Friday Tunes: Five Songs For Those That Need To Confess Their Love
There's something about love songs that we can't get away from. It's in our music, our guilty pleasure shows, and books, our dreams, our bucket lists... There's something about love the literally permeates our life experience.
So, forgive me if all I have for you are love songs. Don't sweat it. Just sit back, cut up your headphone volume, and relax. Here are five songs burdened with groove, addictive energy, and the L-O-V-E word.
#1. Kids - Benny Sings (feat. KYLE)
The reason I love "Kids" is because of how joyful and mellow the sound is. This certainly blends well with KYLE's upbeat, arcade-inspired sound, and his tone is the best part. He sings with this quiet bravado that sounds so appealing (and there's this one note he slides into in the chorus that is a chef's kiss to the song).
"Kids" is also really sweet. KYLE sings, "Falling asleep on the phone, ain't no hangin' up/ I'll be the first thing you hear when you're waking up/ I'm gonna get things wrong but I'll make it up/ No breaking up/ Just takin' breaks while makin' love/ Just like when we were kids." It's just cute, dawg. KYLE really wrote something for the love of his life and you can't be irritated when listening to his confession. Which is another aspect of his songs that I love: his honesty.
I could see The 1975 fans digging this a lot. It's quirky. It's a song that sort of hides between genres if that makes sense. It's a song that you would find buried in a friend's playlist (which is exactly how I found it. Much love, Kate:)). Which means it's a gem you have to check out.
#2. JUNE - NASAYA, Floyd Fuji
My favorite part about this song is the chorus. It says,
"But if we end up leaving in June
I hope that we'll end up in the same room
But if we're flying into the moon
I hope the space drifts me closer to you"
Are these not great lyrics or what? Especially "if we're flying into the moon/ I hope this space drifts me closer to you." There's something about the space theme and idea that if we're crashing, I hope the "space" (or the emptiness or the distance from home or the coldness of our relationship) will help me understand and love you more... So much is said in those two lines.
I love this song because it mixes up these bright, flowery funk sounds with sober, yet hopeful lyrics. The music itself is so reminiscent of Paramore's After Laughter sound (or maybe that's because that album has been on repeat recently...), but the themes align and that just makes this song even better.
Floyd Fuji kills every part he touches on this track, as well as Nasaya. Most of all, I can't get enough of how comfortably large "June" feels (if that makes sense). Maybe its all the reverb and synth taps paired with the plucking bass. Or Fuji's voice during the verses that seem like they are coming through a VHS tape and the harmony in the chorus.
It does this satisfying swell throughout and there is this grainy quality about it. It's hard to explain, but wow! What a song. It has plenty of replay value and the same amount of energy.
#3. Freakin' Out On The Interstate - Briston Maroney
Briston Maroney has been one of the standout finds for me recently. There is so much to enjoy. "Freaking Out On The Interstate" was the first song I heard by him and I was instantly blown away. I love song movements that I don't expect. I also can't get enough of clever transitions paired with a solid vocal and lyric performance.
This song lacks nothing when it comes to these. It checked so many boxes for me that I replayed it for the next three days. Actually it's still on repeat... is that weird? I just think this song does a bunch of brilliant things, doing so with a less-is-more mindset.
An example of this are the lines "Fear is just a part of love/ And one thing I've found/ Is love's what you deserve" that permeates throughout the song. One of the best subversion of expectation happens in the final moments of the song where the final chord doesn't resolve like you'd want. I love a good twist.
"Freaking Out On The Interstate" is chock full of blues, folk, and indie rock. It brings me back to early Arctic Monkeys, Cold War Kids, and The Neighborhood in some ways. The spacious organization of the lead & rhythm guitar, the drums, bass, and Briston's vocals transports the listener to an outdoor concert or a wide room by way of a fist full of reverb. It leaves the audience in an anxious sway to hear more. Music, man. Music. Like Mac Miller said, "It's a beautiful thing man. It's a beautiful thing."
#4. Masterpiece - SAULT
My little sister (to my surprise) played this while I was driving her around and I had to figure out what song it was the moment I heard, "We change like the weather/ I just can't keep falling on you/ You can clearly see God made a masterpiece/ And it's getting so hard tryna find the key."
I love a funky bass line. Some songs aren't the same without it. "Masterpiece" is one such song. It keeps to a minimalist sound, sporting silky harmonies with just a touch of drums to provide a foundation. There's this playful, I'm-done-holding-in-my-feelings tone that adds a nice touch.
It's just real funky and has a 70's vibe to it in a quiet way. Hopefully, I'm not the only one who can see this being played at the late night get together with wine, games, snacks, and face masks... Am I the only one?
#5. Feel Good - Big State, Rebby Han
I just found Big State a couple of days ago and I've enjoyed the majority of his work, specifically his Love Forward 2 album. "Feel Good" is a will-you-join-me-on-the-dancefloor song. It's intimate, it's private, it makes you want to close your eyes and sway in someone's arms. Plus, for the musicians, there a plenty of really interesting, jazzy movements and vocal runs.
Big State is joined by Rebby Han who absolutely KILLS this song. She hits this run at the end of the track that made me make the stank face. She's cold. Plus Rebby literally glides over the music whether she's singing lead or in harmony.
Long story short "Feel Good" is pretty and it simply has great energy. From the simple, but clear instrumental notes to the cheering and excitement from Big State. It all just puts a smile on your face.