Understand that as it took me ages to finalise it, it's also taken me ages to go through it again for this entry.*
1. Hear The Sound - Franck
In one of my many dark explorations of the musical underworld that is electronic music I came across this. It starts off with a great low kick that is the main heartbeat of the tune and as such it's almost as if you feel it in your chest. Although, that isn't new in the genre, so what freaked me out, and therefore automatically gained the song a spot on the list, was the looped synth sound that Edinburgh DJ Franck includes in minute 1:30. It's the same sounds that you might find in Russian post-punk bands like Molchat Doma. Obviously this, combined with the rapid hi-hats and the repetitive "I hear the sound" just makes it hypnotising to listen to.
The track opens his 2022 EP Rf1, and if I definitely would recommend Simultaneous Bounce from it too. Other stuff from the artist would be the Numbaz EP also from 2022 and particularly the track Get Down.
2. Influenceur (Bauernfeind & Krampf's LFEK Remix) - Ascendant Vierge
I just realised as I was typing the impossible artist's name that this is a remixed version of the song and that I hadn't listened to the original. So naturally, I'm listening to it now and I'm having a bit of a mental breakdown because I don't know which version I prefer. The original has French vocals throughout it and feels like it's pounding with a faster beat but has a bouncy and lighter side to it. It's a great representation of the extravagant duo formed by ethereal singer Mathilde Fernandez and DJ and producer Paul Seul who released Influenceur as their weird debut single back in 2020.
This remixed version though is a little bit darker. It's what the song would sound like at night (if that makes any sense whatsoever). I've also found another remix which is literally called "Hard Version" and it's what the song would sound like in hell. This one though has a good old-fashioned build-up which I'm a bit of a sucker for. There's this moment when you know it's taking you somewhere but you're skeptical because you don't know if they'll take it too far and ruin it or keep it right in the sweet spot. I've listened to it hundreds of times this month and there isn't one single time when 3:33 doesn't make me smile, wrinkle my nose and headbang a little bit. After that is just controlled insanity as they play around with the few of Mathilde's vocals that they've left in. If I had to try to explain it I would say they're cut off every half a millisecond and just circle around your ears forever. It's truly an immersive experience.
3. BAE - DJ HEARTSTRING
Another electronic tune follows but this one is definitely more cheery. It was a new release this year from DJ HEARTSTRING which I've also been getting acquainted with recently. They have a single that's just popped out of the oven called Never Let Me Go which has similar vibes to this one. For me, this song is the cottagecore of techno. Even though it's very fast and doesn't give you a moment to catch your breath I can't help but think of flowers, bunnies and gingham patterns.
I decided to explore their music in depth because I was at the gym working out to Sweet Dreams by the German duo and literally spent a good ten minutes dazedly looking at weights and wondering how they managed to perfectly sample Beyoncé's Sweet Dreams to make it recognisable but at the same time not at all.
4. Dark and Long (Dark Train) - Underworld
This is one long dark 11 minute train. One might think that it's possibly a bit too long, but isn't that the whole point of it? For some reason I've been listening to this on loop again. The reason is that I rewatched Trainspotting and the scene where Renton is forced to cut cold turkey still holds up. I'm pretty sure that this track playing in the background does 40% of the heavy lifting. Also, I've found that it's an excellent song to listen while walking in the street if you're in a rush. In my head I get brownie points if I get to where I'm going before it ends.
Welsh band Underworld, who are known mainly for their killer 1995 single Born Slippy (Nuxx), released Dark and Long as their opener for their third studio album Dubnobasswithmyheadman (1994). Nevertheless, this is a special version of the song which became infinitely more popular than the original because of Trainspotting (and because it's just better honestly speaking). If you ask me, the original sounds like a completely different piece altogether and after listening to it a few times this month it got to a point of annoyance where I was asking myself why on Earth they didn't call it something else entirely as it obviously isn't just "a mix". It's like if The Beatles called Here Comes The Sun a mix of Drive My Car because it's got a guitar in it.
5. Elle - Blind Delon
After angrily concluding the electronic music section I angrily move on to the post-punk section. Why am I angry? Because there has been so much of it this past month. I honestly don't know if I've been feeling depressed so this kind of music just gravitates towards me or if I've been feeling depressed because I keep finding new post-punk.
