Few pay any mind to their littlest digits, which makes the sentiment in A Weather's quiet lament — "I get banged up a lot like a pinky toe / on coffee tables and rocks buried in the snow" — all the more powerful. Anyone who's suffered as a result of someone else's carelessness or recklessness can relate to the plight of these oft-forgotten and accidentally abused body parts.
"Pinky Toe" nicely exemplifies A Weather's hushed brilliance. The band's recent Cove is chock full of understated gems like this one — muted vignettes that glow with the half-whispered, intertwined vocals of singer/guitarist Aaron Gerber and drummer/vocalist Sarah Winchester.
A Weather knows the power of restraint. By giving ordinary things — like pinky toes — the space to breathe, extraordinary layers of emotion are revealed. In the band's hands, a sigh is far more compelling than a scream.
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