EXT. A DUSTY ROAD, PROBABLY IN DUVALL OR CARNATION, WA…OR SOMETHING, I DON’T KNOW – NIGHT

Fade from black to Jason McCue, local indie folk extraordinaire, walking down a dirt path. He has his hands in his pockets and a guitar slung across his back. He’s wearing a simple, yet charming, button up over a white tee. The moon is beaming, illuminating the shadows on the road.

JASON
Well, part’ner, I sure do love these night walkin’ ‘ventures I been takin’. It sure gets them create-o-matic gears a-turnin’. (Note: McCue does not talk at all like this in real life. This is *indeed* my fantasy.)

Slowly, a deep fog begins to form along the path, surrounding Jason and cutting off the view of the road.

JASON
Well, I’ll surely be damned… What in tarnation is with this got’ damn clumsy weather we been a-havin’? I dunno, Toto. (Note: there is no dog in this scenario.)

Behind him, a mysterious hand with *devilish* fingernails reaches over and taps his shoulder. Jason reacts with shock and surprise and turns around, frightened.

JASON
Who in tarnation is that there pokin’ me like a bear?

The hand is revealed to belong to a ghoulish figure, a shaggily brown-haired man with an air of uncertainty to him. Devil horns rise from his head. He wears a white tuxedo and looks like he’s ready to play a snippet of a song at some major awards show.

JASON
Howdy, stranger. Don’t you know better than to startle folks like that?

The mysterious stranger looks down, awkwardly shuffling his feet.

MYSTERIOUS STRANGER
S-sorry, man…

JASON
Well, it’s quite alright. What’s your name, part’ner?

MYSTERIOUS STRANGER
Uh.. just call me Ell…E.S… whatever, man…

JASON
Wow! E.S… must be initials for somethin’? I don’t got no clue what this is referencin’!

E.S.
Yeah, man.. whatever. Hey, man, is that a guitar? I need to get something out, man….

JASON
Sure thing, friend! Let’s hear it.

Jason hands E.S. the guitar. E.S. begins to play a soft song that sounds like something out of a movie… something that won an Oscar in the 90s…. Wait, is it that song from Good Will Hunting?

JASON
Wowie zowie! That’s a hot lick, E.S. I’m having a time and a half watching you strum. I sure wish I could weave indie folk pop perfection the way you do.

E.S.
Well man, like, I don’t normally do this, but…uh. If you like, uh, make a deal with me and, uh, sell me your fuckin’ soul or whatever, I’ll teach you how to…do whatever you just said.

JASON
My soul, huh… Sounds like an awful high price to be Washington’s own indie folk darling…

E.S. looks down at his shoes. It’s bummer city, dude.

JASON
Well, don’t look so down, part’ner… Sure, I’ll take the deal! Cash or credit?

Lightning strikes. In a flash, E.S. is no longer there. The guitar is now in Jason’s hands. He looks around confused. Another flash of lightning and everything cuts to black.

INT. JASON’S BEDROOM

Jason wakes up in a hot sweat. He looks around in a panic.

JASON
That’s gotta be the weirdest dream I’ve ever had…

Slowly composing himself, Jason looks over to see his guitar resting against the wall. Feeling surprisingly inspired, he moves to pick it up. His eyes sparkle with a creativity known only to him.

————————————————————————————————————————————————

This is the scenario I imagine happening immediately before “First Time,” Jason McCue’s new slice of melodic perfection, was born. Call me imaginative, call me a dreamer, but please don’t call me a liar. This release was most definitely the result of McCue making a deal with the Devil in order to bring us something from heaven.

The song begins with soft and soothing vocals, slowly followed by a friendly, gentle acoustic guitar accompaniment. Both melancholy and dulcet, it’s instantly beckoning, a soft embrace that’s desperately craved. Don’t shy away. Throughout the track, this entire soon-to-be-hit evolves and expands to include placid piano, tightly-played drums, shimmering vocal harmonies, and electric guitar lines that weave in and out, culminating in a deeply lush, satisfying, and engaging slice of songcraft. Deeply immersive and melodically sweet, I cannot praise this enough. Hearing this song makes me giddy and ecstatic.

I’ve heard McCue’s music compared to Elliott Smith before, and while it sort of makes sense, it’s never felt entirely accurate. Sure, McCue’s “What a Shame” seems like it might fit on From a Basement on the Hill, and his early jam “(Sweeetie Got Played)” almost sounds like XO on happy pills. But…This is definitely his most E. Smith-esque work yet, and I don’t mean that to say he’s derivative. Without a doubt, McCue is in his own league of songwriting, a talent that he combines with a wonderfully endearing and human personality. Rather than coming across like a continuation of Smith’s Either/Or, this new track is more akin to the passing of a baton from one songwriter’s legacy to the next. As McCue has reached such an impressive level of mastery with both his instrumental and lyrical abilities — at only 24 years of age — I have no doubt work like this will soon eclipse his already existing legacy of divine musical ability. If you haven’t been convinced yet, this new single, “First Time,” will make you into as much of a believer as I am.