Weekly Spotify playlist: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4bwyLcazsGXvBN4E5ffqf1?si=b7952ec5711b471a 

Daija’s picks

1. The 1975 – “About You”
2. Noah Kahan – “Orange Juice”
3. Private Island – “Can’t Take My Eyes Off You”

“About You” is from The 1975’s recent album “Being Funny In A Foreign Language” and is the second to last song on the album. Matty Healy, the lead singer, repeats the line “Do you think I have forgotten?” throughout the majority of the song, emphasizing that when you break up with someone you don’t completely forget about them and the experiences you shared. Toward the end, Carly Holt, the wife of the lead guitarist Adam Hann, enters and sings from the point of view of the woman in the relationship with her soft, almost dreamlike vocals.

“Orange Juice” was released on Noah Kahan’s 2022 album “Stick Season.” Kahan tells the story of a family member getting into a car accident that causes them to become an alcoholic. He’s reflecting on how the family member’s addiction affected his life growing up and now that he’s older and the relative is sober, Kahan is “just glad you could visit.” The emotional lyrics match well with the banjo-y and hand-clapping instrumentals that connect back to Kahan’s folk indie sound. 

“Can’t Take My Eyes Off You” was released in 2019 and is a cover of Frankie Valli’s 1967 song of the same name. You might recognize this song from Heath Ledger performing it in the 1999 rom-com “10 Things I Hate About You.” Private Island made the song their own with a modern pop-rock sound while maintaining a bit of Valli’s pop-soul sound that will have you appreciating both versions. 

Caleb’s picks

1. Katy Perry – “Peacock” 
2. Matt Fishel – “I’m Totally Obsessed With Him” 
3. ur pretty – “I’ll Never Let You Go” 

Attraction is a powerful force, at times it can change our perception of others or even the world. For this week, I chose to focus on this by highlighting songs that represent this concept. Katy Perry’s “Peacock” which was released in 2010 as a part of her “Teenage Dream” album. This song has a strong pop beat and good vocalizations that really helps you get into the music. The music is very upbeat and incites feelings of joy and ecstasy. In the lyrics, Perry sings about the physical form of a man. “Magical, colorful, Mr. Mystery / I’m intrigued for a peek, heard it’s fascinating / (C’mon, baby, let me see what you hiding underneath?)” I really enjoyed this line. I too know what it’s like to feel physically attracted to a man and wanting to be more intimate with him. Overall, I find myself head-bobbing and dancing along to it.

For my second song, I chose Matt Fishel’s “I’m Totally Obsessed With Him,” from Fishel’s 2018 album “M/F.” This pick highlights how attraction can lead to obsession. “He’s in my heart, he’s in my lungs / He’s in everything that I touch.” I feel like that’s a perfect description of how overwhelming obsession can be. The song itself has a pop feel to it and is very upbeat and groovy. I feel like this song is a good buffer between my two picks as each song gets progressively more serious. 

For my last song, I chose “I’ll Never Let You Go,” released by ur pretty in 2021 as a single. For me, this song shows how attraction can lead to love. It also brings to mind the concept of being there for someone in dark times. This song balances with the others by switching the focus from physical attraction to more emotional depth. Tonally different from the other two songs I picked, this song is probably more in line with alternative rock music. Its lyrics give a powerful message: “When everything is taking its toll, I’ll pull you a little closer / If you slip, I’m falling, too / And I’ll never let you go, again / You don’t have to cry alone.” I really enjoyed this message because it’s always a bit easier to deal with hardship when you have someone there to share your feelings with. In the darkness is when we need love the most. 

Sarah’s picks

1. Tamino – “Persephone”
2. Gang of Youths – “Achilles Come Down”
3. Lorde – “Glory And Gore”

“Persephone” is the 12th track off of Tamino’s 2019 album “Amir.” Tamino sings as Hades, the god of the underworld in Greek mythology, to Persephone, the goddess of spring. Tamino sings from the perspective of Hades, a deceiving figure to many; but to Persephone, he was her lover. The chorus “And you’ve noticed it / There is something right here / You have come to love, yes you’ve come to love / what you will always fear,” implies that Hades and Persephone eventually fell in love, but Persephone continued to fear him. To Hades, Persephone is his light, and when she is gone for six months of the year in the upper world as part of their deal, Hades’ heart is broken, wanting to be in two places at once. 

Gang of Youths utilizes the tragic tale of Achilles, a demi-god and hero in Greek mythology, in their song “Achilles Come Down.” Dave Le’aupepe, the lead vocalist, pleads with Achilles who, in the song, is on a roof about to end his life. Le’aupepe pleads with him, saying that there’s more to live for and to “remember your virtue.” In Greek mythology, Achilles contemplates dying after his lover Patroclus is killed in the Trojan War. The lyrics “Today, of all days, see / How the most dangerous thing is to love / How you will heal and you’ll rise above,” is a nod to how love can lead to dangerous acts. In mythology, Achilles ended the Trojan War by going on a revenge killing spree to avenge Patroclus’ death. 

Lorde sings about a gladiator-themed fight in her 2013 song “Glory And Gore.” The song follows a dark, electro-pop beat that heightens the gladiator fight Lorde is describing. The lyrics “Delicate in every way but one (The swordplay) / God knows we like archaic kinds of fun (The old ways) / Chance is the only game I play with, baby,” puts Lorde in the position of the fighter, showing everyone that she is strong enough to win, even though she may not choose who she fights. Glory and gore are two contrasting words that, in this song, go hand in hand.

Nick’s picks

1. The Sam Chase – “In a Perfect World”
2. Big Thief – “Change”
3. NoSo – “I Feel You”

“In a Perfect World” by The Sam Chase starts with a rhythmically complex acoustic guitar line. When Chase starts singing, his voice is a stark difference from the soft guitar. His rough voice sounds like that of a true folk storyteller. Simple country drums and slapped upright bass make this song sound like a dance far outside of town that takes place in a barn. The final chorus goes out in a blur with Chase essentially yelling, “none of us will ever die.” The band members cry back, “Alright!” and “Yeah!” “In a Perfect World” is a simple country bop with enough musical complexity to make it interesting and new.

Off their 2022 album “Dragon New Warm Mountain I Believe In You,” Big Thief’s “Change” is the epitome of their calm acoustic folky rock. Lead singer Adrianne Lenker’s lyrics are simply fantastic in this song. She asks, “Would you stare forever at the sun / Never watch the moon rising?” She continues with “Would you walk forever in the light / To never learn the secret of the quiet night?” These two lines make up the best pieces of “Change.” By outright asking these questions, Big Thief makes their listeners wonder at what feelings they are stuck in. The verbose and awkwardly phrased questions can cause listeners to have different interpretations of the music. It lets listeners both find themselves and change themselves. 

NoSo’s guitar work on “I Feel You” is some of the best I’ve ever heard. NoSo’s mix of rhythmic syncopation, melodic riffs and beautiful chord progressions is probably the best in the indie scene right now. Their voice is outrageously good as well. Straying from the typical pop sensibility of as many runs as possible, NoSo’s relaxed and smooth vocals add a nice texture to the mix of the song. NoSo seems to have all the necessary skills to be the next big indie-pop sensation. Their simplicity, superb writing and compositional creativity check all the boxes of a future star. If you like NoSo, “I Feel You.”