New (to me) Music: Wild, by Spoon

“And the world, still so wild, called to me”

Wild, by spoon

Spoon is without a doubt, one of my all-time favorite bands.

So it stands to reason that when they start putting out singles in advance of a new album, I’m going to be all over it. “Wild”, which was released a few weeks ago brings a lot of the old familiar sound of Spoon to the table, and that’s not a bad thing.

I can’t wait for the album’s full release on February 11th!

Here’s what Rolling Stone has to say about the video:

“Directed by Ben Chappell and Brook Linder, the visual for “Wild” aims to depict the song’s celebratory venture back to a vivid and colorful reality after spending some time in the black and white haze of sullen depths.” Read the rest here.

Best Lyrics:

I looked full over all the lies and
Appealing to me, advertising
And I was living tight every night

And the world, still so wild, called to me
I was lost, I’d been kept on my knees
And the world, still so wild, called to me

New (to me) Music: The Only Heartbreaker, by Mitski

This song gets stuck in my head and has quickly earned its place amongst my most played music over the last few weeks. It’s not that the lyrics mean anything in particular to me, it’s more that the song is beautifully constructed. The song fills your ears with consistency and a build-up of tension from beginning to end. It’s worth playing loud and earns every repeat listen it gets.

Here’s what NPR has to say about the song:
“Simple in its attempt to process the dreadful stomach-pit feeling of being the only passionate one in a relationship — even if it means knowingly invoking pain — “The Only Heartbreaker” succeeds in its sing (or scream at the top of your lungs)-along potential and aching honesty.” Read the rest here.

Best lyrics:
So I’ll be the loser in this game
I’ll be the bad guy in the play
I’ll be the water main that’s burst and flooding
You’ll be by the window, only watching

New (to me) Music: Diamond Studded Shoes, by Yola

Lately I’ve found myself enjoying Diamond Studded Shoes by Yola, which came out in April 2021. It’s a fun little journey but it carries a strong and somewhat depressing message that things (gestures vaguely at everything) “ain’t gonna turn out alright”.

Here’s what Pitchfork has to say about the song:

“Diamond Studded Shoes,” which blossoms from a barroom rave-up into a fiery dance-at-the-revolution anthem, gains steam each time Yola reaches its chorus, which rhymes “gonna turn out right” with “we gots to fight.” Read the rest here.

Best lyrics:

Watching and waiting for answers
Hoping we might see the light
You beat it into us like a hammer
So don’t you tell me it’ll be alright
When we know it isn’t
We know it isn’t