RAKER – Single Review: “Hologram”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews12 Comments

On my previous post, I commented about the rapid passage of time, which I was yet again reminded of when Mike Sarasti, one half of Miami-based indie pop-rock duo Raker, reached out to me about their new single “Hologram“. I was shocked to discover that seven and a half years have passed since I last wrote about them on this blog, when I reviewed their debut single “Gospel” (which I liked so much that it ended up on my 100 Best Songs of 2017 list). Now, after a very long hiatus, Raker, which consists of Sarasti on guitar and lead vocals and Andy Rodriguez on bass and backing harmonies, are back making music and I couldn’t be happier. 

I asked Mike for a bit of background about the song, and he graciously provided this detailed and thoughtful response: “A few years ago I was exploring a new city at night (I was visiting Detroit). It was one of those pensive, reflective, wandering walks. Down a seemingly solitary street, I noticed colored light coming from the door of an unmarked, blacked-out storefront. I opened the door and found a hidden tiki-style bar. The moment felt a bit magical, like a “ghost bar” seeming to appear from out of nowhere, existing slightly outside of time and space. This is the backdrop for the track and much of the upcoming album… A wandering spirit, reflecting in familiar spaces, but you cant quite pinpoint why… existing somewhat out of time, popping in and out of memory and the urgency of the present… realism, but magical realism.

‘Hologram’ toggles between the uncertain exploration of that city street, and remembering/returning to the sense of home – ‘safe in your arms’, the sense that even the persistent wanderer has a safe space to return to. Themes that you’ll hear through the collection of songs… time, memory, a sense of agency, hope, anchoring ourselves to the people we love, reflecting on your story, and not letting other people tell it for you. ‘Hologram’ feels like the cinematic introduction to this world which is why we’re releasing it first.“

“Hologram” is a beautiful song, and I really like its breezy melody and colorful arrangement. Highlights for me are the magical synths and fluttering keyboards, accompanied by fuzzy guitars that provide a wonderful textural contrast. Andy’s chugging bassline provides a sturdy rhythmic foundation for the track without overpowering the proceedings. All sorts of charming little musical touches and sounds are sprinkled throughout, adding to the song’s overall enchanting vibe. Mike has a lovely singing voice, and his warm vocals are both pleasing and comforting as he sings of feeling safe in a loved one’s arms.

It’s good to have Raker back, and “Hologram” marks a fine return for this talented duo. I look forward to hearing more music from them soon.

Stare out into nothing.
A hundred and something feelings in tandem collide.
Split into sections.
Speaking in fractions.
I need direction… so I look to the light in your eyes.

Here I am safe in your arms.
And here with you’s the best that I am.
Hold me cause I need to feel
More than a Hologram  

Out here, the city breaks
Another ghost bar in the night
Maybe here I'll find forgiveness, maybe here I’ll find what’s right
Street lights, they pierce right through me
‘cause I’m strange projected light.
Faded stories with no answers
Sad songs to feel alright

Now Here I am safe in your arms.
Here with you is the best that I am.
Hold me cause I need to feel
More than a Hologram

Raker’s Socials:  X / Instagram / TikTok

Find their music on Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / YouTube

GG FEARN – Single Review: “Permanent Record”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews2 Comments

As a now old man, I’m continually astonished at how time seems to fly by at an ever-faster clip the older I get. With that in mind, I can hardly believe it was over five years ago that I featured Welsh singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist GG Fearn on this blog when I reviewed her terrific EP Black Mirror. Only 18 years old at that time, she already possessed a level of talent and maturity beyond her years that really impressed me.

GG (short for Georgia) started writing songs and learning to play the guitar and piano at the age of ten, then began busking at 12, which gradually gave her confidence as both a vocalist and performer. Influenced by some of her favorite acts like Fiona Apple, Kate Bush, Radiohead, Kendrick Lamar and Melanie Martinez, as well as her love for pop music of all kinds, GG crafts songs that are not only melodic and catchy, but also lyrically compelling. Quite the wordsmith, she pens thoughtful and frank lyrics about life and the darker aspects inherent in many of us, which she expresses with a lovely voice brimming with character, sophistication and vulnerability.

