New songs for August 28th 2023

 "Cool About It" by boygenius: boygenius' third song to gain attention this year, "Cool About It," is not only a lovely mellow folk-rock tune, but it's a powerful one! Through three verses, Lucy Dacus, Phoebe Bridgers, and Julien Baker each discuss about the complications and suffering they've faced through relationships they've had. It is never made clear whether the relationships they've discussed have ended or if they're still going on, but it's clear that unlike what the title suggests, they are not "cool about" what they've had to go through. They each seem to have to live with someone who has been unfaithful, uncommitted, or otherwise putting them in less than ideal situations. The aching sadness of this song will really strike a chord with anyone who has not gotten what they've wanted out of a relationship.

"Dancing With Your Shadows" by Phillip Phillips: Let's move on to something more upbeat, shall we?! Phillip Phillips was an American Idol contestant a little over a decade ago, but he's made it clear that's he's more than just passing entertainment in the music biz. His debut songs, "Home" and "Gone Gone Gone," have both become staples of adult alt radio, and many of the songs he's followed up with (most notably the stirring "Raging Fire" from 2014) have been equally amazing. He's gone with mostly folk-rock so far, though. This is where "Dancing With Your Shadows" differs. The song comes off more like he's trying to emulate acts like Imagine Dragons and Kings of Leon, but it still manages to work for him. It is still just as compelling as most of his songs have been so far!

"Eucalyptus" by The National: In the already melancholy catalog of The National, "Eucalyptus" manages to be twice as sad. Starting as a bittersweet folk-rock dirge before slowly swelling up to a frustrated yet sad indie-rock tune, "Eucalyptus" is a song that seems to waver between being nostalgic and jaded, sometimes within the same lines. Matt Berninger repeatedly states "What about...?" throughout the verses, and urges the subject of the song to "take it" (whatever "it" is) during the chorus. Matt lists many things that mean a lot to him, even name-dropping '90s indie groups such as Cowboy Junkies and The Afghan Whigs, but towards the middle of the song, he declares he "doesn't want" these things because it "wouldn't be fair." Not fair how, and to whom? Matt never reveals this information, but it seems like he doesn't want to face the aches and pains that come with nostalgia. But what does "nostalgia" mean, after all, but "our pain" in Latin? 

"Highlands" by Middle Kids: If the title reminds you of Scotland, that's no mere coincidence. Middle Kids' Hannah Joy got to work on "Highlands" to celebrate her Scottish heritage! Unique to this song (so far, at least) is the group's opinion of the song being "yearncore." In other words, it's a song with a relentlessly punchy indie-pop energy that centers around the yearning to be free, with the title location serving as both a reminder of Scotland and as a metaphor for the freedom people long for to be who they want to be. 

"More Than a Love Song" by Black Pumas: No one seems to know how to do "acoustic soul" quite like Black Pumas! They proved this with their 2019 alt/adult alt megahit, "Colors," and again just a year later with their riveting cover of Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car." Now, at the cusp of summer 2023, the Pumas have returned with a song that lives up to its title! This song really is more than a love song! It's a song that attempts to unite people with the power of music and positivity! It is life itself that Eric Burton is claiming to be "more than a love song" in his song, and it really shows! The song occasionally has stabbing electric guitar riffs to punctuate it, but it's a largely acoustic guitar-based song. Overall, this song is such a powerful celebration of life, and it really shows how music can save your life if you let it!

"The Well" by Briscoe: A great way to wind down this week's list, Austin bluegrass-rockers, Briscoe, have a great banjo-driven song with "The Well." The Austin influence clearly shows in many ways in this song. The sweet Southern accents, the imagery of Western plains, and the crisp, clear banjo picking probably all remind people of the South. The song seems to be an exercise in nostalgia, but more of a sweet one than a painful one, with the lead singer's voice plaintively asking that if the subject of his song will "be content with stories told of days of your youth to your days of old" once "the well runs dry and the food runs out."