here they are:
"A Little Bit of Love" by Weezer: Weezer have strayed a long way from their loud rock roots that combined Cars-esque power pop with the then-current trend of grunge. Weezer's latest song, "A Little Bit of Love," doesn't sound a thing like that! The song's title by itself indicates its optimism, and the actual song, with its sunny upbeat sound and chipper acoustic guitar strumming, is a sweet song that wouldn't sound out of place on a show like Yo Gabba Gabba (where they once made a guest appearance, coincidentally). I guess for some people, rock and roll IS "just a phase"!
"Goodbye Mr. Blue" by Father John Misty: There's no predicting what you'll get from a Father John Misty song! He's tackled everything from folk-rock to electronica to standards to Baroque pop and everything in between! In the bittersweet "Goodbye Mr. Blue," though, Misty goes back to his folk-rock roots. With the words "goodbye" and "blue" in its title, you could probably imagine that this isn't going to be a happy, upbeat song. However, it still evokes strong feelings of nostalgia with its plaintive, soul-searching sound. And who, you may ask, is "Mr. Blue"? It's actually a cat that Father John Misty used to own! This song is a sweet, sentimental ode to FJM's furry feline friend. How sweet!
"The Lightning I, II" by Arcade Fire: Prog-rock might not have been a big thing since the 1970's, but Arcade Fire, along with Muse, are one of the few indie-pop/rock acts to carry its influence over to the new millennium! The first part of this two-part epic is one of the more bittersweet, folk-rock-y Arcade Fire songs. By the second half of the song, it gets slightly more upbeat, but still sweet-sounding and melodic as it was during the start. The lyrics of the song concern friendship and the feeling of always being able to depend on one another through hard times. The "lightning" that Win Butler and co are waiting for that gives the song(s) its title(s) might be a spark of inspiration. That spark has certainly struck the band here! In mid to late 2010's, Arcade Fire lost the more folk-y side of their sound, which they displayed eloquently in the late '00s and early 2010's. In "The Lightning," what was once lost has now been found!
