here they are:
"Jumbo" by Punch Brothers: Ever since Donald Trump got elected president, I had thoughts that harder edged rock groups would be doing protest songs against him, the way Green Day did with their "American Idiot" record in response to George W. Bush's presidency during the 2000's. Hard rock, however, has become a thing of the past (for the most part) during the 2010's, so instead we have softer rock groups like Punch Brothers doing songs about him - or rather, Donald Trump's SON, Donald Trump, Jr. Yes, that's what "Jumbo" is about. Though his name is never mentioned, many articles about the bluegrass-rock group's latest song have already come out, and they all point to Trump Jr. as the song's villain, nicknamed "Jumbo" in the song. Punch Brothers have had enough hits on adult alt radio to count on a single hand, but even with the few songs I know by them, I can still tell that this is the first time the group have gotten political on one of their albums. I never thought I'd see so many soft and middle-of-the-road rock groups (Arcade Fire would fit the latter category) doing songs against our current president. I thought it would be mostly hard rock (and possibly punk rock), like how it was during the Vietnam War, the Cold War, and the Bush presidency. The times, they are a changin'!
"Last Lion of Albion" by Neko Case: Our next song is a protest song as well, although not necessarily a political one. Neko Case's "Last Lion of Albion" is a protest song against none other than mankind itself, and the many (mostly unsuccessful) ways it tries to "tame" nature. With a melancholy, pessimistic sound that seems halfway between Alanis Morissette and Lissie, Neko Case weaves a chilling parable about how natural resources are exploited by human beings in ways they weren't meant to be used that ultimately become detrimental to how we live. More specifically, the song targets Britain, since the nation often uses lions to symbolize their power. "You'll feel extinction", warns Case, during the chorus, "when you see their face on your money." There is no need for guns and war when you can use the greatest weapon of all against those who won't listen to you - music!
"Natural" by Imagine Dragons: Thus far on this week's blog, we have seen two acts use quiet music to express loud feelings of distress. That's not the way Imagine Dragons like to do things. If Dan Reynolds and co want their desires and ideas to be known to others, they SHOUT it! This is exactly what they do on "Natural", particularly during the chorus, which sounds like the type of song that would be used when two rivaling sports teams are facing off against one another. In today's competitive world, you need things to build you up and make you stay strong and alert. That's pretty much what bands like Imagine Dragons are there for, especially on songs like this one!
"Shame" by Elle King: The blonde "Ex's And Oh's" bombshell is back with yet another song to motivate strong female empowerment with "Shame". The song doesn't have quite the rock-meets-jazz swing that "Ex's" did, but it still manages to be a catchy tune. Mixing the beat of Joe Jackson's "Is She Really Going Out With Him?" with the darkly seductive pop/rock techniques of musicians like Lorde, "Shame" is a song just screaming to be the next summer anthem of the year. Though she might not be as rockin' on this song as she was back in 2014, Elle still maintains her sense of lyrical talent by being as deliciously scathing as she has been on her other songs. After repeating the title of the song four times, she burns and traps a former lover of hers by saying, "Mama doesn't know who every night you go to." "King" is not Elle's real last name, but she sure has a lot of kingly (or rather, queenly) power on this song!
"Something Human" by Muse: After almost 15 years, I've finally gotten on the Muse bandwagon that many friends of mine have been on ever since they broke through to the mainstream in the mid 2000's. Their song "Starlight" was kinda cool, as it sounded like a slightly harder rocking Coldplay tune, but the rest of their stuff I dunno about. They always seemed like a cross between Queen and Depeche Mode to me, which was like peanut butter and hot dogs to me (In other words, both good, but not together). With "Something Human", this has all changed. The song has given Muse a dimension that's more...well...human! Instead of being all bombastic and arena rock-y, "Something Human" is a more calming song that combines acoustic guitar instrumentation with electronic beats and synthesizer in the background. The song is almost spiritual in a way, like a U2 song, with Muse searching for something more significant in life than how life appears to be, throughout the song.
