New songs for September 23rd 2024

 here they are:


"Billboard Heart" by Deep Sea Diver:  The first (and so far, only) Deep Sea Diver song I knew about before this one was "Impossible Weight," which was largely a Sharon Van Etten song in addition to being a Deep Sea Diver one. "Billboard Heart" marks the first time I've heard Deep Sea Diver by themselves. Lead singer Jessica Dobson does have a similar voice and musical style to Sharon Van Etten, albeit more electronica-influenced in "Billboard Heart," while still maintaining an overall indie-pop/rock aesthetic. I'm not sure what Dobson means by the title, "Billboard Heart," (apparently her significant other has one, according to the song), but the rest of the song indicates that it has yearning lyrics, much like its yearning sound, centering around wanting things you can't have and the desire to be free.

"Birds of a Feather" by Billie Eilish:  Though less guitar-centric than Billie's previous effort from earlier this year, "Lunch," "Birds of a Feather" is still a good song, mainly for how captivating and bittersweet it is. Where "Lunch" was clearly a lustful tune, "Birds of a Feather" tends to question whether everlasting love really works. Billie wants it to, but she does have her moments of doubt in the song, particularly when she calls her significant other "full of..." (well, you probably know the word that follows it), following up the statement shortly after with "Don't know what I'm crying for," a sentiment repeated a few times in the song. Finally, she concludes the song by saying she knew this person "in another life." Billie is the pop musician who doesn't think like typical pop musicians, and I'm sure this is a large part of the reason people like her so much!

"I Have the Answer" by Been Stellar:  Shoegaze doesn't exactly seem like a common influence for today's alt/indie bands, but for Been Stellar, it seems to be the strongest subgenre they're influenced by! The first minute and a half of their breakthrough song, "I Have the Answer," is noisy guitar squalor that manages to be as beautiful as it is boisterous, much like The Jesus and Mary Chain or My Bloody Valentine. Lead singer Sam Slocum seduces his listeners with heavenly vocals that crescendo to a desperate strain that retains some of its beauty by the chorus. Unlike The JAMC or MBV, Been Stellar are not from the British Isles, but rather from New York, yet they manage to capture everything about the shoegazing scene into a single song! The lyrics of the song seem to be rather abstract poetry. It's not exactly spelled out what Slocum "has the answer" to, but in the song's cacophonous yet majestic 5 minutes and 57 seconds, none of that matters. What matters is getting lost in the haze of the music!

"I Wasn't Gonna" by Jana Mila:  Acoustic rock is certainly not unheard of in the 21st century indie/alt world, but it rarely sounds as crisp as it does with Jana Mila's latest song, "I Wasn't Gonna." Both the strumming pattern and the tone of the guitar come off like something from the late '80s, like maybe Edie Brickell or Maniacs-era Natalie Merchant. Mila also seems to have a Merchant-esque sense of tugging at the heartstrings while having a much sweeter vocal sound than Merchant's more throaty/nasal way of singing. "I Wasn't Gonna" is about a relationship on the brink of extinction that Mila really wants to get back, so she pleads earnestly yet tearfully about how she "wasn't gonna" do all the things she did during her argument with partner (cry, scream, fight, make a scene). If I was to be won back with a song by someone, especially one as poignant as this, I would certainly accept their apology! 

"S P E Y S I D E" by Bon Iver:  I'm so glad Bon Iver have gotten back to doing what they did best: folk-rock! After a few experimental electronica albums, it feels great to have the old Bon Iver back, though I can't help but wonder what the title of their latest song, "S P E Y S I D E," means! (Apparently, it refers to a location, much as past Bon Iver song titles like "Calgary" and "Perth" have). Also, w h y  i s  i t  s p a c e d    o u t  i n  s e p a r a t e  l e t t e r s  i n s t e a d  o f  a l l  t o g e t h e r?! (Haha, I couldn't resist!) The bittersweet vibes of old Bon Iver songs come back in this one, too! In addition to its tug-at-the-heartstrings sound, the lyrics of the song seem to be about regrets about how foolish (and violent, according to the lyrics) Justin Vernon acted in his past relationship. Justin, welcome back, ol' bud! I missed you!! Almost forgot to mention, Justin's vocals don't careen to an absurdly high level here like they have in his older material.


"Second Skin" by Nada Surf:  Nada Surf are masters of jangle-pop and and power pop! Their latest song, "Second Skin," continues to illustrate how great NS are doing what they do best in music! The song is a bittersweet coming of age song that would fit well in a 2000's indie film due to both its sound and lyrics. Having been around since the mid '90s, Nada Surf aren't exactly new anymore, and this is part of what's explored in "Second Skin." It's about the realization that as you get older, your body might think its grown past the vulnerability it felt when you were younger, and you can just enjoy life as it is. Having a second chance at life is what they mean by "Second Skin." As a man in my mid-30's, perhaps I'm approaching the chance to have a "second skin" myself in a few years!