While we hurtle toward a man-made abyss created by a mediocre man, let us at least have some new music to remind us why humans are awesome sometimes. This week’s Single Play has a decidedly more acoustic vibe, but boy those pop hooks sure come out and play epically. I do hope you enjoy these tunes, some of which came out a few weeks ago, but are no less deserving to be in the spotlight.
First up:
Lord Huron, “Nothing I Need” (YouTube) Lord Huron founder Ben Schneider is one of those musicians whose creations have a timeless quality to them. For olds like me, his infectious pop sensibilities, earnestness, and dedication to a style that feels like you’re listening to the soundtrack to a super cool indie movie makes me want to say loudly, “Now that’s MUSIC.” For the group’s latest single, “Nothing I Need,” the band hits all the right notes in the key of pleasant. It’s a far cry from their previous single “Who Laughs Last.” That track featured actress Kristen Stewart narrating the verses and Schneider singing the chorus in a noirish tune that feels like a journey down a lost highway. This time out, the shuffling groove laid down by drummer Mark Barry gives the song a light feel while the guitar work feels Beatlesque in a way. But don’t let that shiny happy sheen fool you, lyrically the song is full of regret and longing for that bird that’s flown. For example:
I fell in deep when you fell out of love with me
Now I got everything I want and I got nothing that I need
Just say the word and I will change the life I lead
And I will push away the world just to keep you close to me
I’d give up everything I’ve got just to have what used to be
You’re the one I’ll never get and you’re the one thing that I need
Give “Nothing I Need” one play and you’ll be playing it again. It’s musical candy for the ears.
Allie Sandt, “Landslide” (YouTube) Stevie Nicks wrote this song for what seems to be a kind of anthem for women going through their quarter-life crisis. It’s probably been covered more times than I care to search for, and while most who cover this song likely do so in a way faithful to Nicks’ performance on Fleetwood Mac’s 1975 self-titled album, singer-songwriter Allie Sandt gives the song some vocal flourishes that play with expectations. I’ve been a fan of Allie’s original work for a while now (she’s been on Planet LP – the podcast I host – a couple of times) and I think she’s extremely talented as a musician. Part of that talent is an ability to bring out the feels, and Allie does that in her cover of “Landslide.” Recorded as a live take, the song was featured on the album Girls Only, a compilation of cover songs to celebrate Women’s History Month in March.
Elton John and Brandi Carlile, “The Rose of Laura Nyro” (YouTube) One of the things that made Elton John’s golden era such a treat is that he was never afraid to venture into songs that take the listener on a long, epic journey. As an album opener for Who Believes in Angels? producer Andrew Watt shows how much he pushed Brandi Carlile, Elton John, Bernie Taupin, and even Laura Nyro to craft a song that reflected Nyro’s style of writing. As John notes on his website: “The album came together with a song that Bernie Taupin wrote called ‘The Rose Of Laura Nyro,’ who I loved very much as an artist. And so has Bernie. She influenced our early songwriting so much because she wrote songs that weren’t just first chorus, middle eight… She slowed down, she sped up. She had codas at the end. So we did this song and it just blew our minds because it was so explosive the way it was done.”
It’s gotta be satisfying for all the songwriters involved in this project to have created some truly wonderful music in a fraught time. But that’s the power of music. Even when it’s dark, there’s something about notes and chords coming together in the right way that’s magical – and does indeed light up the night.
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