“Saddest Tumblr Girl on a
Rainy Day”

In stark contrast to last week’s Playlist, this week’s is full of mellow and melancholic pieces perfect for sitting and relaxing after your first week of classes.

I handpicked songs from various indie artists’ catalogues that all have a decently slow tempo and a vast majority of them pertain to some sort of love, whether it be lost or unfulfilled. If you really sit and listen to these songs (as opposed to just putting them on in the background) I would be surprised if you didn’t genuinely feel something. One of my favorite pieces that I’ve included is “Say Yes” by the late Elliott Smith. It’s an interesting piece in that there is a vague sense of happiness (in the melody and harmony) that actually juxtaposes the sad subject matter.

“Poison & Wine” by The Civil Wars is another song where an interesting duality exists. The verses consist of the male and female vocals going back and forth stating what they think of one another and how they think the other thinks of them, and the chorus brings about these beautiful vocal harmonies articulating this amazing paradoxical line “I don’t love you, but I always will.” It’s a relatively simple song, but I think that it speaks volumes.

I also included a piece by arguably my favorite band, Ben Folds Five. “Sky High” is a wonderfully melancholic piece that plays around nostalgia, where Folds reminisces on “the blue sky” of days past. It’s odd that the lyrics reference very specific things, but at the same time it feels vague and as though anyone could relate to what he’s saying. The ethereal vocal pads and strings in the background create an interesting atmosphere where the piano, bowed upright bass, and vocal can interact with and play off of one another.