Having said this though, this song had a spot reserved on the list as soon as I heard it. Who knew that some French lads from Toulouse could get so dark and twisted? Not only do we have the synthpunk trademarks of fast and deep basslines with dirty guitar riffs and cold drum numbers but we also have a chorus of distorted vocals that make them sound like they've been smoking 40 fags a day since they were twelve. It makes my throat itchy just to hear them sing.
This song is part of their 2020 album Chimères but their biggest hit is Edouard (released as a single in 2016) along with Sueur and Alcoolémie.
6. Inside Out - Martin Dupont
Still in France and still post-punking about but taking it back to 1987, we get to Martin Dupont. The band are one of the best known acts of the cold wave movement which was a post-punk subgenre that originated in France and Belgium in the late 70s. The term was coined to described the music of Siouxie and the Banshees but the movement's main influences were the sounds of Kraftwerk and Joy Division. As such, this tune by Martin Dupont, sung in English for reasons unbeknownst to me, has a myriad of synth sounds mixed with odd vocals on loop that goes to show the experimental spirit of cold wave. There is even a saxophone doing its part at times which really reaffirms the idea that they weren't scared to use analogue elements amongst the electronic sounds that encapsulate the whole song. The lyrics, that are sung almost as if singer Alain was trying to make Ian Curtis sound happy, give off a gothy vibe that is similar to Just Like Heaven by The Cure. Overall a great tune that in theory should feel depressing but is in fact quite fun to listen and dance to.
7. Witches Tale - Jah PHNX
Following the vibe is this darkwave tune released in 2022 by painter and musician Jah PHNX. Atlanta born and raised, he bends genres in this song like mixing colours on a palette. You can hear the melancholy seep through the lyrics that's directly influenced by some trap artists like the late XXXTENTACION and the modulated reverb typical of darkwave band Mareaux. To be fair I don't know why I liked it so much but there's something in the guitar riff that gets me every time.
8. STICKY FINGERS - Gallowayyys
Moving slightly away from the depressing bunch that are the *insert word of choice* wave but still quite close, we get to the terribly underrated Gallowayyys and his latest single. Last time I checked (aka 3 minutes ago) the official video of this song had 0 plays on YouTube. That has to be a glitch, but if it's not, now it has one. As expected it was hard to do even the most basic research on the dude, but Bandcamp said "Gallowayyys is a neo-pop-indie/alternative hip-hop recording artist based in Houston Texas". So basically all the genres, the Thanos of genres if you will.
The single is a preview of his new album that drops on the 14th of April and is titled Angel with Fangs. Gallowayyys completely destroyed me last year with the song FISHING FOR KEYS where his voice sounds like he's singing underwater. It's his best work (not my opinion, just factually the best).
STICKY FINGERS also had me right from the start, especially because of that looped sound effect that can be heard in the background throughout the song. I've been giving it some thought and I'm 90% sure that it's his own voice but heavily autotuned and then chopped up to the point where it just sounds like he hit a button on the mixer. It is a similar thing to what Rosalía did in her latest album MOTOMAMI. And again, if you pay attention, there is a part of the melody that is heard as if though it's submerged in the sea. I'm starting to think that Gallowayyys is not from Texas and is actually from The Lost City of Atlantis.
9. Seito - Obsimo, Hector Gachan
A good part of the monthly playlist is normally dedicated to songs I had already saved but I rediscover them months later to give them the recognition they rightly deserve. This is what happened with Seito.
Seito is just good classic indie vibes on tap for 3:38 minutes straight. DJ and producer Obsimo teams up with Bosnian/Australian indie mainstreamer Hector Gachan and together they create a corker of a tune with a catchy Japanese word to be chanted under your breath as you're commuting to work.
Seito in Japanese means student and investigating a little I found that Hector Gachan is a declared fan of Alan Watts, the American beat generation mentor, and he's infused many of his readings into his lyrics. In Seito he literally implores for a mentor. So, call me Sherlock Holmes, I had the audacity of making the assumption that Seito may be another little homage to Watts.
Nevertheless, the Irish in me always mishears the lyrics and just sings "Shite though" instead of Seito. Now that's optimism. Everything turns to crap but you're happy about it and possibly having a little dance.
