Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

 here they are: "Arrow" by The Head and The Heart:  Although the sound of this song suggests the more synthetic (yet still authentically bittersweet) sound that The Head and The Heart went for on their later albums, the lyrics of their latest song, "Arrow," are sweet and sincere enough to win me back into their fanbase (not that I ever left it, but I digress...) For a group who have been around almost 15 years (believe it or not), there were bound to be bumps along the way for The Head and The Heart, but somehow, they've managed to muddle through, and that's what "Arrow" seems to be about. That is to say, it's about the band trying to find a clear sense of direction in an ever more confusing world of music and media. When Josiah Johnson sings he is "(his) own arrow," he means that he thinks he'll be the one to guide himself in a better direction in life. "Crying in the Night" by Andrew Bird and Madison Cunningham:  Andre...

 here they are: "A Fragile Thing" by The Cure:  Was The Cure's last single, "Alone," too long for ya? Fear not, then, because they have a shorter song for ya! The second single from The Cure's latest album in over 15 years, "A Fragile Thing" is a moody song, in typical Cure fashion, but it bases its sound with piano as its core instrument instead of relying on an orchestral wall of sound the way "Alone" seemed to. The guitar slowly seeps in, crescendoing to a solo towards the middle, but nothing too loud (I mean when have The Cure ever been too loud?! It's not their style!) The lyrics are more typical of an actual Cure song than "Alone" was. Instead of wallowing in despair and isolation, "A Fragile Thing" is a love song, which most Cure songs are, but more a love song in the way it depicts love as enduring than it is in the traditional way. "Aren't We One?" by My Morning Jacket:  Another song that sta...

 here they are: "Hide Anymore" by Wilder Woods:  The mostly old school R & B-oriented Wilder Woods have taken a turn towards embracing newer styles on their latest song, "Hide Anymore." Although Bear Rineheart's soulful vocals are still present, the rest of the song feels more like a contemporary pop tune, and even those sound more paranoid than they usually do on Wilder Woods' typically more fun material. It appears to be about a relationship where Bear feels betrayed by someone not telling the truth to him. I don't think anyone would feel OK after going through that, though! "The Lighthouse" by Stevie Nicks:  It's been a little over a decade since we last heard from Stevie Nicks! Having lost a longtime bandmate recently, though, she was probably in mourning during the last year or so, and the sadness shows in her latest song, "The Lighthouse." Although many of her best-known songs of regret were aimed at Lindsey Buckingham, ...