In the five years since the release of Black Mirror, GG earned a law degree from Cambridge University, during which time she put her music career on hold. Now 23 and her intensive studies behind her, she can now concentrate on both earning a living and creating music again, and to that effect, she’s just released a new single “Permanent Record“, her first new music in five years. It was worth the wait, as the song is equal parts lush, captivating and dark. I love the dreamy atmospheric synths, luscious guitar notes, soaring orchestral strings and strong percussive beats, all of which create a hauntingly beautiful cinematic soundscape. GG’s smooth, vibrant vocals are seductive and lovely as she sings of the dangers of revealing too much about ourselves on the internet, all of which can become a permanent record of our thoughts and activities that might possibly be used against us.

In an interview with Oxford University’s independent newspaper The Oxford Blue, GG touched on her inspiration behind “Permanent Record”: “I wrote it because I read Edward Snowdon’s biography, [which] I really enjoyed. I did Law so all the privacy implications and stuff like that were cool. I went down a horrible rabbit hole for weeks just watching documentaries about whistleblowers and surveillance – I was turning into a twitter conspiracy theorist! I think when people listen to it, whatever they feel or think about, that’s what I want them to take out of it. Liking it or not, agreeing with it or not, understanding what I’m saying or not, I just want them to get what they get out of it. I think that’s what’s really important about listening to music for me. Projecting me and my inner emotional landscape onto what I create. That’s all art really is.“

Start scaling the ceiling
Start digging the hole
Start peeling the paint from the walls
Start paying the toll
You got a visit from the debt collector
Been a naughty boy
Now they found out the company you keep
And they know how to destroy

The world's ablaze, count the days
Is anybody keeping score?
A modern maze
And still we stay in 1984

Start hiding your history
Start secreting your spawn
Start stashing your secrets 
Cause baby you're just a pawn
Tangled in a web of our own making
As the soldiers form
And they tell us that we're doing fine
Calm precursors the storm

The world's ablaze, count the days
Is anybody keeping score?
A modern maze
And still we stay in 1984

Your whole life is up on a billboard
Now you've got a permanent record
Watch what you type on your keyboard
Now you've got a permanent record

The world's ablaze, count the days
Is anybody keeping score?
A modern maze
And still we stay in 1984

GG’s Socials: Facebook / X / Instagram / TikTok

Find her music on Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon Music / YouTube / deezer

Top 30 Songs July 28-August 3, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's6 Comments

Beach Weather remain at #1 for a third week with their gorgeous and cinematic Spaghetti Western-esque “High in Low Places”, which I love more with every listen. Nine days ago, they released their latest and appropriately-titled single “Hottest Summer on Record”, which is guaranteed to appear on my chart in the coming weeks. Pearl Jam‘s “Wreckage” holds at #2 for a second week, while “Starburster”, by the always remarkable Fontaines D.C. moves up two spots to #3. I love this song, and can’t get enough of its contrasting bombastic and melodic brooding vibe. twenty one pilots‘ poignant “The Craving” also advances two spots, to #4, while “Lost In Space” by Foster the People is this week’s biggest upward mover, jumping six spots to #15.

Three songs make their debut this week, the first of which is the wonderful Latin-flavored “Oh No!” by The Decemberists, entering at #28. Along with “Burial Ground”, which spent two weeks at #1 and now sits at #21, the esteemed band currently has two songs on this chart. Both are from their excellent latest album As It Ever Was, So It Will Be Again. Next up is “You Just Played My Mind” by English singer-songwriter Oli Barton, which I reviewed upon its release on June 21. This is his sixth song to appear on my chart over the past seven years. Entering at #30 is “War” by English alt-rock band Healer, which also came out on June 21st, and which I also reviewed. This is their second song to appear on my chart, their first being last year’s “Bones”.

