here they are:
"Certainty" by Big Thief: I don't know Big Thief's music too well yet, but of the few songs I know of theirs so far, "Certainty" seems like the gentlest and the sweetest of their already mellow catalog. The song is an unabashed declaration of love delivered in a quaint, folksy manner that brings to mind musicians like Lucinda Williams and Iris DeMent. "My certainty is wild, weaving/For you I am a child believing," lead singer Adrianne Lenker softly croons in a charming Southern drawl (despite actually being a New Yorker) during the song's chorus. The "child believing" part of the song seems to serve as a focal point for the song's video (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v1eypolupH0), which is little more than an uncolored, pencil-sketched drawing of a bear, dinosaur, and two other animals gathered around a campfire with very little movement. This is an indie-folk song whose lyrics are as charming as the tune itself!
"I Can't Remember the Dream" by They Might Be Giants: Perhaps the only alternative group besides Barenaked Ladies who fit the energetic, silly aesthetic of Nickelodeon more than the trendy aspect of MTV, They Might Be Giants have been making their charmingly offbeat brand of music since the mid 1980's, and they show no signs even now of slowing down! Their latest song, "I Can't Remember the Dream," is another of many goofy songs in their catalog. It opens with a guitar riff similar to "Louie Louie" if a band like Fountains of Wayne were covering the song. "Dream," in this case, does not refer to an aspiration, but to an actual dream - the kind you have at night. The song is literally about the speaker not remembering the dream they had. TMBG typically don't have themes that are too morose or weighty (though they sometimes surprise us, like with "Don't Let's Start"). Heck, sometimes their songs are about subjects as seemingly juvenile and obscure as nightlights ("Birdhouse in Your Soul")! This odd song is accompanied by an equally odd video with a faceless man in a costume doing mundane activities like laundry and dishes, before proceeding to destroy a rock music video award towards the end of it (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9Zj8ZSz6dE)
"If You Say the Word" by Radiohead: This song is actually a Radiohead B-side, released 20 years after the album it was originally set to be included in! Given that it's a "Kid A" bonus track, it serves as one of Radiohead's trippier, less explainable songs. Amidst its weirdness, though, it is also an incredibly soothing song, combining electronica, trip-hop, and post-psychedelic rock all in one. Lyrically, it seems like one of many Thom Yorke songs that concerns the topic of isolation (or possibly drugs), opening with lyrics like "If you're in a forest out of your mind," and, "If you're stuck in the rainfall of shattering glass. The song is definitely a mind trip, but it is also one meant to ease your pain.
"Long Way" by Eddie Vedder: In 2016, both Sting and his daughter were each releasing songs to adult alt radio stations. This year, Eddie Vedder and HIS daughter, Olivia, are competing with one another on the format, though her dad has been more successful so far this year. Perhaps part of the reason for this, apart from Pearl Jam being a super successful band that has been around for nearly 30 years, is how Eddie's latest song, "Long Way," is a road-weary tune that evokes the sounds of Tom Petty circa Full Moon Fever. The song's Petty-esque sound is no mere coincidence either, as Eddie did enlist help from The Heartbreakers' organ player, Benmont Tench, on his latest album. The lyrics of the song have an almost Springsteen-ian vibe about two lovers who initially seem destined to be together but end up going their separate ways to explore both love and life a little more.
"The Sun Hasn't Left" by Modest Mouse: A fun, quirky little song that opens with a xylophone riff before adding in some synths and vocals shortly afterward, Modest Mouse's "The Sun Hasn't Left" is a song that attempts to dispense good advice to its listeners while still acknowledging the negativity of the world, with messages like "Relax your breath, lean into yourself" and "Not everything is gonna be the best, but there's still something left." While the song seems to criticize technology for taking over flesh-and-blood friendships and relationships during its later verses, "The Sun Hasn't Left" is not a completely bitter song. It seems to mostly serve as a way to comfort us as our world descends into chaos around us, while not completely ignoring that fact either. The song also has a very summery sound, which is funny considering we're on our last gasp of summer right now.
