Release Date(s): July 27, 1987

You know, “Like the Weather” is such a goddamn beautiful song that I’m going to write something in defense of this entire album. It epitomizes every positive trait of 10,000 Maniacs, In My Tribe, and ’80s indie pop at large, and is a song every self-respecting poptimist should have in their library.

I’m a huge fan of the way Peter Asher produces In My Tribe and it defines the album. Natalie Merchant’s homely voice never dramatically fluctuates pitch but she rolls a caring and warm enunciation out of her throat, then it’s caught in the cool autumn afternoon breeze along with Robert Buck’s blinging jangle chords. Steve Gustafson taps his kit so gently but the air is so calm and quiet that those little footsteps are the only things you can hear hitting the grassy ground. It’s cold and about to be dark soon, and Natalie Merchant “shivers in her bones just thinking about the weather.”

What a gorgeous scene “Like the Weather,” and by extension this album, create. ’80s indie pop is some of the most beautiful pop music ever made and “Like the Weather” deserves that highest honor. There’s something so inherently plain and comforting about the scene that I want to cry. It’s like a melancholy day from your childhood.

Sadly, there’s not much variance in song identity other than the quality. “Like the Weather” comes so quickly it upstages everything after when it comes to setting up the album’s mood. I quite like the lyrics. As far as pop goes, ’80s indie was uncommonly literate, with “What’s the Matter Here?” even trying to tackle child abuse. It’s hard to recommend the entire album, but an excellent single surrounded by a couple great songs and an overall generally agreeable style is about as good as ’80s indie gets, so this is a solid standard for its scene. Seriously though, any band that can capture what “Like the Weather” does is more than just your mom’s background music.