  1. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (1)
  2. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (2)
  3. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (5)
  4. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (6)
  5. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (4)
  6. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (3)
  7. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (7)
  8. TOO SWEET – Hozier (8)
  9. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (10)
  10. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (9)
  11. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (13)
  12. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (14)
  13. TOO MUCH – girl in red (15)
  14. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (18)
  15. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (21)
  16. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (17)
  17. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (20)
  18. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (22)
  19. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (23)
  20. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (24)
  21. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (11)
  22. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (12)
  23. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (25)
  24. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (16)
  25. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (27)
  26. JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves (28)
  27. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (30)
  28. OH NO! – The Decemberists (N)
  29. YOU JUST PLAYED MY MIND – Oli Barton (N)
  30. WAR – Healer (N)

EML’s Favorite Songs – “Lotta Love” by Nicolette Larson

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Favorite Songs11 Comments

I was in a local shop yesterday, which had a great oldies station playing over their sound system. As I perused their T-shirt selection, “Lotta Love” by Nicolette Larson came on and I was reminded of how much I’ve always loved that song. Released on October 31, 1978, the song was the lead single from her debut album Nicolette, and became her biggest hit, reaching #8 on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1979, and #1 on the Easy Listening (now Adult Contemporary) charts in both the U.S. and Canada. It ranks among my top five favorite songs of 1979.

Born in 1952 in Helena, Montana, Larson moved frequently during her childhood due to her father’s work with the U.S. Treasury Department, and graduated from high school in Kansas City, Missouri. She attended the University of Missouri for three semesters and worked at waitressing and office jobs, eventually moving to San Francisco to pursue the music career she’d long dreamed of. In 1975, she auditioned for Hoyt Axton, who was producing Commander Cody at the time. This led to Larson recording background vocals on Commander Cody’s 1975 album Tales From the Ozone, as well as securing a gig with Hoyt Axton and The Banana Band, who were opening for Joan Baez on her 1975 “Diamonds and Rust” tour. She also provided backing vocals for Commander Cody’s 1977 and 1978 albums, as well as for artists like Emmylou Harris, Guy Clark, Rodney Crowell, Billy Joe Shaver, Jesse Colin Young, Jesse Winchester, Gary Stewart and the Doobie Brothers.

Larson’s work with Emmylou Harris on her fourth album Luxury Liner led to her meeting Harris’s associate and friend Linda Ronstadt, who also became friends with Larson. One day in 1977 when she was at Ronstadt’s Malibu home, Neil Young phoned to ask Ronstadt if she could recommend a female vocal accompanist. Ronstadt suggested Larson (she was apparently the third person that day to mention Larson’s name to Young), whereupon Young came over to meet her. When the two proceeded to sing harmonies on several of his newly-written songs, Neil was impressed by her voice. The following week, Ronstadt and Larson recorded backing vocals for Young’s American Stars ‘n Bars album, and in November 1977, Young invited Larson to Nashville to sing on his Comes a Time album. (Wikipedia)

“Lotta Love” was written by Young, who originally recorded the song in January 1976 with his band Crazy Horse, but it wasn’t released until its inclusion on Comes a Time, in October 1978, coincidentally on the same day as Nicolette. Though Larson provided background vocals for that album, she did not sing on the “Lotta Love” track, which had been recorded more than two years earlier.

How Larson came to record “Lotta Love” was noted in a post on the Neil Young News blog, with her recalling: “I got that song off a tape I found lying on the floor of Neil’s car. I popped it in the tape player and commented on what a great song it was. Neil said: ‘You want it? It’s yours.‘” Whereas Young’s original version had a sparse, rather melancholy vibe, Larson’s version, which featured a soothing string arrangement by Jimmie Haskell, along with a bold saxophone riff and beautiful flute solo, sounded more optimistic and hopeful. Larson commented: “It was a very positive song and people don’t want to hear how bad the world is all the time. It had a nice sound rhythm and groove.”

It was that gorgeous sax and flute, combined with Larson’s lovely plaintive vocals, that made the song so impactful and special to me. I love it as much today as I did back in early 1979. Sadly, Larson died at the far too young age of 45 in December 1997, from cerebral edema triggered by liver failure, thought to be related to her chronic use of Valium and Tylenol PM.

