My Friends and Their Songs

Recently my friend Tomás (proud subscriber btw) gave me the idea to write a blog post about the music that I am listening to these days. Since deleting Spotify, I have been living without the seemingly endless library available on demand in my pocket; naturally this has changed my music-listening habits significantly. The honest answer of what I've been listening to is primarily podcasts, 3-hour long oud/lute compositions on youtube, and whatever my roommates are playing aloud while cooking. Thus, in order to get a bit more variety in this essay, I outsourced the playlist curation part of the project to a number of friends. This way, I get to connect with other people, hear some new music, and write about things that I wouldn't otherwise be listening to.

First comes a short composition sent to me by my buddy Andy: Alec’s Log House - Claude Lavender. This is a cover of a tune by Shōgo Sakai originally from the highly acclaimed Mother 3 video game. The strings establish a breezy, laid back environment which is eventually enhanced with electronic elements adding layers of complexity. Constantly tiptoeing up and down chromatically, the melody strikes me as slightly askew, hinting at something unsettled laying beneath. Based on my limited understanding of the Mother series, this seems on brand.

In a completely different vein comes the submission from my friend Justin: Pretty (feat. Saweetie) - TiaCorine. Music critics with much more knowledge and experience than I have might call it something else, but I am categorizing this song into the "fairy rap" sonic sphere in my mind. Dripping with self-confidence, Pretty is an energetic bop, a "get money get cock my pussy is so sweet" kinda song. My favorite line comes from Saweetie's verse: "Ass got the British boys on rock like Plymouth."

Recently while hanging out with my roommate Andrés, he showed me a song he appreciates: Manifiesto - Nach. Although I am unable to understand all that is being said here, it is not difficult to appreciate the mastery of form and stamina required to perform a nine-minute barrage of tightly written lyrics SIN PARAR. Here is a line that stands out to me as some certified real shit:

pero no hay mejor profesor que el error
ni más dulzura que él que sufre y luego cura su dolor.

Next we arrive at a song sent to me by Izzy: Rein Me In - Sam Fender & Olivia Dean. This tune and these lyrics feel like wailing around in the waves of tumultuous emotions that we face in a post-breakup spell, with a call and response from both parties involved. The rhythm section is keeping things driving while the twin string voices are echoing off of one another in a dense chorus. The introduction of the saxophone is a great touch to see this song off and expel its energy out into the great beyond. I find it notable that despite the title of the track, the full line is "please don't rein me in."

Regresamos a las canciones en español con la entrada de mi amiga Calpurnia: Cumbia Aesthetic - Foudeqush & Jesse Baez. The bass line bounces along throughout, and the the drum beats and maracas maintain the effortless head-bopping energy that is typical of cumbia. The vocals from both Foudeqush and Jesse Baez are so tender, which evoke an ethereal presence bolstered by the synth layered on top of it all.

Luke's entry follows this up, bringing a high energy emo vibe: Kinko’s Field Trip 2006 - underscores. The track weaves together an intimate, inward-looking and insecure singer/songwriter lyricism with some 100 gecs-esque hyperpop elements. Repetition is a useful tool here, showing up in the melodic shape of the lines both in the verse and chorus. Pretty solid overall!

Alejandro sent me a track from his wheelhouse: The Omerta - Raekwon & Nas. The story of the beat here is in its bass: the grooving guitar and boom-bap drums are laying the foundation for the lyrical work atop. Raekwon's verse for me is characterized by its incorporation of repeated intraline rhymes, reminiscent of the style of the late MF DOOM. Nas comes in and immediately begins to pour on some fast-paced lyricism to lead the listener through the story he is telling:

you know the claims, this was all natives' terrain
and the year was like 16-somethin', so could this mean hustlin'
began when the Indian finessed the Dutchman?
put opium on horseback? that's way before crack
we always been the Mecca for supply and demand
in every era legends in this land was goin' hand-in-hand, damn

Thematically, the track interfaces with the history and and experiences of the criminal underworld and those who inhabit it. The title even is a reference to the southern Italian concept of omertà, which is a pact of silence and non-compliance among crime families.

Of course I had to let Tomás get a spot in this playlist, and he gave me a song from his favorite artist: Death and All His Friends - Coldplay. In the first act, the piano and tender lyrics invite us to lean into the rest of what the song has to say. Eventually, the guitar and drums enter, driving things into a higher energy sequence with a 7/4 time signature (which is rare in pop music!). A layered choir of voices begins crying out, perhaps representing our need to push back against the stressors that plague our lives. The third act is introspective and harmonic, letting the experience wash over us and fade away. In total, the song feels like a journey: sizing up what you're getting into, being completely immersed into the experience of it all, and then resting after the fact and reconciling the lessons learned.

I am ending this sort of playlist-by-committee with the submission from Alexa: She’s Electric - Oasis. From the outset, the instrumental conjures a carefree and cruising sound, which seems to be so easy for Oasis. This track is sung from the perspective of someone who is fantasizing about and idolizing a crush, to the point where they feel overwhelmed and "need more time." Obviously this kind of attachment to the idea of someone is unhealthy, but by the end of the track, our narrator begins to understand the way out: "she is electric, can I be electric too?" This tune is certainly catchy enough, and I have found myself singing and whistling it to myself over the last few days.

Finally, I have a song of my own that I can contribute to this project: Nunca Vas a Comprender - Rita Payés. This song is a (likely unreceived) message to a lost lover of heartbreak and perseverance in the wake of it. It features two spectacular solos; one by Elisabeth Roma on guitar, and another by Rita on trombone. Both of them display a depth of technical ability and emotional care in these performances. This is the kind of song that makes me want to pick up and instrument and start playing myself!

con el tiempo decidí que es un recuerdo
todo aquello que viví y me mató por dentro </3

Music is such a crazy way to say so much without using words, and it can reach deeper sentiments and meaning than otherwise possible. I am grateful to have people in my life who share their music with me.