One of the requirements for a song to be a “greatest song ever written” has to be surviving the winds of change and time. While this song was only released in 2006, it has not ceased giving me goosebumps when I hear the familiar beginning.

The song? “Future Foe Scenarios” by Silversun Pickups off their album Carnavas.

Singer Brian Aubert has a touch of the mumble syndrome, found in many modern rock artists. Occasionally, however, key phrases come through sound and clear. The title for one, “future foe scenarios” gives you some food for thought. Who do you work for baby?/And does it work for you lately? A sound question for someone who might have lost their way. Who is this song for? Who is he singing to? He talks about some sort of Revolution, baby! With no intro, there’s no delay in taking you into this experience…the song jumps right into the first verse with only vocals and guitar, The things we laid, do not amount to much…

Each line is delivered with patience and precision, giving you time to digest the lyrics. The music adds color with bouts of guitar noise and bells. The vocal performance is so appropriate for the song drives me insane. There’s an unmistakable passion in his voice that yearns for your emersion. If he were a leader in a pack, we would all be following blindly.

I still listen to the album in its entirety—it’s an excellent album, after all. But when that track comes on, I always think “Wow, this is such a good song,” to which the Brian Aubert says, “It’s alright. It’s alright.”