Wednesday, September 22, 2021

New songs for September 22nd, 2021

 Here they are:


"Brightside" by The Lumineers: This is probably the first Lumineers song to make significant use of the electric guitar, as opposed to the acoustic sound they usually go for. However, the sound is roots-y enough that it still fits their sound, using instrumentation that wouldn't sound out of place on a Bruce Springsteen or Tom Petty record. The lyrics seem rather Springsteen-esque as well, weaving a tale of two people, probably either teenagers or college-aged adults, trying to break out of a monotonous desert lifestyle and go into a more adventurous one involving sex, drugs, and rock & roll (Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon is even mentioned by name in the first verse). Wesley Schultz, perhaps in character, assures the subject of his song that he'll be their "brightside" during the chorus. He never says exactly what he means by this, but it probably means he'll serve as the steady anchor to the person's wild lifestyle in case it gets too out of hand. 


"Can't Hide It" by Curtis Harding: In 2017, Curtis Harding's retro-soul music burst onto the adult alt airwaves with a blast of energy that simultaneously recalled Motown and early '70s funk. His latest song, "Can't Hide It," aims for the same kind of sound. The song is a simple declaration of love, like his other two adult alt radio hits ("On and On" and "Need Your Love") have been so far. This one is slightly slower than those songs were, and it also contains a guitar solo towards the end.


"I Don't Live Here Anymore" by The War on Drugs: This song might just encapsulate all the musical nostalgia that The War on Drugs have! The lyrics reference Bob Dylan twice: Once in the lyric "a creature void of form" from the first verse (which borrows a phrase from Dylan's "Shleter from the Storm"), and another time in the second verse where they namedrop Dylan and his song, "Desolation Row." The song itself sounds like Bruce Springsteen, circa 1984, jamming with Tears for Fears. However, The War on Drugs are actually aiming to turn away from nostalgia in the lyrics, as the title seems to imply. Lead singer Adam Granduciel claims he "doesn't live (there) anymore" after the lyric that references "Desolation Row." In other words, he doesn't want to live in the past. Well, from the way the song sounds, it sure doesn't SEEM like he doesn't wanna live in the past!


"Love Love Love" by My Morning Jacket: The latest song from My Morning Jacket, a band that is equal parts jam band, neo-psychedelic, prog-rock, and folk-rock, with just a splash of neo-soul, is "Love Love Love," a song that aims to spread a simple yet universal message amidst an electric guitar that starts out pulsating like a musical heartbeat before blasting out into a psychedelic wail that sounds like it would fit somewhere between Jerry Garcia and Jimmy Page. The song has an optimistic message that can be enjoyed by pretty much anyone, but its sound seems to be one meant to appeal more specifically to blissed out, post-hippie stoners, especially towards the end of it.