November Playlist

Hello everyone, another month has passed which means, another playlist. This months I've decided to do something a bit different and write some thoughts about each of the tracks as I went along because as I was listening back to the playlist all of these things kept coming into my head, and I wanted to share them. As always I hope that you enjoy this playlist, there will be a link to Spotify at the end if you want to listen to it all in one go or go back and listen again. Let me know what songs you've been listening to this month in the comments and maybe we can all discover something new.

Fall Out Boy - Wilson (Expensive Mistakes)

Back at a the start of the month, I revisited Fall Out Boy’s most recent album MANIA for the first time in a while, and this is the song that got stuck in my head for days. I love some of the lyrics in this song and think it’s a great energy booster.

All Time Low - Painting Flowers

This song is one that I didn’t even know existed until the start of the month when it came up on Spotify. I was instantly in love with it. I love the loud guitars throughout the song and think that the vocals sound great. After doing some research into the song I found out it was written for Almost Alice, the soundtrack for Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland, so it’s great to see them on there.

The Killers - Jenny Was A Friend Of Mine

I went on a The Killers listening spree a few weeks ago after learning to play this song on bass guitar. This song is probably one of my favourite songs by the band, I love the energy of it, I love the layers in the song, and the story behind the lyrics. It’s a song written from the perspective of someone who’s being questioned for a murder, trying to plead guilty while they’ve done it. Definitely one to go back and listen to if you haven’t for a while.

Foo Fighters - Run

After watching the Foo Fighters live stream a few weeks back, I went back to listen to some of my favourite songs by the band. Run from Concrete and Gold is probably one of my favourite songs by the band in recent times. I love the build up in the song, and how soft the vocals feel in the chorus with the layers of guitars behind them.

Gerard Way - Dasher (feat. Lydia Night)

I thought it was time for some Christmas themed songs this month, it’s been a long one and I’ve been looking forward to Christmas a lot. Though I wouldn’t necessarily say you can only play this song at Christmas though. It’s a song about someone who wants to escape, about someone who falls in love with the idea of a reindeer taking them away to where they can be happy and safe. Of course, within that there are many more connotations and ways to interpret it, but I’ll leave that up to you. This song features Lydia Night from The Regrettes, who adds some beautiful harmonies, especially on the line “and she’s got dashes in her stars”, and a beautiful spoken interlude as well.

Paramore - Pressure

Re watching the Paramore Reading set had me revisiting Paramore’s first album again. This song is definitely one that still carries through and is great to listen to. I love the guitars and the vocals here, the energy of the whole track makes you want to get up and jump around.

Frank Iero and The Patience - They Wanted Darkness…

This has to be one of my favourite songs from Parachutes, the album released by Frank Iero and The Patience, it’s not one of the singles or one of the ones that always gets played live, but I love the whole atmosphere of the song. It’s a song that builds up throughout so by the end you’re getting all the rage that is felt, but it all starts with a simple bass line. I also really like the lyrics in this song, especially the chorus.

Waterparks - Worst

Something I’ve always said about Waterparks is that the lyrics in their songs are so emotional and direct, and Worst is definitely no exception to that. This song lays bare how Awsten Knight thinks about his ex-girlfriend now, and it’s definitely harsh. He is not someone to shy away from telling it how it is, as the whole of the album Fandom shows, Worst maybe being one of the most direct songs. I admire this kind of songwriting as it takes courage, especially when your ex is also someone well known. This song is one that gets stuck in your head though and the synth line that goes through the chorus also won’t leave your head for days.

Panic! At The Disco - Far Too Young To Die

I like the experimental side of this song a lot, the build up of the intro and how that then turns into a song that you want to jump around to. I think it’s mainly the instrumental of this song that gets me, I was thinking of how fun it must have been to create. There’s something new added for every eight bars or so for the first minute and then that repeats with the vocal as well for the first verse. The last 40 seconds or so of the song are perhaps my favourite because this is where it all culminates, and the drums come in heavy.

Bleachers - chinatown (feat. Bruce Springsteen)

I am so happy that Jack Antonoff is back with new Bleachers music, it’s the kind that makes you nostalgic. I love the chorus line in this song, it feels familiar but it’s something you’ve never heard before. Having Bruce Springsteen come in about halfway through is so good, his voice adds more texture to the song. Both artists hail from New Jersey and this song seems like a comforting song of home, so I think Antonoff’s choice to have Springsteen on the song works really well. It’s not a big anthem kind of song, but I love all the little delicate parts that all add to make the song what it is.

MUNA - Navy Blue

MUNA’s Saves The World is an album I really have to go back to more, every time I listen to it I really enjoy it, there’s so many good songs on the album. This one is one that usually gets stuck in my head, I really like the transition from verse to chorus here. The bass line drives the song with the guitars keeping it interesting. The bridge is beautiful and open hearted, it’s another nostalgic feeling song.

YUNGBLUD - mars

YUNGBLUD’s most recent song from his upcoming album Weird! out at the end this week is perhaps one of my favourites that we’ve heard so far. When it was played in the live stream is was left speechless. The pre chorus is incredible, possibly my favourite part. The story of this song is heartbreaking and something that I’m glad YUNGBLUD is making a statement about, it reminds me of Polygraph Eyes from his first album. The last minute of it sounds desperate, the build up of the whole song leading to this, and it pays off really well.

Taylor Swift - august

august has quickly become my favourite song from Folklore, with cardigan. The acoustic guitars layered with the hint of electric guitars is so good, it adds all these textures to the song, which with the dreamy vocals just works so well. I would recommend watching the Long Pond Sessions on Disney + if you have it, it has Taylor Swift, Jack Antonoff (Bleachers, Lorde) and Aaron Dessner (The National) in the same room together for the first time, even after making Folklore together through lockdown and it shows them playing the album the whole way through together for the first time. I love how this song builds as well, it’s done subtly to add to the dreamy-ness of the music, though the lyrics are about remembering a summer love with someone you always knew was going to go back to their partner at the end.

Frank Iero and The Future Violence - Losing My Religion

Frank Iero has announced a new EP, out in January, the EP includes the cover of Losing My Religion which was recorded a few years ago when the band did a session for BBC Maida Vale and I have been waiting for this song to be released properly ever since. I absolutely love the vocals on this song, from both Frank Iero and Kayleigh Goldsworthy, the harmonies are beautiful as well. The build up of instruments is also really cool, from mandolin to acoustic guitar.

Red Hot Chili Peppers - By The Way

This song is a classic, I love the choruses and difference between them and the verses. If you need a song that shows who the Red Hot Chili Peppers are, this is probably the song I would use. The guitar line in the intro and choruses is still something I really love and that paired with the stark vocals and it works so well.

Thanks for reading, until next time...

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