I feel like it has been so long since I wrote for this column! I am so excited to be back. I thought that I would bring this week’s On Shuffle column a classic tradition. I am here to share some of my favorite songs right now. This is what I have been listening to on repeat for days, weeks, almost months! I am a big fan of the gatekeeper technique, but these songs are just so good that I have decided to share. I hope you enjoy.
The first song is called “Cowboy Belt” by a small artist named Levi Roth. This guy is so cool. He combines a type of twangy guitar patterns with some pop music influence. This is the kind of song you listen to when you are riding the subway around the city with the person you love most. It is about a relationship that is full of questions, yet so much passion and excitement. I really love the lyrics in this song and I think the descriptive imagery really is something to be idolized.
The next song is called “Simulation Swarm” by an alternative band called Big Thief. I need to be serious about this for a second. I honestly have never really listened to the lyrics of this song. It can very well be the saddest song ever, but I truly do not know. I love this song because of the music. The composition of this song is just absolutely insane. I love it so much. The lyrics are usually what makes me fall in love with a song, but this one defies my norms. This tune is full of quirky guitar and unique vocals. I can’t really explain any further, but I totally recommend this.
Moving on, we have a classic. Lately all I can play on guitar and listen to in my earbuds has been “Don’t Think Twice, It’s Alright” by Bob Dylan. I recently watched the Dylan biopic, A Complete Unknown, featuring Timothée Chalamet. To be fair, I’ve loved Bob Dylan ever since I was young, as my dad would play his songs around the house growing up. This movie revived my love for this classic folk tune. I really like the sarcasm and wittiness Dylan brought to this and I think this makes it timeless.
Finally, I leave you with only one more song. “Bullseye” by Lucy Dacus and Hozier. Oh my goodness. I have said over and over again how much I love lyrics. This song takes the cake for best lyrics right now. A song about being with somebody you love and having all of the complex emotions and associations. There is so much that goes into a relationship, and Lucy Dacus captures it perfectly. She explains the unexplainable. My all time ultimate most favorite line in this entire song is “I’ll miss borrowing your books to read your notes in the margins/ The closest I came to reading your mind/ The answers to the questions only made more questions/ I hope you’re never satisfied.” Guys, I can probably write novels about these lyrics. Seriously. I love the idea of asking somebody questions to understand them better and then you just end up more confused and yearning for more answers. These lyrics truly show the human experiences we all go through that are just so raw it cannot be described.
I hope one or two (or even three or four) of these songs end up in your playlists! I think they are all dynamic and give four different vibes. If you are in the mood to take a train around the city or sit around with someone you love, I hope these songs soundtrack your moments. For now, I hope you enjoyed some of my favorite songs!
