Tracks of this genre are very refreshing to me. While it’s easy to make something along the lines of this style and have it sound awful (like this), when it’s done right, you have a timeless, feel good tune that you can always go back to. Case in point; these three songs. It’s hard for me to listen to them and not feel good afterward, even when the lyrics are of a possibly depressing nature (as in the 2nd video). Whatever the case, here’s a few tracks that I hope will get you to dig deeper into the albums and groups from which they are featured.
1. Silversun Pickups-There’s No Secrets this Year
This is the opening track off of their masterpiece album “Swoon”. The opening guitar riff give you the hint that you’re in for something killer. It lightens up after the verses start and leads into a heavy but chill chorus. They make very good use of instrumental elements throughout this album and this song is no exception. The best parts of this song come after the second chorus @2:24 and during the guitar solo @2:54 (there’s also a reprise right at the end). An under-loved song that was overlooked partly because there were so many other great songs on that album.
How did the photographer keep a straight face when asking “so how many prints would you like of the strangling family pic?”
2. The Pains of Being Pure at Heart-Heart in Your Heartbreak
This song incorporates keyboard/synths and guitar as good as any other that I’ve heard. Although this group has not come out with anything else I really like, this song is one of my favorites OF.ALL.TIME. While the main vocalist has a voice I’m not crazy about, it fits this song very well. It’s a song about, well…heartbreak, duh! The lyrics get a little cheesy at some parts, but in contrast there’s some really good ones (And your friends don’t understand that the world could end,
And it would feel no worse than this). It’s an awesomely bittersweet song that features a great guitar kick @1:54. The closing chorus and instrumental solo during the outro capitalize this magnificent effort by Pains of Being Pure at Heart. The band name needs some work, however.
3. Wolf Gang-Lions in Cages
Another goodie that was overshadowed by the band’s hit single “The King and His Men”, Lions in Cages is a track worth your time from the London based group Wolf Gang. It appears to be a song about not allowing yourself to be confined and just getting out there and embracing life. It appears there’s some type of love story tied in with it as well, I don’t know…it’s hard to follow. The point I’m trying to make is that this is a very nice change of pace song and this is a band that doesn’t follow the trends set by many other groups. The vocals are unique, and they provide an interesting piano/synth combo in this particular track. Thepart @1:35 with some excellent backing vocals is the highlight for me.
against the grain 