It’s gonna take a lotta love
To change the way things are
It’s gonna take a lotta love
Or we won’t get too far

So if you look in my direction
And we don’t see eye to eye
My heart needs protection
And so do I

It’s gonna take a lotta love
To get us through the night
It’s gonna take a lotta love
To make things work out right

So if you are out there waiting
I hope you show up soon
You know
I need relating not solitude

Gotta lotta love
Gotta lotta love

It’s gonna take a lotta love
To change the way things are
It’s gonna take a lotta love
Or we won’t get too far

It’s gonna take a lotta love
It’s gonna take a lotta love
It’s gonna take a lotta love

Here’s Neil Young’s original version:

The 23s – Single Review: “Youth”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews4 Comments

The 23s are a collaborative music project based in Sheffield, England and comprised of singer-songwriter and electronica musician Rob Cohen, singer-songwriter Rob Gurruchaga, and producer Tom Taylor. With a shared love for acts like David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Blaqk Audio, Gary Numan, Depeche Mode, The Cure, Echo and the Bunnymen and Thomas Dolby, the enigmatic trio began working together remotely during the Covid lockdowns, writing song demos using analog synthesizers and synth guitars, which they shared across the internet.

Naming their project after Taylor’s Channel 23 Studio, they eventually gathered in person at the studio to choose their favorites out of the more than 100 demos they’d recorded, finally culling them down to 23 songs. They put their finishing touches and overdubs on the 23 tracks, and decided to release them one at a time, at the rate of one per month over a 23-month period, on the 23rd of each month. All 23 songs will ultimately be released in a full album at the end of the singles run, scheduled for December 23, 2024.

The only photo of The 23s in existence

They launched their monthly parade of single releases a bit behind schedule on February 10, 2023 with “Never Be The Same” (which I reviewed), but from their second single on they’ve remained faithfully on schedule, diligently releasing each successive single on the 23rd of each month. I’ve really liked all their singles, and also the fact that no two sound alike. Their music style varies widely with each new release, with some songs having a strong electronic sound, while others are more rock or pop-oriented. Last August, I also reviewed their eighth single “My Kinda Girl”, a beautiful song I loved so much it ended up ranking #62 on my 100 Best Songs of 2023 list. 

The23s have created a cumulative Spotify playlist of all their songs, to which each successive new single is added each month as they’re released. To hear all their songs that will be included on the forthcoming 23-track album, click on this link:

Their latest and 18th single is “Youth“, a song about the passage of time inspired by the famous George Bernard Shaw quote “youth is wasted on the young” (although some have claimed that what he really said was “Youth is a wonderful thing. It is a shame it has to be wasted on children.”) But whatever the quote, the point of The 23s’ song is that youth is an unrealized gift that’s often taken for granted, and only fully appreciated much later in life. As someone who’s now old, I look back wistfully at my youth, and cringe at all the needless angst I experienced and energy I wasted fretting over trivial things, wishing I could go back and do some things over armed with the wisdom I have now.

The lyrics explore the bittersweet realization that comes with age, the fleeting nature of time, and the importance of cherishing each moment. “When I was younger, I thought all I knew was all there was to know. Now that I’m older, I realize that no one ever knows. She said ‘youth is wasted on the young’. Now that I’m older, I wish I was young like before.”

Musically, the song features a strong pulsating synth bass beat, upon which the guys have layered swirling orchestral synths, chugging percussion and a spine-tingling barrage of gnarly and wailing guitars, all of which create an exhilarating cinematic backdrop for Rob’s vibrant vocals. It’s another superb single from this talented musical trio.

Those who subscribe to their Bandcamp account, at a cost of only £5 a year, can buy the “Youth” single now before its released on streaming services, as well as a lot of free subscription tracks

The 23s Socials: Facebook / Twitter / Instagram / TikTok

Find their music on Bandcamp / Spotify / Apple Music / Soundcloud / deezer / YouTube

Top 30 Songs for July 21-27, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's8 Comments

Some of you who read my blog or this post may wonder what my weekly Top 30 lists represent or how they’re compiled. They’re essentially lists of my favorite songs for a given week, my own personal Top 30 that I would focus on were I the program manager of my own radio station.

There’s so much great music out now that I could have included 40 songs on this week’s Top 30. And all the songs in this week’s top six could easily be #1 (two of them already have). The sultry “High in Low Places” by Beach Weather remains on top for a second week, while Pearl Jam‘s gorgeous song “Wreckage” moves up a notch to #2. I love Glass Animals‘ “Creatures in Heaven”, AWOLNATION‘s “Panoramic View” and Fontaines D.C.’s “Starburster” so much, as well as “The Craving”, which reinforces yet again why twenty one pilots continue to be one of my favorite music acts of all time.

