Sunshine and Guitars: Celebrating the Warmer Weather
By: Grace Babcock
As the weather begins warming up (well, that’s what the weather man wants us to believe) we find ourselves outside more and more frequently. Early morning runs become more bearable, that walk to work or class in the sunshine can almost help you to forget where you’re going, and there’s nothing quite like a drive with the windows down and the music blaring.
Therefore I’d like to suggest a trio of songs I’ve found that are just begging to be listened to on a bright and sunny day. I’m a firm believer that music has the ability to affect your mood—so on this dreary day, let’s enjoy tunes that remind us of those days with a high of a blissful seventy degrees that are on the way.
The Naked and Famous, “Young Blood”
This New Zealand band has already had success in their home country when this single debuted at number one last year. In the United States, however, they have yet to gain such wide-spread success. That doesn’t mean that this quintet of Kiwis have been totally ignored here in the good ‘ol US of A. “Young Blood” is a song that I think truly represents the times we live in, musically: No longer is music simply created via instruments such as the guitar, drums, and bass. Instead musicians have embraced the computer as a way to create new and different sounds. While this is a sound that I normally stay away from, The Naked and Famous infuse freshness into this genre I’ve heard called “alternative electro-pop”. The song builds from simple keyboard notes to a series of layers: a simple drum loop, synthetic beats that create a persistent hint of adventure. In addition, lead vocals from Alisa Xayalith’s earnest and smooth-as-glass lyrics bring the song to a new level, allowing it to stand out from the myriad of others in its genre. The lyrics speak to starting over, approaching something new: “The mood it changes like the wind/Hard to control when it begins.” If anything, this song deserves to be played on a warm day in May when you’re walking down the street without a care in the world.
Cage The Elephant, “In One Ear”
Cage The Elephant is a band that reminds us that music is supposed to be fun, dammit. These five southern boys from Bowling Green, Kentucky have all of the pieces of the sound that is emanating from that area of the country: Their music is loud, brash, unapologetic, and catchy as hell. You can clearly hear this in the song “In One Ear” from their self-titled album. It deals with topics of fame, industry pressures, and how to just ignore all that buzzing in your ears and be you. Lead singer Matthew Shultz offers up this straightforward chorus, “People talkin’ shit but you know I never bother/It goes to one ear and right out the other.” He’s backed by two guitarists, his brother Brad and Lincoln Parrish, who add a twang to their chords, leading to a powerful bridge. The drumming is also solid, as Lincoln Parrish provides a strong backbone to this adventurous song. Cage The Elephant is a band with a tremendous amount of energy, which is especially palpable in their singles, asking listeners to consider the rest of the album. I’d argue that “In One Ear” is the perfect song for driving down the highway with nowhere to go, or as a nice sing-a-long for that “Welcome Summer” party you’ve always wanted to throw. Break out the Jungle Juice!
Hudson Bell, “Slow Burn”
While the first two songs suggest celebrating the onset of warm weather, Hudson Bell’s “Slow Burn” asks you to bask in it. As the name suggests, it is a slow, simmering song. This seven-minute opus would be best listened to on a late night drive when it’s so hot the only way to cool off is to let your car hit seventy. “Slow Burn” can be found on Bell’s 2006 album, Where the Sun is the Moon, and the first three minutes play out similar to any other song you’d hear on the radio with a few nice touches. Bell uses his electric guitar to his advantage, providing Pavement-esque riffs that almost sound as if they belong to another song. On top of these guitar parts Bell murmurs lyrics that depict a relationship that stopped, stuttered and, eventually, came to an end, but not before Bell and his lady love had an affair that smoldered. I have to admit; this song lends itself to not just warmer days, but also cold nights as we endure rainy day after rainy day. “Slow Burn” demonstrates that Bell is a lyricist who can craft poetry, as well as a guitarist who I’d argue is a younger version of J. Mascis. It becomes even more clear in the last minute of the song that Bell likes to use his fuzzy guitars to his advantage, as he takes listeners on a journey of love gained, lost and forgotten. While Bell’s “Slow Burn” may not encourage us to chat up that boy or girl at the bar, it will have us contemplating our future on the sober ride home.