1. Cold Little Heart by Michael Kiwanuka
Many people will probably recognize the shortened version of Cold Little Heart, popularized as the theme song for HBO’s Big Little Lies --- but the original spans almost a full 10 minutes. It isn’t until halfway through that you’ll hear the familiar guitar strums and haunting “oooos”, with the first 4:30 spent drawing out a slow, eerie intro.
Michael Kiwanuka has described his admiration for the "patience" of 70s soul music like Isaac Hayes and Funkadelic, and that influence comes through here, as he takes his time setting the tone of the song before introducing his own voice --- and jeeeez, what a voice. Immediately from the opening lines – “Did you ever want it? / Did you want it bad?” – he conveys such a painful yearning.
The lyrics can be applied in so many ways but they clearly convey some internal turmoil of doubt consuming the singer. The chorus seems to have some lucid conviction, but you can feel the persisting pangs of regret in the outro as he sings --- “Maybe this time I can go far / but thinking about where I’ve been ain’t helping me start.”
2. I Like That by Janelle Monae
Around the release of her fourth studio album Dirty Computer, Janelle Monae told Rolling Stone: “I consider myself to be a free ass motherfucker.” But you would come to that conclusion on your own after a listen-through of the record --- most explicitly thanks to one of its biggest hits, I Like That, a bold banger that celebrates her individuality and culls any pressure to be boxed in.
Monae sings over a trap beat with gospel-like backing vocals as she assures, only switching to rap for one verse about being picked on as a kid in school, which of course ends on a note of defiance: “But even back then with the tears in my eyes / I always knew I was the shit.”
All in, this song just FEELS GOOD. It’s empowered and empowering. And let's take a second to appreciate the magnificent cover art of this album --- talk about divine.
3. Glasshouses by Maribou State
English electronic music duo Maribou State released their 2nd album Kingdoms in Colour in 2018 and flooded it with sampled sounds that they recorded while touring around the world the year before. The collection makes for an interesting listen but while I admit I've barely come back to it since first exploring, Glasshouses is the only exception --- the one mesmerizing soundscape I can't get enough of right now.
The song came about while the band was travelling in Kerala, India, and they once explained its roots: “The main guitar motif was written while travelling on a houseboat, inspired by the surroundings and the music that was being played along the riverbanks and by the villages we passed.”
Glasshouses brings in all kinds of percussion, woodwinds and strings – with little samples like twittering birds sprinkled in the background. But rather than sounding patchy or disconnected, the artists manage to weave everything together in a Garden of Eden-like soundscape --- harmonious and lush but also beautifully kaleidoscopic.
4. Cariño by The Marías
I think I can honestly say Cariño is one of the ~3 tracks on Spotify I never skip. It's a love letter, pure and simple, but with a vintage dreamscape that appeals to so many moods.
The siren-like voice of María – lead singer and namesake of the band – sings in part Spanish and English, each line as endearing as the title (“Eres una obra de arte / con solo mirarte, algo que da paz” --- “You’re a masterpiece / Just looking at you, something gives me peace”).
As usual, anything said in Spanish sounds all-the-more romantic, but it’s the sensual quality of her delivery that makes the song feel like a caress.
Listen on Spotify to all 'Songs of the Week' here.
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