Let’s talk Music!
Music plays a vital role in my life, and is inextricably linked to my rich inner-world. The right tune can enhance, reflect or soothe my emotions, and I’ve developed a good sense of what type of music tends to work best for me in different situations. There’s many pieces of music I hold dear; they feel like old friends to me. I’ve listened to several records so often that I’ve familiarized myself with each instruments part and tonality of the vocals, dissecting every measure of the song with a surgical precision. These songs have become ingrained in my mind, a part of my being.
I can still listen to the same records I used to when I was a kid; I’ve rarely discarded my old tastes in music. Sometimes I use that music to time-travel. For it has the profound power to transport me back to places, with old friends, into memories. Memories so vivid, I can recall exactly how it was I felt back then.
Music = feelings.
This is the reason many of my entries are featured with lyrics from a song I think suits it well.
What a blessing that the road to discovery of new music is never-ending, and as such I’ve been happily expanding my taste, and adding artists to my musical carry-on throughout the years.
I’ve always respected writers that review music records.
How does one translate music, melody and sound into words? How does one capture inspiration, explain meaning, or describe experience out of a symphony? Curious how this would go about, I’ve given it a shot myself.
Over a year ago, I was waiting in line of Argos Manchester, a large, commercial supersized chain of retailers which is spread throughout the UK. As I was minding my own business, tunes played by a local radio station found its way from the stores speakers, into my ears. It usually takes me less than a few seconds to determine if I will like a song or not. This particular one sounded fresh, and I focused my hearing on the music, deliberately trying to faze out the background noise. I quickly fumbled my phone out of my pocket;
Shazam to the rescue.
And so I was introduced to the band Fickle Friends and their song Cry Baby.
It was stuck on repeat for the next week, and led me on a tangent in search of similar sounding music. I was still quite unfamiliar with the genre, but my curiosity was sparked. I found a few artists which in my opinion fit the bill, and gathered them under the umbrella of what apparently is called synth-pop. To me, this modern take on the generic eighties-sound, is one of promise, potential and dreams.
In the following synopsis I’ve elaborated on a few of my favorite songs. Find the songs (and more) on the playlist here.
Cry Baby – Fickle Friends
The band Fickle Friends sounds fresh and modern. Natassja with her incredibly sweet and crystal clear voice cuts through the vibrant synth-pop and makes their music really come to live. Thick bass-licks by ingenious bassist Harrington form the backbone their collective of creative melodies.
Cry Baby intros with a bass-line that is somewhat confusing, it has an off-beat feel to it. Combined with the electronic sound-effects, the intro (absent of vocals) carries an anxious vibe; one of strong resistance. It tells a story of repeatedly crashing into a brick wall, or trying to grasp something which frustratingly, stays just out of reach. Natassja’s angelic voice chimes in and the melody and lyrics hint at uncertainty, as if she has questions unanswered.
“Rethink everything
Sorry don’t mean the same
Won’t remember my name”
What really strikes me about this song, is the jump from verse to the chorus, and the powerful transition that goes along with it. The song makes a complete 180, and takes you by surprise (playtime – 0:35). Out of nowhere it explodes into a firework of colors and positivity, as if with a clash, (she) breaks through her resistance, to find herself in a land of relieve, opportunity and wonder. To me it sounds as if a tremendous freedom is found in accepting sadness, embracing her tears. Instead of upholding to the world a facade of having a strong armor on at all times.
It sounds brave.
“Why do we all get it wrong?
You were right all along
I’m a cry baby,
And do you cry baby?”
I have listened to this song over a hundred times, and that transition from verse to chorus is surely a feat of magic. Remarkable is the stark melodic contrast between the different parts. I also like the disparity between the lyrics of the chorus (which may appear somewhat dim), and the whirlwind of musical joy which makes it almost impossible not to want to dance to. The double snare hit just before the second half of the chorus makes me want to pump my fist in the air (playtime – 0:43) ~ “do you cry baby, Oh” (bam! bam!).
I learned that this band is strong, very strong live too. Check out their spectacular performance of ‘Cry-baby’, on Vevo. Tell me if you can distinguish it from the album version; Natassja surely has exceptional vocal skills. Listen closely to the moment when the bass and drums softly kick back in after the minimalist version of the chorus (playtime – 2:25).
The warm wave of sound that washes over; Goosebumps – a touch of heaven.
This bands total sound live, is solid.
Hello Hello – Fickle Friends
Imagine yourself in the backseat of a car, driving through a long tunnel at night. Gazing out the window into the dark, the equally spaced tunnel-lights, periodically cast a flash on your face. You’re ruminating, feeling a deep sense of melancholy. Lost in thought. Heavy-hearted. In a despondent state of mind.
