The song at #60 on my list of 100 Best Songs of the 2010s is “Life Itself” by British psychedelic art pop band Glass Animals. They have a distinctly unique sound, and I really like their music. From their second album How To Be a Human Being, “Life Itself” is one of the most interesting and musically complex songs on this list and I adore it. The band employs all sorts of colorful instruments, from harps and tom toms to tambourines, piano and unusual guitar synths to create an exceptionally strong and exuberant track. Lead singer Dave Bayley’s distinctive vocals are hypnotic and mesmerizing, as are the cheeky lyrics about being a millennial slacker: “I can’t get a job, so I live with my mom. I take her money but not quite enough. I sit in the car, and I listen to static. She said I look fat, but I look fantastic.”

The rather intense and artfully-filmed official video made for the song is quite good, but seems to tell a different story than that described in the lyrics. Therefore, I’ll start with the audio video first so you can fully appreciate the sound of the song itself, then you can watch the official video if you so choose.