here they are:
"Brother the Cloud" by Eddie Vedder: Simultaneously a hard rocker and alt-folk-y emotional tearjerker, the Pearl Jam frontman's latest song, "Brother the Cloud," is a poignant and cathartic song in which the word "brother" is not used merely as a metaphor for someone he was close to. "Brother the Cloud" is about Eddie's actual brother (well, half-brother), Chris Mueller, who died 6 years ago in a climbing accident. Similarly, the word "cloud" in this song was also well-chosen, referring not merely to heaven or something of the like, but rather to how Eddie's half-brother reached the end of his life while literally rising up towards the clouds. Vedder is a special kind of poet among rock stars who chooses his words both carefully and cleverly!
"Next to Normal" by Lucius: A psychedelic disco fusion that sounds more like St. Vincent than it does Lucius, "Next to Normal" is ostensibly a love song, but not a typical one. In it, the lead singer describes how she feels "next to normal" with her lover, but the titular phrase is not just some cutesy throwaway term used merely for the sake of romance. Elsewhere in the song, she discusses how her paranoia gets the best of her sometimes and how she has lost friends and tends to laugh at inappropriate moments. This sounds strangely familiar somehow! Maybe because in my own life I've experienced similar things. It is not fun to live life this way, but with a loved one at your side (romantic or platonic), members of the neurodiverse community such as myself can manage to feel "next to normal" for the understanding they are given by the other person. Isn't that what everyone wants?!
"Pa Pa Power" by Cat Power: From time to time, indie-folk musician Chan Marshall, better known as Cat Power, releases cover songs (one of her best was a cover of Frank Sinatra's "New York, New York" that she did back in 2008). A little over a decade has gone by since she released that cover, and she has embarked once again on a collection of cover songs, although this one is a much more obscure one that was originally done by Dead Man's Bones, a band that features actor Ryan Gosling on lead vocals. Having not heard the original version of "Pa Pa Power," I can't make a comparison between Cat Power's version and the original version, but CP gives the song a haunting, minor-key mystique, perhaps fitting for its minimalistic yet morbid lyrics.
"Slide Tackle" by Japanese Breakfast: 2021 was a year of unexpected surprise for electro-indie-pop group, Japanese Breakfast. Their song "Be Sweet," a slinky, seductive slice of synth-pop, became one of the most played adult alt radio singles of the year (and the one that I played the most, apparently), and they have since gotten Grammy nominations, performance spots at Coachella, and a guest appearance on James Corden's late night talk show. So how do you follow up THAT level of success, you may ask?! Japanese Breakfast's latest single, "Slide Tackle," doesn't quite have the power or quirkiness of "Be Sweet," but it has a fun, unique sound all its own. Unlike "Be Sweet"s minor key, "Slide Tackle" is in a major key, and it also has a sleek sax solo to boot that kind of defines the song.
"You Will Never Work in Television Again" by The Smile: "The Smile" is probably the last thing you'd expect a Radiohead side project to be named, but that is what Radiohead's lead singer Thom Yorke and guitarist Johnny Greenwood are calling their new band! It's also a rather deceptive name for the kind of music they have chosen to do, which is somewhat aggressive both lyrically and musically (although not to an uncomfortable or unlistenable extent), and a bit avant-garde and minimalistic even by Radiohead standards! The title of this song, on the other hand, does seem to encapsulate the song's snide spirit, which probably serve as a way for Thom Yorke to vehemently rail against the entertainment industry.
