All that is gold does not glitter,
Not all those who wander are lost;
The old that is strong does not wither,
Deep roots are not reached by the frost.
— J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

A matter of the smallest consequence may become our most significant burden. Sméagol’s Precious was a mere trifle in his hand, a ring that glittered not with gold but with Temptation. The Ring weighed down its wearer until Sméagol’s mind and body were distorted into the soulless wisp known as Gollum. One who possessed the Ring desired, not to cast away the source of their misery, but to grasp it tighter. Thus we attempt, not to give up our addictions, but to control them.

An entire Fellowship – and three volumes – was required to carry the One Ring from the Shire to its destruction in the Crack of Doom. In ‘Little Consequence,’ YUTZY embarks on a more personal trek, accompanying someone – a friend, perhaps? – as they pace the stepping stones that span that blue water between the shores of Problem and Recovery. The nature of the affliction is unstated. To an outside observer the matter may seem trivial, small enough to be concealed in a fist, yet it is too heavy for the bearer to carry alone.

Your little consequence
You hold it in your hands
So full of innocence
I’ll never understand

You’ll be the first
To take it on the worst
I know your pain
This rotten little curse

‘Little Consequence’ is driven by a lead line that will be pleasantly lodged in your head after the first play. Listen for the rhythm guitar that lays down crisp chords that match the beat of the melody. I especially love the triumphant trumpets – real, not synthesized – and the massed voices that recall those on Bruce Springsteen’s two best songs, ‘Incident on 57th Street’ and ‘New York City Serenade.’

The true star of ‘Little Consequence’ is YUTZY’s amazing voice. It was said of Édith Piaf that she could sing the phone book and it would sound good. YUTZY could sing the cover of the phone book and it would sound good. Click here for an explanation of what a phone book is.

YUTZY, based in Wichita, Kansas, is the solo recording project of Scott Yutzy. ‘Little Consequence’ is the title track from his new four-song EP. All tracks were written, performed, recorded, and produced by Scott, with the trumpet on ‘Little Consequence’ provided by Connor Born. ‘I wrote a lot of the EP as a kind of escapism,’ Scott told us. ‘The record as a whole is an artistic road trip that focuses on the journey and not the destination. There’s a lot of pressure on being ‘productive’ in our society, and that mentality can easily cause someone to miss a lot of little, beautiful pieces of life that go unnoticed.’

Of ‘Little Consequence,’ Scott said, ‘The chorus can be applied to almost any burden that people carry with them. The verses try to offer moments of respite to what can be a truly exhausting life. ‘Little Consequence’ is the end of the road trip, and hopefully offers to the listener the idea that this concept of presence and engagement and stillness that is strung throughout the album is possible, and can be a helpful tool in dealing with the burdens we all carry.’

‘Little Consequence’ is YUTZY’s fourth Song of the Day. We have previously featured ‘Evergreen, You’re Haunting Me,’ ‘Every Girl That I’m Into Seems to Love Cigarettes,’ and ‘Love.’ The latter is carried by a vocal that I am not at all shy about comparing to Freddie Mercury. Scott Yutzy is the best singer of whom you have probably never heard. And I say probably simply because so few people have heard of him.

YUTZY’s music is available on Bandcamp, Spotify, and Apple Music. And be sure to follow YUTZY on Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook.