Spiritual High (State of Independence) Part II

Song: Spiritual High (State of Independence) Part II
Artist: Moodswings
Album: Moodfood







One of my absolute favorite things is discovering new music at the movies. Usually, a filmmaker will match a piece of music to an image they create that fits so perfectly, you think it was MADE for that scene. (And sometimes, it is.) You might think of Rocky climbing those steps to that film’s iconic score or Lloyd Dobler holding up the boom box while Peter Gabriel’s “In Your Eyes” played through in “Say Anything.” Or sometimes you’ll just hear a song in a movie while a character is walking through a scene, or heard in the end credits that grabs you. This is the case with Moodswings “Spiritual High (State of Independence) Part II” which played over the end credits to Barbet Schroeder’s 1992 thriller “Single White Female.”

When the credits of the film came up and this song began to play I immediately had to know… who was this? I recognized lead Pretender Chrissie Hynde’s distinct vocals right away but the beat and mood of the song didn’t seem like anything that her band would have done. It turned out to be by a band called Moodswings, and I bought their album at the mall record store as soon as I exited the theater. Unfortunately, the entire album wasn’t all that great. They were sort of like Enigma and admittedly, this track sounds a bit dated already. (Dig that piano over early 90’s dance beat? So retro!) But I do love this song, and it turned into a mid-level alternative rock hit for the band who released a follow up, “Psychedelicatessen” in 1997 and then the double disc “Horizontal” in 2002. I haven’t heard either of these, as I didn’t really care for the rest of “Moodfood” but have since read some positive reviews, so they might be worth checking out. Lead Moodswing James Hood also worked with Hynde on the Pretenders hit “I’ll Stand By You” which, come to think of it… wasn’t that used in the dramatic head-shaving scene from “G.I. Jane?” (Poor Demi.)

In any event, “Spiritual High” is a great track, and actually split into three parts on the album, one of which samples Martin Luther King Jr.’s famous “I have a dream” speech. It’s a bit heavy handed in the end, but the intent is positive. But Part II belongs to the amazing Chrissie Hynde, one of the best female rock vocalists of all time.

Enjoy.