A version of this post was written way back in March 2024, but this rewrite is a short example of the kind of writing I hope to be doing here.

Mare's Nest is one of the more moderate songs off On Land And In The Sea by Cardiacs. Beyond being a classic-era Cardiacs song (good and catchy), I don't know of another song that conveys what one might call comfort-induced-discomfort so well. The lyrics seem to be about someone trapped inside, watching the world go by through the warped perspective of their TV screen. There are some nautical themes that crop up as well, including an excerpt from 'Dirge' by George Darley. Tied into that, there are a number of lyrics about someone dead. To me the lines about sailing seem to speak of being stuck in a doldrums, days being "easy under sail" and the only wind a light breeze ("a capful of wind"). Potentially, the dead man is simply our sedentary narrator? As usual for Cardiacs, the composition is absurdly changeable, but it often returns to an ungainly four chord loop backed by a somewhat lurching groove. It's not at rest, but it's still stuck somehow.