Music Mondays #5

It’s my favourite time of the week, everyone! (Minus watching The Great British Bake Off every Tuesday, and Extra Slice!). It’s Music Monday, the day where I share with you the absolute tunes (they are tunes, I guarantee) I’ve been listening to at the moment.

On my latest Music Mondays post, I lifted the mood (which has, admittedly, been a bit bleak for a lot of us – curse you Covid!!!) with some joyous indie and pop. My favourite (unofficial) genre sad-indie-girl has made a return this week, which is just tunes but sad.

Lucia & The Best Boys, The State of Things

Scotland’s pop-rock trio Lucia & The Best Boys were not on my radar but, thanks to Spotify, I was greeted by their 2020 EP The State of Things – which is a stunner.

The EP is oozing with confidence, fun beats (which don’t match the moody lyrics at all) and frontwoman Lucia Fairfull’s voice is unusual, a bit haunting and captivating. Somewhere in Heaven feels very Kate Bush, Let Go is a chilled anthem and Forever Forget is fun to listen to. The opening song Perfectly Untrue is a great opener (and a proper tune, if you ask me!) and impossible not to play again and again and again.

Phoebe Bridgers, Punisher

American indie-pop singer Phoebe Bridgers was another new listen for me – recommended by my wonderful, music loving sister – and I’m glad I started listening to her.

The album is moody, easy-listening and I couldn’t help but feel like I’d heard the songs in a movie before. Garden Song is a beautiful song, following the instrumental opener, then Kyoto is an energetic pop song that’ll make you want to dance. Punisher is sensitive and a bit haunting – the highlight for me, although I did love Halloween as well. I Know The End is an good end to the album, peaking my interest for whatever Bridgers has for us next.

Julia Jacklin, Crushing

Continuing on the moody girl music is Australian singer Julia Jacklin – again a new artist on my radar for 2020.

The 2019 album is packed with bluesy-folkish songs starting wonderfully with Body, then self-conscious but funky Head Alone. Pressure to Party is energetic and exciting, leading on to the slow but beautiful Don’t Know How To Keep Loving You.

Convention and Good Guy are slow, soft tunes which contrast You Were Right (which was fast and exciting). Turn Me Down feels like a song you put on at the end of the night, and Comfort is made for lazy lockdown days we’re all used to right now (sick of).

Kodaline (featuring Gabrielle Aplin), Everyone Changes

I’ve been a fan of both Kodaline and Gabrielle Aplin for a while and even I didn’t see this collaboration coming! Saying that, Everyone Changes shows off Kodaline’s change in direction and the vocals blend together really well.

It’s a bit break-up-song (which I’d have to have been in a relationship to know about, but I can just imagine for now!) but there’s no denying it’s also a beautiful song as well.

King No-One, Roll of the Dice

York alt-pop rockers King No-One have been on my radar for a while – and are a pretty good contrast from the other choices this Monday. Their songs are full of soaring vocals, exhilarating guitar and thumping drums – their latest single, Roll of the Dice is a perfect example of this.

Though it’s dead easy to curl up in a ball and listen to sad music these days, putting on this song will get you out of your Covid-induced funk….until you switch the news on again.

What have you been listening to at the moment? I’d love to chat in the comments and give some of your favourite tunes a go… maybe for next week’s post?