Here they are:
"I'm on Your Side" by Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats: After having had singles with both a powerhouse soul song ("Survivor") and a more bittersweet country-rock song ("Face Down in the Moment") recently, Nathaniel Rateliff and The Night Sweats decided to combine the two factors for their latest song, "I'm on Your Side." One can infer from the title alone that "I'm on Your Side" is a heartfelt song, and it certainly is, and this gives it sort of a bittersweet flavor. However, the song's steady beat and heavy use of horns should be pleasing to fans of Nathaniel's more upbeat, soulful side.
"Just a Little While" by The 502s: Although nowhere near as memorable as groups like Mumford and Sons, The 502s are already drawing comparisons to the famed 2010's neo-folk act for a few reasons. For one, both sound like Irish folk-rock groups with a roots-y flavor, and both also have gratuitous yet still enjoyable use of horns. The difference? Mumford and Sons sounded Irish, but The 502s actually ARE Irish. Another notable difference is how upbeat and summery this song sounds in comparison to Mumford and Sons' more melancholy winterish chill and autumnal calm.
"Love Me More" by Mitski: I've reviewed Mitski's material a few times on my blog, but no Mitski song so far has compared to the compelling sound and surprise success of her "The Only Heartbreaker" from last fall! Will her new song, "Love Me More," outdo the success of "The Only Heartbreaker"? Time will tell. It doesn't seem too likely at this point, although both songs are catchy synth-pop based numbers. Both songs are pleas for love, although "The Only Heartbreaker" seemed to indulge more in self-pity, whereas "Love Me More" is a song of hope...kind of. There is still an urgency to this song, but at least Mitski has now moved from self-blame to the desire for love.
"Sidelines" by Phoebe Bridgers: Probably the most vulnerable song on my list for this week, both in terms of its sound and in terms of its lyrics, Phoebe Bridgers really spills her heart out on her latest song, "Sidelines." In a change of pace for Phoebe, "Sidelines" is more rooted in synth than it is in guitar, but it manages to be quite a powerful song nonetheless (the string sections in the background help to draw the listener into a deeper sense of pathos than they were already in). She claims she's not afraid of anything in the song, but that statement is clearly meant to be a cover for how she actually feels about things like aging, dying, living on a fault line (literally, in this case - Phoebe lives in Southern California like I do). "Sidelines" is such a poignant song! It is the story of someone who has survived emotional trauma, is willing to come forward about it, but still not fully willing to face what she has gone through head on. I can relate!
