Dan Deacon’s “Sheathed Wings” has been really doing it for me on my running playlist, so I thought I’d share it here for anyone who had forgotten since 2015 or needs a new spark plug in their rotation.

I’m serious though. I’m not sure when I added the track into my hulking playlist (which will get its own standalone post here eventually) but recently it’s been showing up during a lot of my runs. Either Spotify has a tracker on my pulse and connects with my fitness apps and can see my pace increase, or I dunno. I have my own different conspiracies about the Spotify shuffle that we can get into later.

“Sheathed Wings” is prime, peak, perfecto Dan Deacon in my mind. Super propulsive, movement-encouraging music with huge crescendos and wacky polyrhythms. A huge slab of synthesizer stretches over like an atmosphere while what seems like hundreds of different sonic elements all do flips and somersaults in unison, feeling chaotic but together.

Something about the track, maybe in its melody or chord progression, makes it feel so triumphant as well. While running, it feels like I’m busting through brick wall after brick wall, powering through any insecurities, deficiencies or general weaknesses and into self-acceptance and self-empowerment. I was pushing myself so much that tears were gently streaming out of my eyes. Either that or it was so cold out that my eyes were watering. It makes me feel ok that I’m breathing heavy, and in pushing myself (or even in getting out on a 15*F day to exercise), I’m finding new pieces of myself in places that I haven’t explored before. Even just listening to it now, sitting down on my couch with my computer on my lap, I want to bust up and punch the air. Do a wild, uncoordinated dance. It’s a tap into pure energy reserves that have laid dormant for too long. Thank you Dan! You really did that!