New songs for March 13th, 2023

 here they are:


"Angelica" by Wet Leg: Anyone who grew up during the '90s like I did probably thinks of the manipulative, pint-sized villainess from Rugrats when they hear the name "Angelica," but I assure you that Nickelodeon was not on Wet Leg's mind when they did this song! The song is instead about an old friend of the lead singer. The song's Angelica is a villainess in her own right, but not one who picks on babies. This Angelica, instead, is one who wants to party all the time. Why is that bad, you may ask? Well, in this case, it's because the lead singer of Wet Leg didn't really want to be around someone like that. The song is basically a "diss track," but its bright, sunny, catchy sound hides that pretty well.

"Character Development" by Allison Ponthier: "Character Development" sounds more like the name of a college course than it does a song title, yet here it is! The title refers to Allison herself and how she feels about the relationship she's in. She's "more than just (their) character development," as she claims in the song. In other words, she feels like she's being used in the relationship she's in. A contemporary alterna-pop sound in the vein of musicians like Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus permeates the somewhat sullen yet laissez-faire mood of this song.

"Descending to Nowhere" by Rodrigo y Gabriela: Like all Rodrigo y Gabriela songs, "Descending to Nowhere" is instrumental. However, it does distinguish itself from the flamenco-influenced sound of most of their material by utilizing other influences. Yes, the flamenco sound is there, but an atmospheric and slightly psychedelic pop sound also get woven into the mysteriously alluring fabric of this song.

"Easy Now" by Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds: With the exception of their debut song, "If I Had a Gun," Noel Gallagher's post-Oasis output seems to have been lackluster in comparison to his better-known band. "Easy Now" finds Noel going back to what he does best. It's a Beatlesque folk-pop/rock ballad that doesn't sound too different from many of the best loved Oasis songs. The scruffier, hard-rock-ish output Noel tried going for on his past few songs isn't really anywhere to be found on "Easy Now," which, fitting to its title, is easy on the ears.

"Living in a Haze" by Milky Chance: Gone are the folk-y acoustic guitars meshing against tropical rhythmic backdrops that Milky Chance have in most of their material. The German alt-pop duo's latest song, "Living in a Haze," finds the two...well...living in a haze! Musically speaking, that is. The song doesn't even have guitars at its start, but synthesizers, and once the guitars do come in, they have a vaguely New Order-ish sound that fans of Milky Chance probably aren't accustomed to in their material. Lead singer Clemens Rehbein states in the chorus that he "wishes he was a disco boy." What this means, I haven't the slightest idea, further adding to the "hazy" aspect of this crazy song!

"Lord Have Mercy" by Durand Jones: "Lord Have Mercy" is quite possibly the funkiest and sassiest track I've heard so far from soul revivalist Durand Jones. Unlike the slinky guitar Durand usually has in his song that is reminiscent of early 1970's R & B, "Lord Have Mercy" has guitars that sound more like they belong in a Jimi Hendrix or Lenny Kravitz song! Well, perhaps not that heavy, but still very dirty and blues-y compared to what he normally does! Fitting to its title, the song does have reverent lyrics, but beneath its catchy sound, it seems to be about the (possible) loss of Durand's mother.

"Sea Star" by St. Paul and The Broken Bones: Coincidentally, our next song is also in the style of 1970's R & B and is also about death. The choice of emulating '70s R & B is nothing new for St. Paul and The Broken Bones, whose lead singer's vocals are reminiscent of Al Green, but "Sea Star" is a much slower and sadder song than most of their material. Obviously, SPATBB have not shied away from making their music and subject matter match here, but their instrumental prowess still shines here with plenty of blues-y guitar and bright brass woven into the mix.

"Superglue" by Michigander: Michigander's sound has never been quite as '80s-centric as it has on "Superglue." The song sounds like a cross between U2, The Cure, and the song "I Melt With You" by Modern English, making good use of both bright, blaring synths and shimmery guitars that were typical for the era. The song itself seems to be about indecision that the lead singer is feeling about a relationship he's currently in, but it's the surging instrumentation of the song that makes it such a compelling listen!

"The Walk Home" by Young the Giant: "The Walk Home" is probably the most poignant song so far in the Young the Giant catalog. YTG's songs don't normally sound this heartbreaking, going instead (normally) for a more upbeat sound. While the song isn't necessarily a downer, there is something that will probably elicit tears of joy from its listeners. In addition to the song's bittersweet sound, "The Walk Home" has equally bittersweet lyrics that revolve around the feeling of being isolated and the desire to be "walked home" to a calmer, more perfect world.

"The Way" by Manchester Orchestra: "The Way" is a moody piece, which is typical of Manchester Orchestra's material. What's not typical, however, is that the song is dominated by piano instead of guitar. The song's combination of organic piano and synthetic beats give it a rather ethereal atmosphere. "The Way" takes its moodiness a step beyond what Manchester Orchestra normally have in that it is a song about the fragility of mental illness. The song is a real tearjerker in this aspect, but thankfully it has a buoyant enough sound to be more fluffy than sad in terms of its sound.