Entering the top 10 this week are “On the Game” by The Black Keys and “A Foretold Ecstasy” by Norwegian psych-noir band Mayflower Madame. The one debut is “Waking Life” by Nicholas a. Milillo featuring Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo. I reviewed the dramatic song when it came out four weeks ago. 

  1. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (1)
  2. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (3)
  3. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (2)
  4. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (5)
  5. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (6)
  6. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (10)
  7. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (7)
  8. TOO SWEET – Hozier (4)
  9. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (12)
  10. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (14)
  11. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (8)
  12. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (9)
  13. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (17)
  14. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (15)
  15. TOO MUCH – girl in red (16)
  16. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (11)
  17. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (19)
  18. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (20)
  19. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (13)
  20. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (22)
  21. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (23)
  22. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (24)
  23. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (25)
  24. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (26)
  25. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (27)
  26. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (18)
  27. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (29)
  28. JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves (30)
  29. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (21)
  30. WAKING LIFE – Nicholas a. Milillo feat. Dee Wolf, Bobby Jasso, Gabrielle Marella and the voice of Tony Milillo (N)

OLIVIA MICELI – Single Review: “Guys Like You!”

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews16 Comments

Today I’m pleased to introduce Olivia Miceli, a talented young singer-songwriter and producer based in Staffordshire, England. In addition to her day job as a sound engineer for radio stations BBC 5 live, Radio 4 and The World Service, the hard-working artist has released an impressive amount of music over the past four years. Beginning with the release of her debut single “Fake” in March 2021, Olivia’s since dropped numerous singles and two albums – Road Signs in 2022, and Nostalgic Heartbreak in 2023 – which she quickly followed with her EP Times that were never ours. Last month she released her poignant Olivia Rodrigo-esque single “The Chaos of Growing Up”, and now returns with a cheeky and fun new single “Guys Like You!“.

Like all her music, Olivia wrote, recorded and produced “Guys Like You!” totally by herself in her little home studio set-up. Describing it as “bedroom-pop inspired by 00s rock and artists like Gwen Stefani and Chappell Roan“, she says it’s the coolest song she’s ever written. After listening to it, as well as a lot of her back music catalog, I wholeheartedly agree! The song has a lively toe-tapping groove, overlain with wonderfully melodic jangly guitars accompanied by a throbbing bassline, spirited drums and swirling synths. I like how Olivia’s sweet lilting vocals soar to a defiant croon in the exuberant choruses as she denounces a guy who’s an unlikeable louse: “Guys like you are why I’ve got trust issues / Guys like you should really get a clue.”

“Guys Like You!” is the perfect kiss-off tune, and I think it’s one of Olivia’s best songs yet.

And here’s the song on Soundcloud:

Olivia’s Socials: Facebook / X / Instagram / TikTok

Find her music on Spotify / Apple Music / Amazon Music / Soundcloud / deezer

Top 30 Songs for July 14-20, 2024

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Weekly Top 30's5 Comments

On the strength of their infectious melodies, ace musicianship, strong charisma, and lead singer Nick Santino’s beautiful vocals, pop-rock trio Beach Weather have become one of my top favorite bands. In fact, a photo I took of them at a concert last year graces the header of my X (formerly Twitter) page. In addition to Santino, the band includes Reeve Powers on bass and Sean Silverman on guitar. I’ve loved every one of their songs, and their latest single “High In Low Places” becomes their fourth to top my weekly Top 30 chart (the previous three are “Sex, Drugs, Etc.”, “Trouble With This Bed” and “Pineapple Sunrise”.

The song has a brooding cinematic vibe in the vein of Ennio Morricone that would make it a great addition to the soundtrack of a Spaghetti Western film, and I love the twangy guitars and Santino’s sensuous vocals. He had this to say about the song: “We like to call ‘High in Low Places’ our apocalyptic love song. There was beauty in the idea of finding peace in one another while the world was slowly melting. We wanted to create something that felt cinematic, the closing credits of a modern end-of-times western. There are hints of those influences in the guitars and strings running through the chorus where we want to pull everyone into a world but stay hopeful that we can all rise above that insanity transpiring around us.” The lyrics speak to remaining positive and optimistic in the face of life’s problems and obstacles: “You and I got some troubles we’re facing, I know we can make it staying high in low places. Never mind all the tears that we wasted, I know we can make it staying high in low places.”

