When Julia Easterlin’s vocals float over the intricate guitar line of “Morning Smog” by Age of Reason we get a sense that the narrative of the song is coming from someone who has stayed up all night to observe the parts of the day between sunset and sunrise bringing forth insights about human existence as the sun burns away not the fog so much as the smog as the musings, perhaps jotted down, perhaps committed to memory, are happening during a walk through Midtown Manhattan. Distorted keyboard sounds drifting in are like clouds temporarily blocking the moonlight, the shimmery guitar with its own raw distortion is like the choke of morning traffic even before the sun properly takes to the sky. The lyrics seem to take in the proportion of human existence referencing things like “small men, tall towers” and how in that environment it’s easy to feel forgotten and lost in the late hours like Griffin Dunne’s character in After Hours. The song, conceive of and written by songwriter Steve Hudock, perfectly captures the surreal tranquility of a big city at night compared to the hustle and bustle of the daylight hours and how those who live mostly by night for work and by nature relate to the jarring pace of the city during standard business hours. Listen to “Morning Smog” on Bandcamp.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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