here they are:
"Can't Stop the Rain" by Neal Francis: Neal Francis is a Chicago resident, but he might as well have come from New Orleans with the sound he has cultivated! Both the honky-tonk sound of the piano and the shrill, blues-y guitar of Neal's debut song, "Can't Stop the Rain," hint strongly at a New Orleans blues and jazz influence! The slide guitar is provided here by none other than blues-rocker extraordinaire, Derek Trucks, known for his work in both The Allman Brothers Band and with his wife, the equally blues-y Susan Tedeschi. "Rain" in the context of this song, I suppose, equates to "sadness," from what I can make out from what the rest of the lyrics have to say. Neal Francis really knows how to turn his frown upside-down if that's the case!
"Get Down" by Susto: South Carolinian indie-pop group, Susto, has been around for a few years now. Until this point, I knew them best for the quirky, tongue-in-cheek Christmas song, "R.I.P. Santa." We still have another three months to see if Susto will make another hilarious holiday tune, but in the meantime, we have what could be their breakthrough hit on adult alt radio stations, "Get Down." "Get Down" is a pleasant, upbeat song, but its lyrics concern a friend of one of the band members who was going through both physical and mental health issues at the time the song was written.
"Mood Ring" by Lorde: This summer, Lorde treated us to a sunny song unlike any she had done previously with "Solar Power." Both its breezy sound and its summery subject matter took Lorde fans by surprise. As the summer winds down, New Zealand's biggest pop star gives us another splash of summer with "Mood Ring." Well, at least in terms of how the song sounds. The lyrics tell a slightly different story. "Mood Ring" was actually written as a mockery of those who like mood rings, as well as various other aspects of "wellness" culture, such as plant-based diets, yogic exercises, tarot cards, horoscopes, and healing crystals. I guess Lorde is back on her game...kind of. The sound of "Mood Ring" is so airy and hippy-dippy, though, that many might mistake it for a song that is lauding the very things it is trying to lampoon!
