Amy’s Choices:
Scarlett by Holly Humberstone
A graceful start to a lyrically enthralling track depicting the pain of unrequited love. The pre-chorus contains a strong synth with a steady drum backbeat that picks up in rhythm. Humberstone’s rich vocals carry through the song’s story, the POV of one of her closest friends, Scarlett. A relationship that was completely one-sided and ended callously, “Scarlett, I don’t need to be responsible for everything you’re feelin’ / Your emotional grim reaper, I feel bad for you.” Through this, the electric guitar and reverbs on vocals create a unique listening experience that ends on a positive note.
Claudia by FINNEAS
In interviews about the stellar song, Finneas admits to writing “Claudia” about his (current) girlfriend the first night they met! The song exposes the complete and utter infatuation he felt towards her after just one interaction. Sonically, the track contains layers of instrumentals that create a sound that goes beyond the borders of just one genre. His production skills are especially bright in this song with the expressive synths, digitized keys, and heavy beats. A groovy, honest love song that’s dance-worthy, “Oh, I’m in trouble now / Come kiss me black and blue.”
Arabella by Arctic Monkeys
Every Tumblr girl's favorite, “Arabella” is the blueprint to becoming the female muse. The evocative and poetic lyricism is complex yet enchanting. With thundering drums throughout the entire track, the powerful guitar riffs are what make the song so well known. It’s filled with the symbolism and mystique of just exactly who Arabella is. The songwriting delves into the fascination and out-worldliness of her aura, “And her lips are like the galaxy’s edge / And her kiss the color of a constellation fallin’ into place.”
Michelle by The Beatles
While most of The Beatles songs are based on real people and life experiences, in this song Paul McCartney just liked the name, Michelle. Although there's not much of a story to the name, the song was written with the help of a friend's wife who spoke French. McCartney would ask what rhymed in French with Michelle, and here became the lyrics “Ma belle” or “my beauty”. With soft guitar strums, harmonies from the rest of the band, and a steady beat, this truly is a remarkably beautiful love song, “I love you, I love you, I love you / That’s all I want to say.”
Amber by Steve Lacy
Lacy’s storytelling just at the start prepares you for the rest of the track’s energy. A love song where everything could’ve been perfect but one person was unprepared. A slower piano ballad which adds to the soulful aspects of the song. As the bass and guitar enter, Lacy shows off a higher register whilst singing “I wish I never met you no more.” The song truly expresses how reminiscing can be both a beautiful experience but also one filled with the regret of ever meeting someone.
Veronica’s Choices:
Ronnie by Tchotchke
This whimsical pop-rock single sounds as if it came from a different decade. The all-girl trio band, Tchotchke, wrote the song Ronnie about a dear friend of theirs. It mixes in English with some Italian adding that eccentric sound of theirs. It's this beautiful, soft love letter to a friend. The song starts with instrumentals consisting of bass, drums, and guitar that stick to the sound of decades before them. The vocals then come in, and they have this effect of being ethereal through the elongation and harmonization of certain lines, but it's so prevalent when they say “Veronica” or "Ronnie." Ronnie is who we all want to be.
Sadie by Gold Star
The feeling of falling in love can be this indescribable feeling that, at times, you feel as if you can’t put that feeling of confusion, lust, joy, and melancholy into words, but Marlon Rabenreither, also known as Gold Star, encapsulated that experience into his song Sadie. Throughout the song, this guitar lingers and follows a repeating pattern, bringing in those emotions of stability and bringing up a feeling of calmness. Rabenreither’s voice throughout beautifully ties in more of that feeling of falling in love as he has his ups and downs, from simple hums to this cry out to the person he is falling for. Gold Star, through his lyricism, voice, and instrumentals, recreated the feeling of falling in love.
Grace by Jeff Buckley
Have you ever cringed at watching an airport goodbye in movies or a love confession in the airport? Well, Jeff Buckley wrote an airport goodbye love song that melts your mind, body, and soul into a puddle of sadness and grief. Jeff Buckley wrote this as he said goodbye to his partner at the airport during a rainy day. He repeats this throughout the song “Wait in the Fire” without using the word love, he communicates flawlessly that his love for his partner is so intense that not only does it burn, but he'd be willing to let it consume him entirely. The song starts with a soft repeating strum pattern, and as the song progresses, it intensifies as he continuously repeats “Wait in the Fire." It creates this energy of an explosion to come, which rightfully comes towards the end of the song when Buckley, who has now stopped singing softly, belts as he repeats “wait in the fire” until the last note that lingers from the guitar, understanding that this love has to be left. Leave it to Buckley to take you on an emotional train ride in five minutes or less.
Analie by Stolen Gin
Analie is that girl you dream about, but who is she exactly? Stolen Gin, as always, made a groovy song that is fun to dance to, but when you listen to the words, you quickly realize the desperation in Lardner's songwriting as he wishes to understand who this girl, Analie, who he is constantly dreaming of: "Analie comes to me in hazy daydreams. Suddenly, neon flashes all around me. Gravity is the only thing to keep me grounded." There is an instrumental break throughout the song where the saxophonist, Jacobson, leads, adding in those dance elements from their jam, disco, and electronic sound. Sometimes dreaming of people isn't always fun when you try to get that feeling back of knowing but a great song can come out of it.
Doreen by Frank Zappa
The ultimate song of unrequited love, but at the same time it's a song where Zappa is screaming from the top of a roof about how infatuated he is with Doreen. Throughout the song, lyrically, it is clear that Zappa wants Doreen from lines such as “I want you, I want you, girl. Sweet Doreen, I want you, girl”, “Let me love you tonight, and “Oh, sweet Doreen, let me love you." Zappa just wants a chance, and this song is him begging, but as a listener, you can hear this plea through the instruments, from the drums coming in about emphasizing his voice to the guitar solo that brings in this chaotic feeling. So much occurs in the song from start to finish that this call out to Doreen makes it clear to the listener how much Zappa is deeply infatuated with her.
Written by Veronica Anaya and Amy Kapel
Photography by Melissa Joy
CD/PM: Jazzi Almestica
PA: Amy Kapel
Talent: Joe St. Pierre, Miranda Clarke, Nathan C. Cierlein, Isabel Pena, Cola Gilder, Livia Donato