From the other side of the duo, according to Kitsuné Musique "Obsimo has been creating a luminous electronic universe where vehement voices, throbbing synth and ethereal guitars mingle. His music has the quality to immerse us as much in a dream as in feeling the energy and power". There is no better possible description of this song, and I'll add that Hector's carefree spirit is sewn to it and just completements the mood.
10. Altbau - 01099, Paul, Gustav
I immediately regret going on YouTube to watch the video for this song. I didn't know that the three rap artists behind it are children. The band formed in 2018 when they were in high school in Dresden, that's how young they are. I'm ancient.
I have also discovered by translating German articles on Google Translate that their lyrics are mostly antisexist and they enjoy being nonsensical. So they may be young but their head's on straight. This song in particular is about taking a padawan out partying.
I included it in the list because I love soft German voices and because it is objectively a feelgood tune (which is very much needed).
The song can be found in their album also titled Altbau (2022) full of similar beats and joie de vivre with a splash of melancholy that always reels me in.
11. HIMBO - Curtis Waters
This song poses significant problems. I saw somewhere that it is considered to be anti-pop but the whole idea behind the genre is to break from the easy carefree lyrics and sounds that caracterise pop and slow it all down and sing about sadness while still remaining soft. This is nothing like that so I don't know if the genre is expanding beyond its origins or if this is something different entirely. It's possible that it is intrinsically related to its brother song from the single GOD'S LONELY MAN and together they read as the rise and fall of Curtis in the world of fame and masculinity. It is a clear criticism to the social pressure placed on men to follow certain stereotypes and the duality that implies keeping up pretenses while feeling alone and lost on the inside (the music video really ties the concept together). The album that will include these two tunes Bad Son will be out on the 19th of May.
The sound of this first half of the single is futuristic, cocky and it gives off the vibe of having been made for a D&G perfume advert full of swagger and lights. It reminded me a little of Justin Timberlake's Sexy Back and shares a similar attitude. I wouldn't mind if it became equally iconic.
12. A.M. FETA MEANS - Rahul
You are unaware how hard it is to get any sort of information on this dude. Mainly because when I've tried, I get redirected to Bollywood artists and actors. Upcoming artist Rahul is based in Los Angeles and dropped a killer album called Depressed But Make It Cool back in September of 2022. It's a little surprising that there's nothing on the guy when the whole album, as the kids say these days, slaps. He made his big break with ANECDOTE which is the opener for the LP and has significantly more listens than any of the rest. A.M FETA MEANS is not even a close second. The sound is also rated as anti-pop which is this case I fully understand even though it much sounds like the new generation of rappers such as tobi lou or Aminé.
The song in itself is lyrically dense but so very easy to listen to. Unlike some other lyrically dense songs of the genre it doesn't give off the feeling of being a linear sound and has its clear ups and downs. Rahul guides the way with a rich voice and a calm flow sometimes charged with heavy autotune that adds another layer of complexity to his delivery.
As an additional note, the video is one of those worth watching. It is very detailed oriented and beautiful to watch.
13. insomnia - Marques Martin
Soft rap? Shut up and take my money. This is the latest single by NYC rapper Marques Martin. Mixing an angry flow with beautiful autotuned vocals that channel A$AP Rocky's L$D, insomnia is an indisputable hit. Even though the artist has been on the scene for a while and critics hailed his kick off single About 2 Die back in 2019, the artist is still very much under the radar.
The base, which is full of breathy sounds on loop is complemented by soft piano keys that give us the sense that despite the strong delivery of the verses the key to understanding the song is to feel its softer side. The lyrics speak of the sadness and longing someone you love who is not there. We particularly get that vibe from the ending of the song where it feels like giving in and accepting that sadness and uncertainty that can't let you sleep.
14. I Want You (To Be My Woman) - Winston Surfshirt, DOPE LEMON
If you want to be immediately transported to summer, this is the song for you. Indie/R&B Australian band Winston Surfshirt team up with DOPE LEMON (aka Angus Stone from Angus & Julia Stone) to bring us dreamy vibes and breathy vocals.