The deep, deep synth-bass carries you away. And then there’s Natassja voice again. Piercing the gloom with unnerving clarity.
“I am in a lie that I told last night,
you’re a problem but you’re mine.
I think you hide it well despite the dark around your eyes”
The rhythm picks up, the subtle high-pitch guitar effects at the beginning of the measure, reflecting a hopeful opportunism (playtime – 0:18).
The straightforward, no-nonsense chorus amplifies the narrators urging message she won’t leave, but is unable to get through to the one who seems to be getting more and more lost from his way…
“Still I’m with ya
Still I’m with ya, you know
Still I’m with ya,
Can I have the boy you wanted,
Hello Hello”
Say no More – Fickle Friends
Wandering through a new city, a skip in your step, the sun is out. The vibrant colors surrounding you, energy to your soul. Immersed in travel, you breathe in all the possibilities that this pure sense of freedom brings. Sunglasses, bright colored t-shirts, sparkly jewelry, the air thick with excitement. An urban summer-adventure. You lean your back into the mosaic-covered wall, having sunlight caress your face, and look out along the boulevard.
The cheeky bass-riff by Harrison sparks curiosity. And Natassja again doesn’t disappoint. Her melody takes you by the hand, and you join her in positive energy, leaving you wanting to bite your lip, and dance through the streets. Empowered, determined.
You’re going to achieve what you set out to do today.
You’re going to find exactly what you need.
“Tell me the day, or say no more.”
“Everything is so in Focus,
Living away, living away, living away
Paradise I’m your beholder.
Show me the way.”
Holding You – Great Good Fine OK
Dense droplets fall from the sky in a swift summer rain shower. The thick air; warm, humid. Lush green of the tropics glistens with tiny diamonds, as the canopy softly pulses under the fresh blanket of condensation. Bright red flowers emerge in bloom, dotting the vines like precious rubys. A beam of light breaks through the clouds, casting a full prism spectrum through the falling rain, gently decorating the many shades of green. In the middle sits the clear jade pond; the beating heart of the forest.
A barefoot beauty walks with mesmerizing elegance, across a pathway of oval-shaped rocks into the middle of the small lake. She gracefully skips along the stones, towards the whitewash of a tumbling waterfall which springs from the lichen-covered rocks towering high above her. A white lily in her hair. She kneels down to collect the clear water with her cupped hands, looks over her shoulder and locks eyes. A gentle smile, she bats her eyelashes.
Can you get any closer?
The song kicks off with high energy; Kygo-esque panflute melody, with confident drumbeat, a little while later joined with futuristic laser-like effects (playtime – 0:07) giving the song a modern feel. Jon Sandler’s subtle soft voice compliments the verse melody, and his strong falsetto complements their pink-purple-blue sound.
“What am I holding on to?
When I should be holding you
Thinking ’bout how I want you doing those things you do
You’re all I ever need, baby, I lost you, now I see
What am I holding on to?
I should be holding…
you”
A modern love song that wonderfully captures the feeling of blushing, tingling belly sensations, and butterflies in a light and cheeky way.
flor – restless soul
flor doesn’t use capitals to depict the bands name or their song-titles. I like this. That sense of humility is reflected in the sound of their gentle songs and soft but melodic voice of front-man Zach Grace.
His lyrics are a whisper through the mist, a soothing encouragement to bring you back down to earth when you feel you’re about to spin off it. During the verse, it’s an interesting bass-line that carries the song (playtime – 0:13). After transition into the chorus, with exceptions of the lead guitar, the other instruments fall silent (playtime – 0:51). The fast paced way of playing the chords in a 2-note picking style during the first half of the chorus urges you to pay attention. Then (after doing so) you are rewarded with a warm wave of deep green-blue sound that washes over you as the other instruments simultaneously join in again (playtime – 1:04).
Powerful stuff.
“Oh don’t you tire your restless soul
You’re running, you’re running, oh
In place, you’re going nowhere fast, you know
Come and lay down your restless soul
You’re wearing, you’re wearing out
No currents coming from your restless soul”
Carousel – Into the Night
If you are looking for a movie that will tickle your travel-senses, I strongly encourage you to watch the flick Already tomorrow in Hong Kong. It is a great film with a small cast, that serves as an ode to the magnificence and versatility of the Chinese Metropolis. The song by Carousel is part of the soundtrack of the film, and in my opinion features its scenes of skyline nightlife perfectly. It brings up fond memories of my time spend in South-Easth Asia, cruisin’ through the madness of downtown traffic on scooter or TucTuc. This song reverberates that sense of adventure, when venturing into the heart of a foreign city without an agenda.
Thoughts on the above?
Related music suggestions?
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