BEST ACOUSTIC SONG OF THE YEAR: "Ode to the Drink" - Performed By Numbers On Napkins

“Ode to the Drink" has a style and feel to it, that takes the listener to a familiar place, and as you listen, you can't help to think that you've heard it before, being played by a band in a small Irish pub. The acoustic single was released on the "Ode to the Drink" EP in 2019, accompanied by a low budget slide show music video for the single. Numbers On Napkins released their new EP on Arizona's Bad Stain Records, and made the EP a limited edition release, pressing only 300 copies.

The "Ode to the Drink" EP features four tracks, all different versions of the title track. The first track is the original acoustic version of the song, featuring acoustic guitars and NON drummer Tad Gurthman playing the Bodhran, which is a traditional Irish drum made of sheep skin that delivers low end tones. The acoustic Irish folk sounding version of the song was originally released on NON's full length album, "Borrachos, Chingasos Y Rucas", in 2010. The second track on the EP is a new punk rock version of the song, that was recently released on the bands latest full length album, "From Buckeye To Beardsley", released in the fall of last year. The other two tracks are live recordings of both versions of the song. The punk version recorded live at The Clubhouse Music Venue in Tempe, AZ, and the acoustic version recorded during a live on air interview and performance broadcasted on ASU's radio station, The Blaze, in the mid 2000's.

Of course, I'm focused on track one, the original version and recording of the song. NON cleverly wrote drinking inspired lyrics for the Irish tune, and the band proceeds to sing a lonely anthem that helps paint a picture of spending nights in a neighborhood pub, surrounded by good friends, drinking shots, followed by beer, in an attempt to relax after working long 12 hour shifts. As the night progresses, the money in their wallets is gradually diminished, to the point that they are unable to leave a tip for their hard working bartender. The witty lyrics help to make the song stand out, although it's the total arrangement of the song, and the way that lead vocalist, Chase Stain, delivers each line with desperation in his voice, along with the smooth transitions that make this song such a powerful single.