It is one of the singles of their latest album PANNA COTTA (2022) which is full of experimental funk and hip hop sounds. The album stands out for having an astounding number of collaboration numbers with diverse artists among which are rapper Ramirez, Genesis Owusu and Young Franco.
The album opens up with a song called Panna and ends with another one called Cotta. That's a little bit too on the nose for me but I'll allow it.
This track has a smooth jazzy feel to it and as the rest of the LP, evokes landscapes that make you feel comfortable and warm. A sweet and almost lullaby-esque love song that just invites you to nap in a sunny beach.
It's not the first time the two artists collaborate as Winston Surfshirt made featuring in the psychodelic Every Day is a Holiday by DOPE LEMON. It's also worth a listen.
Finally, I would definitely also recommend listening to the Ramirez collaboration on the album called All Of The Little Things, it is arguably its best track.
15. Waldosia - 99 Neighbors, maari
Searching for context, a YouTube comment just absolutely floored me, so I'm going to kick it off with that.
Waldosia: A condition characterized by scanning faces in a crowd looking for a specific person who would have no reason to be there, as if your brain is checking to see whether they're still in your life, subconciously patting its emotional pockets before it leaves for the day.
That bloke on YouTube had no right to hurt me this way. Now the song stings even more than it already did. Because folks, that's the underlying message of it, it's a painful thing to listen to.
Again, it's another soft rap tune. This time brought to us by collective 99 Neighbors and is mostly sung by the heavenly Sam "maari" Paulino. It picks up the pace a little with some drum n bass halfway through but the tainted blues of loss are always present throughout. Seriously, if you're feeling a little tender, just skip it.
99 Neighbors are releasing a few singles as of late which leads me to believe an album will drop in the near future. Following their 2021 Wherever You're Going I Hope It's Great, I have high expectations for the boys.
16. Übergang - Levin Liam
If you decided to skip Waldosia because you were already feeling a little sensitive, just go ahead and move on because this will darken any mood. Although, I'm positive that it's probably the best song on the list. There is a delicacy and a particular sadness to this hip-hop tune that is unlike anything I've heard in a while. As I've said already, I have a soft spot for sad German voices but this one takes the biscuit. Levin Liam uses autotune to highlight the emotion in his voice at key parts of the song (which is the best use of autotune) and not only that, the melody is produced in such a way that sounds like it's trembling. So not only do we have very sad vocals and lyrics, but even the goddamn song in itself is crying. A masterpiece.
Levin Liam, who I now have a severe crush on, released the song in December of 2022 and it was followed by Til Schweiger Freestyle. It is highly likely that these two singles are the preview to a new album that will be out soon. His other work like the album vergiss mich nicht zu schnell (2022), that sounds like he's whispering his feelings into your ear, is also worth a listen but make sure to have some tissues beside you when you do.
17. olivine - mwami
So we now enter the weird bit of the playlist where I'm going to have trouble describing anything at all. This tune which is also very much under the radar, sounds as if a demon was invited to collaborate on a song made by a band of angels. The contrast between the voice that delivers the verses and the sweet keyboard melody is the strangest thing (which may be why I like it so much). There's also some random African beat in the middle of it that may seem confusing at first but makes sense since mwami is from Kampala. The song makes another u-turn in the second half where it's completely taken over by the chorus of backing vocals while the demon lead singer is lost in autotune and fades out. Cracking musical production altogether.
mwami means chief in several Bantu languages and he is definitely bossman when it comes to releasing some catchy experimental hip hop music. He is one of those artists to keep an eye out for.
If you liked olivine, mwami has more straight-up bangers with rektless standing out. It can be found in his EP protean (2019) and is a sexy danceable tune with a house beat that reminds us of Channel Tres and should be played at rooftop parties in New York.
18. Mister Magical Mixture - Slow Cats
Here it is. The thing that has been keeping me up at night since I found it. Mister Magical Mixture (2021) came to me like like a Trojan horse on a sunny Monday morning and ruined my life. Allow me to explain. It is one of those songs that when you hear it you feel like it's nothing you've ever heard before. It's happy but at the same time nostalgic and cool, like wearing sunglasses to hide tears. With strange distorsions on the vocals, rockish guitar riffs and innocent keyboards it sounds like it shouldn't work but does. I felt Cupid's arrow digging into my heart and fell in love instantly. *yells* IMAGINE my disappointment when I went on to the artist's profile page to find zero music, and, most importantly, zero information on new music to be released. *yells again* NOT ONLY THAT, imagine my disappointment when I found that their website is the most ambiguous and unhelpful page in the whole of the internet. So, as expected, I went on an insane scavenger hunt for any information whatsoever. The conclusion that was drawn was that it is highly unlikely that they will release anything in the near future. So yeah Slow Cats, henceforth you shall be known as a one-hit-goddamn-wonder.
