BY BRYN TAYLOR//
This week, I did something a little different. Instead of picking my own three songs to dissect and explore, I went to my instagram and asked some followers to drop suggestions for my three songs this week. I decided I’ll look deep into these tracks I’m somewhat unfamiliar with, and see what makes them so auditorily pleasing to my friends and peers. It’s a challenge for my musically biased mind, but I think we’ll all find a new appreciation for some new tunes we may not have discovered otherwise. So without further ado, let’s get into it.
The first recommendation came from @__itslo, who suggested I take a listen to “Feel it All Around” by American singer/songwriter Washed Out. Originally named Earnest Weatherly Greene Jr., the Georgia based musician specializes in pop-influenced dance tracks. “Feel it All Around” is a dreamy, distorted piece, resembling sounds of Tame Impala or Passion Pit. It definitely belongs to the “chillwave” musical movement, which incorporates both psychedelic and lo-fi aspects into its sound. Washed Out uses low vocals that balance out the high frequency of the synthesized backing track and anchored beat. The song is busy, but also incredibly calming. It resembles the soundtrack to an intense acid trip or fever dream.
The next recommendation I received was from @wilcomack who suggested I review the Dylan Sinclair sing “Just Anybody”. The song is a beautifully simplistic piece of bedroom pop. Paired only with a guitar and his own voice, Sinclair creates a very dream/sleeplike sound that is incredibly relaxing and intriguing. The lyrics are rather juvenile, but this adds to the overall mood of the song. The song ends with a repetitive guitar riff, almost like it’s resembling a “hallelujah” sound. He accompanies this with the percussion of his own finger snaps. His soft voice sings the title lyric “just anybody” as the song fades out, as if his heartbroken self is leaving your bedroom.
The final suggestion I’ll be looking at comes from @milesames. He recommended I turn on Robert Glasper’s single “Move Love” featuring KING, and I’m so glad I did. This song is complex, calming, and an overall trip. It uses a mixture of soft vocals, jazz piano, and synthesizers in order to create a musical experience like never before. The song feels as if it should be on in the background as you look out a rainy apartment window. It emulates sophistication, along with modernity. The lead vocals are so milky, they blend effortlessly with the synthesized sound, but almost contrast with the jazz piano, making a confusing but entrancing listen for the earbud wearer.