The video, which was shot in the Arizona desert outside Phoenix, involved the guys getting stuck by cholla cactus and other hazards that come from being in a beautiful but hostile environment – one I’m intimately familiar with living in the Coachella Valley.

In other chart happenings of note, “The Craving” by twenty one pilots moves up five to enter the top 10 at #10, and “Foretold Ecstasy” by the wonderfully-named Norwegian psych-noir band Mayflower Madame advances four spots to #14. Two songs make their debut this week. Entering at #29 is “Rainbow”, by another favorite band of mine, Nashville-based Cage the Elephant, whose previous single “Neon Pill” was a huge #1 hit on all the Alternative charts, as well as my personal Top 30. And coming in at #30 is the rousing garage rock gem “Just Wanna Sleep” by Iowa indie rock band Halfloves, which I reviewed last month.

  1. HIGH IN LOW PLACES – Beach Weather (2)
  2. CREATURES IN HEAVEN – Glass Animals (1)
  3. WRECKAGE – Pearl Jam (3)
  4. TOO SWEET – Hozier (4)
  5. PANORAMIC VIEW – AWOLNATION (6)
  6. STARBURSTER – Fontaines D.C. (9)
  7. END OF BEGINNING – Djo (10)
  8. BURIAL GROUND – The Decemberists & James Mercer (5)
  9. MURDER ON THE DANCEFLOOR – Royel Otis (7)
  10. THE CRAVING – twenty one pilots (15)
  11. FOR US ALL – Asgard Raven (8)
  12. ON THE GAME – The Black Keys (13)
  13. GOLD – Caitlin Lavagna (12)
  14. A FORETOLD ECSTASY – Mayflower Madame (18)
  15. THE BREAK – Blame My Youth (16)
  16. TOO MUCH – girl in red (17)
  17. LUNCH – Billie Eilish (19)
  18. SCARED TO START – Michael Marcagi (11)
  19. I HAD SOME HELP – Post Malone feat. Morgan Wallen (21)
  20. LIKE YOU DO – The Frontier (22)
  21. I’VE GOT LOVING FOR YOU – Bottlecap Mountain (14)
  22. VICES – 5ilas & Shimmer Johnson (25)
  23. LOST IN SPACE – Foster the People (26)
  24. RUN YOUR MOUTH – The Marías (27)
  25. WHAT IF I FEEL LIKE THIS MY WHOLE LIFE? – HULLAH (28)
  26. PAYBACK – Aaron Frazer (29)
  27. ESPRESSO – Sabrina Carpenter (30)
  28. FORTNIGHT – Taylor Swift feat. Post Malone (20)
  29. RAINBOW – Cage the Elephant (N)
  30. JUST WANNA SLEEP – Halfloves (N)

Fresh New Tracks, Vol. 36 – ALBA, A. WAKE, CAITLIN LAVAGNA, LYIA META

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Reviews9 Comments

For my latest edition of Fresh New Tracks, I’m thrilled to feature new songs by four confident, talented and lovely ladies with exquisite singing voices – Spanish and now England-based singer-songwriter and guitarist Alba, English singer-songwriter and musician A. Wake, Welsh singer-songwriter, musician and actress Caitlin Lavagna, and Malaysian singer-songwriter and visual artist Lyia Meta. I’ve previously written about A. Wake, Caitlin Lavagna and Lyia Meta, whereas Alba is new to me.

ALBA – “Are you really free?”

Alba is a singer-songwriter and guitarist who was born and raised in Spain, and began her musical career in her teens as front woman for Spanish band Sons of Rock. After relocating to London in 2016, she began recording and performing as a solo artist. She released her debut single “Lucky” in 2018, and has since followed with a number of singles. She also cares deeply about the environment and uses her music to make a difference and shed light on social and climate issues important to her.

