Well dang, what to say about a song that just makes me feel good? I was planning on writing a big post about the Grateful Dead: what I love about them, what I dislike about them, how some bands today are taking the best parts of the Dead’s sound and making it their own. But maybe this isn’t about the Dead at all.

The Donkeys - Excelsior Lady.

There’s more than a striking resemblance to Garcia and co., but this song is actually just about a moment, any moment, that makes you realize that everything is going fine. The narrator here isn’t as sure - his, uh, lady is with another man, after all - and he’s “so confused I can’t take my own advice.” But then there’s that chorus: so willing, so steadfast. It’s not cocky but moving forward, no matter what.

The Donkeys are from California, and this is from their Dead Oceans debut Living On The Other Side, out Sept. 9. It’s a really strong record, and I highly recommend it.