly empty store, that I bought the album immediately. It was one of those quasi-stereotypical moments, the listener at first affecting a level of cool appraisal, nodding head appreciatively. Eventually it’s too much and they invariably gravitate to the counter to ask what’s playing. I’d heard of The Unintended before a “supergroup”(?) consisting of Rick White from Eric’s Trip and Elevator, Greg Keelor from Blue Rodeo and some of the guys from the Sadies, and so I bought it.

The record as a whole I’m still making my mind up about, but this song is a beauty, sinuous and smoky, White’s quasi-whispered vocals brushing up against the foggy background. But unlike most of the songs here there’s bunched muscles underneath, propelling the whole thing forward. The band ably handles the de rigeur section where everything goes chaotic for a while just so it can all come back together, and I could listen to “So Long Goodbye” on repeat for quite a while.

But, of course, it’s never quite sounded as good as it did in the store.