Russell Smith: An Ace, An Old Friend + An Echo of a Moment

THIRTY THOUSAND OR so feet above everything, late and tired. With the ear buds in, the demos – all top shelf kind of awesome – go rolling by. Heady stuff, and the kind of songs mere mortals never get to hear, because they're saved for artists whose singles can generate the kind of money that pays more than mortgages, expensive cars and college tuition.