On June 14, Alba released her debut EP Questions Unanswered, a concept work featuring four tracks, each of which poses a question on themes such as identity, purpose, relationships and social issues. In an interview with Marc Schuster for his blog Abominations, she explained “The idea was not necessarily to provide answers, but to invite the listener to reflect and engage with these questions on a deeper level to find their own answers. At the same time, this EP contains a little bit of everything in my musical palette. I’ve included undertones of R&B, pop, soul, rock, funk, latin, reggae and jazz, which I think should appeal to a wide audience.” Here’s my favorite track, the soulful “Are you really free?“, which features lyrics in both English and Spanish. Alba will be performing the EP at a release party in London on July 13 at the Old Blue Last, and a subsequent release party at Ateneo Cafe Universal in Burgos, Spain, on August 13.

Alba’s Socials:  Facebook / X / Instagram / TikTok

A WAKE – “Like The Sun”

A.Wake (short for Anita Wake) is a fascinating and innovative singer-songwriter and musician based in Sheffield, England who’s been actively making music for several years, both as a member of several bands (in which she played bass and sang backing vocals) and, more recently, as a solo artist. With a passionate interest in sound therapy, mysticism and the healing properties of music, she seeks to incorporate healing frequencies and modern music elements into her beautiful songs. Beginning with the release of her enchanting debut single “Lemuria” in July 2022, she’s since followed with several more singles, as well as her The Seed – Root Chakra Remix EP in April 2023, which I reviewed.

Today she returns with a mesmerizing new single “Like The Sun“, in which she’s embedded Crown chakra and Binaural frequencies to enhance creativity, serotonin boost and focus. A. Wake wrote the lyrics and co-wrote the music with fellow Sheffield musician Rob Cohen, and the track was mixed by Dave Sanderson. I love the mysterious and cinematic Eastern feel of the music and A. Wake’s beguiling atmospheric vocals. The beautiful video was created by Cohen using stock imagery and footage.

A.Wake Socials: Facebook / X / Instagram / TikTok

CAITLIN LAVAGNA – “Pretty Alright”

My favorite Welsh songstress is Caitlin Lavagna, who since the release of her marvelous debut single “How Not To Start A Fight” in 2021, has consistently put out an unbroken stream of outstanding singles. I adore Caitlin’s vibrant and sophisticated vocal style and honest, relatable lyrics drawn from personal experiences and heartache, and have liked every one of her songs. I’ve written about nearly all of them, most recently this past April when I reviewed her previous single “Gold”, which has spent the past nine weeks and counting on my personal Top 30 chart. “How Not To Start A Fight” and her next single “Night Bus” also appeared on my Top 30, the latter spending 20 weeks and peaking at #2, finishing at #28 on my 100 Best Songs of 2023 list. 

Now she’s back with a terrific new single “Pretty Alright“, an uplifting song Caitlin says is “about breaking the cycle of negative thoughts that many of us feel about ourselves. It’s about overcoming self-doubt and body image issues, and understanding your bad habits and emotional trauma.” The song was co-written by Caitlin and Mark Liam Owens, produced by Alex McArthur, mixed by Joe Rodwell and mastered by Nick Lewis at Old Cottage Audio. The song has a bit of a retro 60s vibe, but with a fresh and exciting arrangement. I especially love the powerful driving rhythms, lush instrumentation, as well as Caitlin’s always commanding vocals and exuberant choruses.

Caitlin’s Socials:  Facebook / X (Twitter) / Instagram / TikTok

LYIA META – “Easier and Easier”

One of my favorite female vocalists and all-around artists is Malaysian singer-songwriter Lyia Meta, an immensely talented and gracious recording artist with a marvelous singing voice. Based in Kuala Lumpur and of Creole Portuguese ancestry, Lyia’s a multi-faceted artist in every sense of the word. With her smoky contralto vocal style, she can literally sing just about anything and in fact, has recorded songs in a wide range of genres including blues, jazz, pop, country, rock and even metal, bringing her international recognition and acclaim. A prolific artist, she’s released an impressive amount of music over the past eight years, beginning with her debut EP This is Lyia in 2016. Since then, she’s put out two more EPs an album Always You in 2023, and scores of singles, many of which I’ve featured on this blog, most recently last March when I reviewed her wonderful cover of the Beatles classic “All My Loving”.

