here they are:
"Happy Man" by Jungle: This is not the first time Jungle have had a hit, but it is the first time that adult alt radio stations are starting to take notice of them. The British alt-dance septet create synthetic funk for the modern age with their latest song, "Happy Man". This track is an interesting one, with philosophical lyrics questioning whether "living the dream" is really worth it in the end. Also, although the song is called "Happy Man", the opening lyrics are, "I'm a troubled man". The narrator wants to FIND happiness, in spite of what the title indicates.
"No Expectations" by Bahamas: Accidental pregnancy was a common subject for rock and alternative songs of the 1990's. "The Freshmen" by The Verve Pipe, "Slide" by The Goo Goo Dolls, and "Brick" by Ben Folds Five all revolved around the subject. The topic hasn't been near as popular since then, but it seems like Bahamas are attempting to bring it back with "No Expectations". The narrator of this song seems to want to lure his lover back into his life, but she feels like she's made a mistake with him. Though it's not entirely clear whether this song is actually about unplanned pregnancy, there are hints to it in lyrics like, "A life that's worth livin' is just some mouth to feed", and "you carried a baby". Bahamas' lead singer follows up the latter with the phrase, "that baby was me", which is a bit of a weird lyric, but he then follows that up with, "I'm carrying a baby. One you'll never mean." The bite and sting of alternative rock from the '90s is nowhere near what this song sounds like, but there does appear to be similarity between the lyrics of such songs and this one.
"Soul No. 5" by Caroline Rose: Most of Caroline Rose's songs are country-rock, but not this one! "Soul No. 5" combines sassy attitude, tongue-in-cheek lyrics, and catchy indie rock beats made fresh for the late 2010's! There is no "number 5" mentioned anywhere in the lyrics, and it's also the only song of hers with the word "soul" in the title so far, so the number tacked on to the end of the title doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Caroline's caustic yet kooky delivery of the song helps to compensate for its odd title, though. The innuendo within some of the lyrics (which, might I add, is not very subtle) is sung in such a spoiled yet silly manner that you can't help but sing along with it!
