SONG OF THE DAY ROUND-UP 17/03/2019 - 24/03/2019
Oh yes, it's finally back.
17/03 - KING - CONAN GRAY
'King' is the most recent release from rising star Conan Gray; a track which pretty savagely discusses the idea of waiting for someone to realise that he's the one for them. Gray has a great ability to just make every song he releases a bop and 'King' is no exception. It's incredibly catchy off the bat with the distinctive bass beat and he turns the irritating situation he's discussing into a song that you can easily listen over and over again with it's whimsical vibe. The whimsicality is emphasised by the background vocals that make you feel as if you're almost in a dream-like state. With a genre somewhere between pop, indie and 'Lo-Fi Beats To Study To' (if you know, you know) and a casual confidence in his lyrical content, it's easy to see how Gray has risen to his fame, and also easy to see that he's not going to stop rising and improving any time' soon.
18/03 - SPIRIT NOW MOVES - RUTHIE
'Spirit Now Moves' is Ruthie's second single but it has the sound of an artist and a song that's been played in the industry for decades. Ruthie's deep and intriguing vocals combined with a low-key instrumental that peaks in the chorus are completely timeless, which is a good sign for things to come. There's nothing worse than hearing a song with a sound that you know the world is going to move on from in sixth months time. An impressive guitar riff in the latter half of the track gives in an edge that would have otherwise been missing, and really completes the entire thing and having the song end on this, rather than vocals, leaves an interest as to which song will came after this on an album that doesn't even exist yet. The sad, yet still empowering, lyrics add a new dimension to the track on top of all the other great features of the track. More than anything, this song leaves an intrigue and makes you wonder what else Ruthie has up her sleeve for future releases.
The absolute stand-out aspect of 'Author' is the haunting and just generally incredibly impressive vocals. The track allows Sylvia to really embrace every aspect of her voice, from low-notes to higher ones. The track begins as if it's going to be a hugely emotional, slow, ballad but by the chorus, there is a beat added to it which gives it a little more of an edge than a normal ballad. Although the lyrical content is still sad, the subtly dance-like chorus adds something unexpected and therefore something that really makes you want to listen to the song over and over. There is a grit and honesty to the track that pulls a listener in and adds yet another layer to this already incredibly layered song. Sylvia absolutely has the potential to be incredibly successful, and if she keeps releasing tracks such as this, there is no doubt that she will be.
20/03 - MISSED CONNECTION - THE HEAD AND THE HEART
The Head and The Heart are perfectionists in smooth pop-rock and Missed Connection is a perfect example of this. The repetition of the 'this haunts me' line adds an almost sinister quality to the seemingly chilled track. The vocals, as usual, are impressive and they're also varied. Although there's nothing particularly epic about the track, no particular stand-out moment, it is a track that lets you know that this is a band who is incredibly good at what they do. From lyrical content to the easy-to-listen-to instrumentals, this song really does sum up what The Head and the Heart are all about.
'2all' marks the third single release from Catfish and The Bottlemen's new album. CATB are a band that has been outstandingly successful in the UK in recent years. It is expected that the band may crack America with their new album and it wouldn't surprise me if they did if all the tracks are the quality of 2all. The mix in pace and vocals makes you constantly what's coming up in the next few seconds of the song, especially with the sudden gritty guitar in the bridge. It makes you want to listen more intensely. No-one likes watching a film where you know exactly how the story is going to play out, and music is exactly the same. Music is meant to be intriguing and make you want to listen to the song hard and that's exactly what '2all' does. It not only makes you excited for the rest of the song, but after the song is over, it makes you excited for the album and I have no doubt that that was Catfish's full intention with this release.
The Maine are a band known for changing in sound from album to album, and from the singles that have been released recently, it seems like the next release will be something new too. The orchestral quality to 'Broken Parts' the instrumentals make the song seem like it's going to be epic, and then in the chorus suddenly it dips to a simple vocal and acoustic guitar. However, it doesn't feel like an anti-climax, it fact it makes you focus more on the chorus because clearly, the simplicity of the instrumentals means that the lyrics are the things you really need to be listening to. The Maine are a band that knows what they're doing. Their songs don't seem to be just created but composed. The different layers to the different parts of the song are clearly so well thought out. 'Broken Parts' is an intelligent song, and I hope this carries on into the entire album because it's something really special to not only have music that sounds good but clever too.
23/03 - ORANGE TREES - MARINA
Marina is back (with the 'diamonds' removed) with a subdued tropical track. The lyrical content of this track really is the standout aspect; referencing the idea of finally feeling free in one specific after spending too long chasing happiness across the world. Marina has a history of heavily electronic sounds, and the lack of this in 'Orange Trees' is really something special. Marina has clearly matured in herself and in her music, and it shows in this first single. The whole sound of the song expertly portrays the image that features in the lyrics. It's the perfect song to listen to in the sun in your back garden and imagine that you're somewhere exotic. It's a track with a good meaning, a fun beat and a sound that's something a little bit different than you'd expect; all of which makes t an overall success.
That's it for this week's round up!
Check out my songs of the day as I post them on my Instagram HERE
Check out the playlist of March SOTD's on Spotify HERE (Sorry there's not many, I was ill at the beginning of March!)
Written by Ruby Crowhurst.
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