If you want to have nightmares involving Sprite check out the music video on YouTube.
19. Check My Machine - Paul McCartney
Do you want to feel like the main character of a film? Slap this on, turn up the volume on your headphones and go for a walk. This sexy, weird and wonderful Maca track has been running up and down my spine for the past month. Recorded for the album McCartney II (1980) but released in the reissue in 1993 it is easily the strangest thing this man has done and that's coming from a bloke who made Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967).
Not only does it not sound like him at all, it just has so many elements to it that it's almost impossible to separate them in my head. The synth reggae rhythm, the looped high pitched wailing vocals, the random percussion sounds which could be him banging on a pot and the odd banjo line that ties everything together just leads me to believe that Paul McCartney took a load of drugs, got bored and started fooling around in his home studio. The result is phenomenal and I encourage the man to do more. Drugs that is.
Obviously it was too peculiar to make the cut for the album and that is a shame because this is just proof of the range he has and how he was truly the genius behind The Beatles (yeah, he's my favourite Beatle now).
As a side note, I found a YouTube comment that advises everyone to play the song at x1.5 speed to get a fast and danceable disco tune. It is unsurprisingly excellent.
20. Zulta - Tommy Newport
Another one for the weird group of the list. This time it's a song found in Tommy Newport's latest album Glasshead (2023). The biggest track is Jackpot, in collaboration with rapper Jazz Cartier and that came out as a single in 2022. Even though it may still be early in the year, I'm ready to say that this LP will be one of its highlights. Imbued with funky psychodelic sounds, falsetto vocals and an indie soul, the whole project is just very easy and fun to listen to.
I picked out Zulta for the monthly playlist. I mean, how powerful are those horn charts at the start of the song? Jeez, they have me groovily shaking my head. The initial strength of the tune is hightened by the contrast with the soft voice of Tommy Newport and his passionate lyrics. Nevertheless, the song picks up the loudness once again in the chorus and completely takes off with a psychodelic guitar riff in the second half. It's one of those sunset songs to listen to while having a quiet drink with golden hour light warming your face.
21. Feel - Killer Whale
It's not one of my playlists without funk and falsettos. And this is just the sultriest compilation of both of those elements. Killer Whale sings over his own voice with heavily high pitched autotuned howls and guides us along his erotic fantasies with an extraordinary deep guitar melody that he reverbs to his liking and to mine. The song feels like looking at a purple pond and waves are just distorting your own reflection looking back at you.
Feel is part of the 2017 album Casual Crush which is oozing with hippie vibes that are also reminiscent of Tame Impala in parts and backing vocals that could be influenced by the likes of Morgan Delt and Fleet Foxes but with a dash of soul. I particularly recommend the opener Appalachian Visions and Foolish Man.
22. Jada - Grand Lotus
And now for the indie section. This song is just 100% indie. End of discussion. If Breaking Bad's Walter White dealt in indie songs, this would be his blue stuff. I liked it because it's one of those songs with sad-ish lyrics but that you can just belt out and feel content listening to. Besides, who doesn't like songs with girls names on the title?
As expected, the lighthearted guitars take center stage and lead the way to the catchy chorus which I've sung countless times. It's another one of those very adolescent warm songs that kills it when played on a Saturday morning at home. And how couldn't it be?, considering where it's been made. Grand Lotus, a group of four dudes from Tampa (Florida), have been releasing sweet indie for a while now. And while there's nothing specially innovating about the music, it's just a very pleasent experience. I also recommend Hangover (2018) if you're in need of a musical bearhug.
They went kind of quiet for a couple of years but released a new single three months ago called weightless. After listening to it I realised that the three years of silence has given the members of the band enough time to change their sound, adding more electronic elements to the melody and light reverb to the vocals. (I liked them better before).
