here they are:
"Find Yourself" by Lukas Nelson and The Promise of the Real: Lukas' super famous dad, Willie, might be best known for country music, but both of the Nelsons have proven themselves to be more than that over the years. Back in 2012, I first got the opportunity to hear Lukas and his spicy, energy fueled, Southern rock styled song, "Wasted". "Find Yourself", the latest song Lukas has put out, has a bit more of a soulful flavor to it. More aptly, it is a blend of soul, rock, and country, with plenty of bluesy licks sandwiched in between to keep listeners on their toes! The song has nothing to do with philosophy or "finding yourself" in the manner that you might think it suggests from the title. Instead, it has a more straightforward meaning revolving around taking back the love you think you deserve.
"Jumpstarting" by Deer Tick: A bar band rock song that suggests a sloppier Springsteen in some ways, Deer Tick's "Jumpstarting" is a rollicking song that is actually about companionship more than anything else. Many of their songs (even the ones they've done for the Christmas season) involve the subject of drinking in some way. This one does too, but in a different way than most of their material does. "Jumpstarting", essentially, is a message that the lead singer sent out to his drinking buddy that he'd be there for him through good times and bad.
"Lay It On Me" by Vance Joy: When Vance Joy debuted in late summer 2013 with "Riptide", I got the impression he was a surf-folk musician in the manner of Jack Johnson, but with more melancholy lyrics. The more I got to know Vance's music, though, the more I realized that most of his other material is as melancholy as his lyrics. "Lay It On Me", his first single from his second album, continues in this direction. There is an uplifting, brassy part during the chorus of the song, but it doesn't mask how much Vance feels about how much he has failed as a lover. Being able to let out those feelings is what music is all about, though!
