here they are:
“Blind Leading the Blind” by Mumford and Sons: Midway through the 2010’s, Mumford and Sons decided they were tired of people pigeonholing them into the folk-rock category, so they got more of a “rock” sound with songs like “The Wolf”. Just as it seemed like M & S were finally starting to settle on a more acoustic based sound again towards the end of the decade, the quartet surprise us yet again by releasing what sounds like a U2 song with a banjo in the chorus! That’s right, in “Blind Leading the Blind”, Mumford and Sons’ two worlds collide! It seems to have done the trick for much of their fanbase, who favor their decision to meld all their previous sounds into one. In keeping with the theme of many songs from the mid to late 2010’s, “Blind Leading the Blind” laments the current generation, even opening with the words, “My generation’s stuck in the mirror”, immediately followed by “forget about ‘poor’ ‘cause I don’t like the word”. We are indeed a selfish, deceptive, and all-around desperate bunch of people these days, aren’t we?
“Misery” by Michigander: “Michigander”, in case you were wondering, simply means “person from Michigan”, just like “Californian” means “person from California”, and yes, they actually do hail from Michigan. It’s not just a clever name. Their debut song, “Misery”, gives me vibes that are similar to Snow Patrol or early Coldplay, with just a hint of latter-day Cage the Elephant tossed in for good measure. It is a short song without a lot of lyrical depth that talks about a breakup, as can be inferred from the title. A pleasant song nonetheless, though.
“Surefire” by Wilderado: Perhaps the best way to describe this song’s sound is “psychedelic country-rock”. It has a spaced out yet calm vibe similar to Kurt Vile (and his band, The War on Drugs). Fitting with its strung out, blissful, hippie vibe, Wilderado’s “Surefire” has a lot of nature related lyrics. “Surefire”, in this case, is not just a phrase used to describe something that is bound to happen, but a reference to the actual fire of the sun as it sets. The moon, the stars, bears, and forests are all mentioned in the first verse. Groovy, man!
“Van Horn” by Saint Motel: What exactly IS a Van Horn?! Is it like a Van Halen, but with horns in it?! No, it’s actually a town in Texas, which might explain the song’s “spicy twang” sound in the beginning. From there, it turns into the typical indie-dance-pop style of Saint Motel, but that is certainly not a bad thing. Saint Motel have been winners among the alt and adult alt crowds with “My Type” and “Move”, both of which were super catchy! “Van Horn” continues in this direction, creating yet another earworm in the Saint Motel catalog. The song actually has a clearer narrative than their other two hits, centering around the lead singer hesitating over whether to get to know the object of his affections better. As for me, I wanna get to know this song better!
