New songs for October 21st, 2024

 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:  Andrew Bird and Madison Cunningham, two faves of 21st century indie-folk, take things back to the previous century by covering the more traditional folk-rock sound of Fleetwood Mac (or rather, two of their members - Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks). A fitting role for both performers, as Bird has the virtuosity and wit of Buckingham, and Cunningham has the biting yet world-weary vibe of Nicks. As can be expected from Andrew Bird, "Crying in the Night" features prominent use of orchestral string instruments while not actually using a full-scale orchestra. At only two and a half minutes, these two indie-folk-sters do Fleetwood Mac justice with a similarly billowy, buoyant, bouncy folk-pop/rock flavor to the group.


"She Cleans Up" by Father John Misty:  A bit more of a garage rock sound than the typical Father John Misty song (although then again, what IS a "typical" Father John Misty song?!), "She Cleans Up" is an interesting choice for FJM's second single of 2024! If the jazzy prog-disco of "I Guess Time Just Makes Fools of Us All" was too much for you to swallow, then perhaps "She Cleans Up" will be more your thing. With a Black Keys-ish sound and a chorus with surprisingly similar rhythm and cadence to Genesis' "I Can't Dance," "She Cleans Up" is abstract, profane, and self-referential within a single song! Just when you think he's done it all, he proves you wrong yet again!!


"Sober" by Bartees Strange:  Not to be confused for the far heavier and far more frightening Tool song of the same name, Bartees Strange's "Sober" is an interesting song! Lyrically, it seems to be about how difficult it is to stay sane in a world of stress and unpredictability. Musically, it shifts between mellow Fleetwood Mac-y verses and a chorus with slightly more aggression and distortion but never so much that it prevents the song from drifting out of soft rock territory. 




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