Three days after International Women's Day, we have three songs that are all done BY women! So here goes:
"Garden Song" by Phoebe Bridgers: Phoebe Bridgers' vocals are naturally soothing. They still are in her latest tune, the Nico-esque "Garden Song", but here she trips things up a bit in a few different ways. First, it seems like the song skips a bit throughout, although this is intentional. Phoebe's breathy vocals and calming music contrast with the skipping of the rhythm here. The weirdest part, though, is the video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1u8rIx65QgA). Phoebe warns those with epilepsy not to watch it. I did not watch the whole thing since this is a potential problem with me, but I saw parts of it and couldn't help but notice that in some of the video, it looks like she's being snuggled by what look like cheap, store bought versions of "Sesame Street"s Mr. Snuffleupagus! Ummmm....WHAT?! As Snuffy himself has been known to say, "Ohhhh...dear!!"
"Stay With Me" by Margaret Glaspy: Margaret Glaspy debuted during the rather tumultuous year of 2016, and her cynical, world weary views and raspy vocals fit right in with the attitude of the time! Four years later, things haven't gotten much better, so we could use Margaret's cynicalness once again. Though her pessimistic attitude and sarcastic lyrics remain in her latest song, "Stay With Me", her sound is a little different this time. The grunge-meets-blues-rock electric guitars of her 2016 songs have been replaced here by synths and acoustic guitars, which tend to offset her caustic, timely lyrics, like, "Who's the clown and who's the savior?" This lyrical refrain could refer to a strained relationship, but it's possible that it could also refer to the condition of how things have been in the United States, where people just can't seem to tell if their "leader" truly is one anymore.
"The Steps" by Haim: Sisters Este, Danielle, and Alana Haim, known all together by their last name, had one of the most deceptively catchy tunes of last summer with "Summer Girl", which sounded sweet on the surface but was actually inspired by the cancer diagnosis that Danielle Haim's boyfriend received a few years prior. The fact that the trio showed off their bathing suits in a way that was both silly and sexy in the song's video only further distanced itself from what the song was really about. In "The Steps", Haim make their subject matter clearer. Though the song features sunny, Lindsey Buckingham inspired guitar playing on the surface, there is now an obvious undercurrent of angst in the lead vocals of the song. "The Steps" centers its lyrics around domestic strife within relationships and its video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2O_xa8cems) also depicts the difficulties they experience in their day-to-day lives. As in the "Summer Girl" video, all three members of Haim are in states of undress on the video for "The Steps", but it is not necessarily meant to be sexy here, and it certainly isn't meant to be silly. Instead, it's meant to tell what it's like for them to wake up in the morning, only to deal with frustration even from the moment the day begins. Relationships can be such a chore sometimes! Both the video and the song for "The Steps" exemplify how this can be so!