23. Failure - Teddy Failure
Despite it being released in October of last year, Failure sounds very much like the alternative indie sounds that were around the turn of the century. *winks at Damon Albarn and Co* maybe that's why I liked it. Swedish band Teddy Failure make this self-deprecating pop song that makes you accept in good grace that you're nothing but a floating turd.
My description of the aura of the song isn't meant to sound like a bad thing but I guess that it could be seen as such, here it goes: Failure is the kind of indie tune that would fit like a glass slipper in a dumb romantic comedy.
I've listened to other stuff by them and it's alright but a little bit too on the teenage side for my liking. As if they're trying a teeny tiny tad way too hard to be cool and I can smell it out. But, as a disclaimer, their latest EP doesn't sound as pubescent.
Failure is part of the EP I'm A Failure Part 2 (2023) and in answer to your question, yes, they're overusing the word failure. If you really like it go for I think that we feel the same, Friends or king of empty conversations that is very obviously influenced by Moby. In hindsight, that last one maybe should have made the list instead.
24. Saturnus - Morabeza Tobacco
What are the odds of having two Swedish tracks back to back? (it's odd I didn't know Morabeza Tobacco were Swedish too).
Just the spectacular intro is enough to get this song a spot on the list. That synth sound that opens the door is already a hook for me, but to walk in and be received by a Daft Punk styled funky guitar riff... Well, what else could I do?
The thing is though, the vibe described in the intro is completely offset by the dreamy female vocals that are tainted with a sweetness and a sentimentality that doesn't really fit with some of the elements. But it still works a treat because now there are mixed feelings all about. Then there's something in the middle I can't describe that makes me raise my eyebrows way beyond my forehead. It sounds like a Peruvian flute but it's obviously not.
To me, this song just feels like floating overhead a little, just above the buildings of the city and then towards the end you're just spiralled out into space.
The song is part of the album Shadow of the Cherry (2022) (cracking name for an album by the way), which is also full of synth sounds and far away funky guitars. Together with the artwork it just sounds like the soundtrack to a weird dream from Twin Peaks. At times it kind of reminded me to the sound of Slowdive and in particular their song Sugar For the Pill only cosier.
25. Goes By So Fast - Toro y Moi
Can I get some psychodelic guitars but jazzy? That's California based Toro y Moi's Goes By So Fast. With beautifully laid instrumental swingy bits led by saxophones and flutes, it just wants to send you into a glittering dream where you're eternally falling through pastel cotton fields. Liquid strings and his reverbed voice just tie the whole piece together and it's inevitable to close your eyes a little and sway when you hear it.
It's one of the best tracks of his seventh studio album Mahal that was released in 2022 and without argument was one of the best things to come out that year. For me the album is proof of how far indie can be pushed and how it can flirt with a bunch of other genres but still keep its soul. The song earns its spot as it's one of those revisits that is always worth taking some time for.
26. Off My Mind - Aiden Ayers
Another beautiful indie track for this section and another dream to continue in the mood set by Toro y Moi. Off My Mind leans to the more folky side of the genre and conjures in our minds a beautiful afternoon in a flower covered meadow. The lyrics go hand in hand with this sentiment as singer and multi-instrumentalist Aiden speaks of living inside his head, the only place where he can still find the person who he's heartbroken over.
The song has certain spirituality to it, like there's a certain magic that rests in between each note of the guitar. As such, it's absolutely mesmerizing to listen to and feels like the musical equivalent of Valium.
The song was released in 2022 as part of a double single. It's fully instrumental brother Surface Tension is rougher but also very good. It loses all that folk influence and adds layer on layer of electronic sounds.
27. Today - RICEWINE
Still the indie section but slowly transitioning into the sad loser section. Sad losers assemble! (that's two Marvel references in one post, what is wrong with me?). Anyway...
RICEWINE has been one of my best discoveries this month without a doubt and the album where this song can be found, Flood (2017), is my favourite. He also released another album, In Valley, last year which is equally beautiful. I can't recommend it enough.
