One-Hit-Wonder Alt-Rock Dude Now “World’s Expert in Super Mournful, Lonely Songs”
If you’re into 90s retro, you’ll know this song.
That was Semisonic’s one and only hit. But don’t feel bad for leader Dan Wilson. He’s doing okay. From Salon:
Dan Wilson’s career is proof positive that smart, elegant songwriting has a place in music.As part of the Minneapolis bands Trip Shakespeare and Semisonic, Wilson and collaborators constructed intricate, deeply romantic songs smudged by classic rock, folk and power-pop. Widespread commercial success eluded these groups — save for Semisonic’s indelible 1998 hit “Closing Time,” which remains a pop culture touchstone today.
Yet in the past decade, Wilson’s melodic gifts and knack for vulnerable wordplay made him a go-to collaborator for the pop elite. The 52-year-old is now an in-demand songwriter, producer and collaborator, working with Adele (“Someone Like You”), Dixie Chicks (“Not Ready To Make Nice”), Taylor Swift (“Treacherous”) and Pink (“The Great Escape”), among others.
