Spencer Griffin's New Music Mondays

 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: "Classical" by Vampire Weekend:  The title to this song, of course, does not describe Vampire Weekend's music. That being said, though, "Classical" is  a song that illustrates the rich musical diversity that Vampire Weekend has to offer, perhaps more than any other song so far in their already vast catalog! The song manages to simultaneously sound like baroque pop, jazz, rock, synthpop, and soul, all stirred up into a tasty musical gumbo! The word "classical" in the title might just take on more than one meaning, also. There's the obvious element of classical music (even though that is not present in the song sound-wise), but "classical" here also refers to societal castes and how fragile they are. Lyrically, "Classical" seems to be about how, when different cultures clash with one another, they cause each other to collapse. A very heady topic for a very trying time in human history! "Daisy (Shine a Light)...

 Here they are: "Did You Know That There's a Tunnel Under Ocean Boulevard?" by Lana Del Rey: I think it's safe to say Lana Del Rey wins the award for Longest Song Title of the Year (so far)!! Fittingly, the song itself is somewhat long too, clocking in at 4 minutes and 45 seconds. In true Lana fashion, her latest song is a stark, melancholy piece of piano-based orchestral pop. Not sure if the titular "tunnel" is a real one or if it's supposed to be symbolic, as Lana's songs are typically loaded with symbolism, and this song is no exception. More than likely, though, it's both. There was a real tunnel under Ocean Boulevard, a place in Long Beach, California, until the mid-1960's, and Lana is trying to capture a slice of hippie-era nostalgia by wrapping it in a bittersweet musical present that is anything but psychedelic, but there are also many references to California's musical past, ranging from The Eagles' "Hotel California...