here they are:
"King And Lionheart" by Of Monsters and Men: Contemporary folk-rock sensations Of Monsters and Men didn't call themselves "Of Monsters and Men" for nothing. It was a name based on European stories about monsters that some of the members had read. The Icelandic band's love of European folklore is becoming more and more evident with each song I hear by them. "Little Talks" had nautical imagery, and "Mountain Sound" had more pastoral imagery. "King And Lionheart" follows closely in this pattern, as is evident from the title alone. A medieval theme takes up most of the song (except the part where they talk about "night sky ships sailing", revisiting the nautical themes of "Little Talks"). Another similarity "King And Lionheart" shares with "Little Talks" is that both songs revolve around how difficult it is to survive being torn apart from a relationship. Makes you want to brush up on European history and mythology a little more, doesn't it?!
"Where Can I Go?" by Laura Marling: Laura was probably better known for the bands she was involved with (i.e. Mumford and Sons, Noah and The Whale) than her music, until two years ago, when she released her breakthrough album, "A Creature I Don't Know". The album featured tracks like the sprawling, reflective "Sophia", and the bittersweet "All My Rage", both of which easily suggest a Joni Mitchell for the indie-folk generation. "Where Can I Go?" is a different song for Laura Marling. The themes of death and sorrow that Laura had on the "A Creature I Don't Know" songs are replaced by a theme of homesickness and yearning, and the stark, aching sound of those songs is not present on "Where Can I Go?" either, with a more roots-y, upbeat sound taking place instead.
