Best of 2004, #25: Just Pretend by The Bens

The best song from the four-song self-titled EP from The Bens, Just Pretend is all about steady guitar strumming, piano fills, and great pop rock harmonies. Stacy mentioned something about the lyrics not geling since they all went off to separate rooms to write them. I can believe that, but the song itself flows together great, all kind of melancholy and bittersweet. The lyrics are fragmentary and elusive, but they all seem to be in the past, about some great lost love. "After all, in the end... just pretend."

And God bless rock songs with only open G, C, and D chords! I might be mistaken, but I think this is one of those rare songs that end on the 4 chord instead of the 1. (It's in G, and I'm pretty sure it ends on a C, not G, which is rare.)