On July 5th, Lyia released her latest single “Easier and Easier“, a lovely but bittersweet adult contemporary song addressing the end of a relationship. The song was written by her frequent collaborator, Los Angeles-based songwriter Denise Dimin, and co-produced by Lyia and her frequent collaborators, Nashville-based musician and recording engineer Bob McGilpin, who played guitar, bass and drums and Gene Rabbai, who played the soothing orchestral arrangement of piano and strings. As with most of Lyia’s songs, “Easier and Easier” was recorded remotely, with music recorded at both McMusicSound in Nashville and Studio A in Rio de Janiero, Brazil, and her vocals recorded at Big A Productions in Kuala Lumpur. I love the song’s warm piano, lilting strings and jazzy horns, along with Lyia’s signature rich vocals that express a sense of sad resignation as she sings “Each time you leave, it gets easier and easier to let you go.” The song will be included on her upcoming second album NEXT, to be released July 26th.

Lyia’s Socials: Website / Facebook / X / Instagram / TikTok

EML’s Favorite Songs – “Why Can’t I Be You?” by The Cure

On By EclecticMusicLoverIn Favorite Songs9 Comments

The first song I ever remember hearing by English goth rock band The Cure was “Why Can’t I Be You?”, back in 1987. Though they began releasing singles in 1978 (and albums in 1979), none of their songs made the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. until 1985, when “In Between Days” reached #99 (though a few of their earlier singles appeared on the dance charts). 

Released in April 1987 as the first single from their seventh studio album Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, “Why Can’t I Be You?” was played on the radio in Los Angeles, where I lived at the time, and I immediately loved it’s bombastic energy, blaring horns and band frontman Robert Smith’s unusual and quirky high-pitched vocals. Not only did that album help The Cure break into the American music mainstream, becoming their first to enter the top 40 of the Billboard 200 Album chart, the song became their most successful in the U.S. up to that time as well, peaking at #54 on the Hot 100, with a remix of the track reaching #27 on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play Singles chart. (“Just Like Heaven”, their follow-up single from Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, – which is my all-time favorite song by The Cure – shockingly peaked at only #40. I wrote about that song in 2019, which you can read here.)

As it’s title suggests, Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me is filled with songs about love and romance, and “Why Can’t I Be You?” is a shining example. The lyrics are sung by Smith to a woman he’s deeply smitten with, telling her she’s so perfect and gorgeous that he’d do anything for her, his obsession so overwhelming he even wants to be her.

You’re so gorgeous I’ll do anything!
I’ll kiss you from your feet
To where your head begins!
You’re so perfect!
You’re so right as rain!
You make me
Make me hungry again

Everything you do is irresistible
Everything you do is simply kissable
Why can’t I be you?

I’ll run around in circles
‘Til I run out of breath
I’ll eat you all up
Or I’ll just hug you to death
You’re so wonderful!
Too good to be true!
You make me
Make me hungry for you

Everything you do is simply delicate
Everything you do is quite angelicate
Why can’t I be you?

You turn my head when you turn around
You turn the whole world upside down
I’m smitten I’m bitten I’m hooked I’m cooked
I’m stuck like glue!
You make me
Make me hungry for you

Everything you do is simply dreamy
Everything you do is quite delicious
Why can’t I be you?
Why can’t I be you?
Why can’t I be you?

You’re simply elegant!

The odd video for the song was directed by Tim Pope, who’d worked with The Cure on some of their previous videos. Referred to by Pope as “the video I’ve always wanted to make“, it featured the band members performing what The Cure biographer Jeff Apter later described as “some of the most poorly choreographed dancing ever seen on MTV“. All five band members wore various costumes: Robert Smith was dressed as a bear and a school-girl in a pinafore dress, Simon Gallup as both a crow and a Morris dancer, Porl Thompson as a Scotsman as well as cross-dressed, Boris Williams as a schoolgirl and a vampire, and Lol Tolhurst in blackface and a bumblebee. In a 2019 interview with The Quietus, Pope said he regretted featuring Tolhurst in blackface, calling it “A very inappropriate choice, and not a thing I feel great about retrospectively.” (Wikipedia)

Here’s a video of The Cure performing the song for Dutch television program TopPop in April 1987: