Day 35 of self-isolation.
I might as well share what music I’ve been listening to during this lockdown. A lot the artists I’m sharing are some I haven’t listened to in years.
Fiona Apple – Fetch the Bolt Cutters.
Her latest album has been widely regarded as a hit, and I think the current social and political climate resonates with a lot of listeners. Several of my own unspoken and unwritten feelings, for instance, are easily reflected in her lyrics — lyrics of feeling trapped, breaking out norms, finding a voice, and a fiery passion and anger towards an unjust world.
The Strokes – The New Abnormal.
Their first album and Room on Fire were part of my indie-hipster anthem of my undergraduate days, but I gradually stopped listening to them as I got older. Their newest album has a sense of nostalgia from their original sound, and I’m loving their new music videos.
Grimes – Miss Anthropocene.
It’s a given; I’m a huge Grimes fan, and I was excited when she released a new album. It’s just as moody and dark as her earliest work, but her voice and her range is just as crystalline as ever. I’ll admit, I listened to the above track a lot (especially when it was Nico’s anniversary of her passing). The lyrics “We can play a beautiful game. You can chase me down in the name of love. We can play a beautiful game, even though we’re going to lose” just made me realize how fucking lonely I am. Oh well.
Dan Deacon – Mystic Familiar.
What I love about Dan Deacon’s music is how grand and symphonic it often sounds. His stuff is always fun and catchy and weird, and it always elevates my mood to something monumental — something bigger than I am.
And here’s a throwback:
Sufjan Stevens.
I think I heard the above track in a Sonic Drive-Thru commercial, and it reignited my love for his music. From the nostalgia of living in Illinois in Illinoise, to the feelings of loneliness and loss in Carrie & Lowell, to the yearning of the Oscar-nominated “Mystery of Love,” Sufjan Stevens’ music is an appropriate companion to these times.