Well and truly a softboy song, Today speaks of heartbreak but from a shy person's perspective and it's just the sweetest thing. "I don't know what to think/You'll be missing out/My life's not for you/I think that's cool" Goodness gracious just stab me in the heart already. Melodically, everything about it is airy, there isn't one rough or sharp edge to it. The woozy backing vocals makes you feel like you're a flower dancing to the pace of a mild breeze at twilight.
In direct opposition to my review of Teddy Failure, this track sounds very teenagy and I love it for that particular reason. It's hipster indie teenage music done right. If Timothée Chalamet were a song, this is what he would sound like.
28. Cashmere Tears - Bakar
If you're feeling a bit down and want to feel worse, this is the song for you. The prodigy that is British artist Bakar just brings out the big guns in this ballad and decides to croon you to death. Cashmere Tears was released in 2019 as part of the EP Will You Be My Yellow (the sentence can actually be heard at the start of this song, it seems to be an audio recording of some kind). In general it is quite soft although it also contains his feelgood big break hit Hell N Back.
With the simplest acoustic guitar, a few chimes here and there and his tired vocals, Bakar shows his most vulnerable side in Cashmere Tears and breaks all hearts in a five-mile radius. Even though it is obviously a sorrowful song there is a comforting quality to it too. When I listen to it I imagine myself hiding under the covers in bed and becoming really tiny.
29. Time in a Bottle - Jim Croce
The sad party continues with this eternal track Time in a Bottle by Jim Croce and released in 1972. There's not much else to go on from the artist as he tragically died in a plane crash a year after this release.
I would've never guessed that a hapsichord could transmit such delicate feelings of love. The lyrics are also some of the purest ever written, because isn't time the most precious thing you can gift someone? It makes me want to waltz with someone inside a glass bottle until the end of days too. And yet, there is a little darkness to the song as the singer knows that what he desires is just wishful thinking and there never seems to be enough time to do the things that you want to do once you find them.
It is one of the most transfixing songs I have heard and I don't think it's possible that I could get tired of it.
As a side note the song has made appearences in numerous TV programs and films such as The Muppet Show, The Hangover Part II (*shrugs*), and X-Men: Days of Future Past.
Also if you enjoy this acoustic sound of the late 60s and early 70s I would definitely recommend listening to some Don McLean, Nick Drake or Harry Nielsen.
30. Yesterday and Today - Yes
Also a strong contender in the most beautiful song ever made is this celestial tune by London band Yes in 1969. As if soft acoustic guitars aren't enough to send my eyes bawling already, let's add to that the most precious sequence of sharp piano notes that just seem to rise all the way to heaven. The vocals are also a plus as singer Jon Anderson just decides to pour his heart out in what seems to be the musical equivalent of puppy eyes.
One of my favourite YouTube comments on the song that I've seen (there's always a guy on YouTube): "The world's most progressive rock band sounding anything but progressive". Also sounding anything but rock if I'm honest. It's very folk influenced and completely contained. It's like a jug of love being poured out in trickles.
The discovery of this song was weird for me because most of the stuff I've heard of the band just sounds like their top hit Owner Of A Lonely Heart (1983), which is great, but nothing like this. Nothing at all. It just sounds like two different bands with the same name.
31. Dibujos De Mi Alma - Y La Bamba
As a closer I had to pick something soft that connects well with Yes but that picks up the rhythm a little to end on a sunnier note. Oregon based Y La Bamba is also one of the top discoveries this month and rightly so. The perfect mix between latin sounds thanks to singer Luz Elena's Mexican roots and indie experimental sounds. The band have been around since 2008 which means discovering them in 2023 earned me a lap of shame.
Dibujos De Mi Alma is one of the two singles they've released in 2023 (along with Collapse) and it speaks of missing someone deeply and doing nothing about it. This track is not merely warm, it's a blistering heat under a summer sun that hurts your eyes but that you recall with a fondness on the cold days of winter. It is very relaxed and it's what's on in the background as you drink cold beer in a terrace bar in some random square.
I particularly love the work of the percussion ensemble and the trumpets in the background. Another song that I won't get tired of and pretty fitting for the hot month of March that we've had.
If you like Y La Bamba I would also recommend listening to Helado Negro, Davendra Banhart and Buscabulla. Pretty excelent artist/bands that have a little (or a lot) of the latin influence in the music that they create.
*It did literally take me a week to write all this down.
