November's been a month with an excessive amount of good music and my playlist is evidence of that. Check out my top songs of November, and let me know what your favorites are!
"What were we doing
What did we know
Before we all noticed
A hole in the boat"
"Sinking and swimming
Thinking were living
Ran out of lipstick to put on the pig"
This song is just so beautiful, which is a word I sparsely use for describing a song, but it is what it is. Melchor & Warren's voices just compliment each other so well, creating this melodious, reflective song with an insanely relatable message, at least what should be, to all of us from this past year. Figurative language also makes a strong appearance here which I'm not mad about.
"Hey, what a mistake
Oh, there's no me without you
You are the problem
You are the traffic"
One of my favorite bands, COIN, creates this very introspective song for, well the whole world. Lead singer, Chase Lawerence, describes it as "...the ‘car’ in front of me isn’t in my way any more than I am in theirs.” Hence the title, 'You Are The Traffic'. The lyrics "Hey, what a mistake, oh there's no me without you", is kind of a play-on line because hey! There's actually no me without you & that's no mistake. Something about just listening to that verse repeatedly lights something up in your brain.
I know I say this with like almost every song I put on these, but I have had this song on repeat SO much it stands out a lot to me. Emily Hackett's grungier side really is showcased in this song. Hardcastle's instrumentals perfectly capture this tug and pull Emily conveys with herself throughout this song. CHM is a song that is just sounds built for the radio and it truly is. The early 2000's sound is so there, and it is displayed in the music video as well. In the description of the video, filmed in Richmond, VA, it's explained, "...the images juxtapose the manic and concrete feeling of the city with the freedom and growth of the country."
I cannot get over Inhaler, I mean I'm still processing the greatness of their songs & it's been a year. IWABLT could probably have been on my top songs for every month, I try not to over-do it so that it doesn't get old, but wow. From the bass to the ringing rift & Eli Hewson's reaching out voice, it all creates this straight-forward, yet earnest sincere song going from the solid position of "It won't always be like this" to the acknowledgment of being played "like a record". Definitely one of my favorite upbeat songs.
"I see a man holding his flag too tight
Going to battle thinking that God is on his side"
"It's taken a while to uncurl my fists
I have become what I hate in a strange twist"
I had a Tow'rs song on my list last month, and I just had to include another one of their songs this month again. I've probably listened to this Audiotree Live recording for 20 times by now. I'm in love with the back and forth between the electric & acoustic guitar, I think it provides so much for the song in terms of reflecting all perspectives of the emotions displayed. I'm also in love with their ways with words, especially those specific lines. Personally, I think it's really something big to be convicted & be able to see something wrong from the "side" you're on, whether it be from you personally, or on a larger spectrum with others included. Tow'rs consistently provides these observations throughout the whole New Nostalgia. I've also acquired a new liking for cello's which I would've never expected, but here I am.
"The past about pain
Is timeless and honest"
"Let go of your shame
It’s a dead dampening blanket
It’s a façade"
I discovered the Manchester Orchestra through a friend and so far haven't been disappointed by a single song. Their lyricism on A Black Mile To The Surface, reminds me of a cross between Mumford & Sons' and The Lumineers', which would explain why I like them so much already. Despite that, they still manage to have this really distinct sound that's just flat out so good & unique. In I Know How to Speak, the guitar melody repeats along with the piano, yet growth is found in the emotions of the lyrics as the song progresses, 6 minutes has never gone by so fast. MO takes you on this journey that pulls you out into this like tunnel(??) and the end brings you out of it, back into reality?? I hope that makes sense haha, you'll just have to listen to it for yourself...
"Skin and bone what have you done, why dare you make me this
A wolf in the pasture
black son in the white and put my life at risk."
"I sat at the table, I shook every hand, the contrast confusing the mood
"please dance for us wolf",
or come tell us a tale, oh please just don't tell us the truth"
One of the small artists I'd 100% recommend!! Shua puts the words that cannot be said and explained aloud into Wolf/Skin. It's honestly more than just a song, it tells a story that is very much a reality for many (believe me). This song has a sort of cinematic feeling to it, adding to the story-like way it's sung as. I could not recommend the whole Little Black Wolf EP enough. Everything is put on the table in Wolf/Skin to the point where to have someone listen to it, it's either just going to be eye-opening or they simply just wouldn't hear it.
Julia Stone's voice is so perfect for this song, and the harmonies reflect the lyrics very well. Accompanied with the pungent rift, The Paper Kites craft this an "all or nothing" sentiment song that is one that'll just stay on your mind after hearing it.
Feeding Seahorses by Hand is a hidden gem of an album. Billie Marten's airy, light-weight voice creates this dreamy song along with these wispy ghost-like harmonies which I just love. This is the type of album that you play on *sighs* a sunny afternoon, or on a mindless early morning.
"'Cause I know you've got it, it's true, you've got it, you do
And you know that I won't give up somebody like you
It would take all night and all my pride to prove it
But you know that I can't give it
it's all up to you"
I've had The Magic Gang on repeat for the past few months. You don't really hear much ode
to friendship songs, but they do just that in Somebody Like You. Somebody Like You is a friendship anthem, a lifestyle, I kid, but it's one of those songs that you just can't help moving & smiling to.
During November, I found myself attracted to more early 2000s sounding songs yet released recently. I find that really interesting because not only am I "attracted" to that sound, these artists who are creating these songs are also. In a year like this, I think it's caused us look back at the "good ol days", and find comfort in things associated with them, in this case music. Like Emily Hackett & COIN do, they provide a timeless message that can apply no matter what year we're in, yet it's matched with that reminiscent sound. That's why I love music so much. Versatility, universality, vulnerability, and that overall component of just relatability that never expires.