Thirty Days of Music Day 05 - A Song That Reminds You of Someone

When the Cardigans released Long Gone Before Daylight in 2003, it wasn't long before a copy of it was on its way to my house.  My mum, who I have to thank for lots of my musical discoveries (including Fleet Foxes, Laura Veirs, Jackson Browne and Josh Rouse), introduced me to the album almost as soon as it arrived.  She's so into music that when a new album enters the house it tends to get played almost non-stop and I soon came to know almost the entire album off by heart.

Communication, a soft ballad of love and relationships, is probably the best track on the CD.  It starts with gentle guitar and Persson's beautiful vocals and progresses beautifully.  The song finishes with a beautiful blend of guitar solos and vocals that complement each other perfectly.  Persson sings out: 'But I don't know how to connect/ So I disconnect' and the song revolves almost solidly around her voice - of course, they knew their strengths when they made the song.  Persson's voice is so flawless throughout the entire album, and it is that which provides the driving force for most of the songs.

This song, and this album, remind of me of cold winters about six years ago when I would sit in the back room doing work and my mum would have this album on.  Most of all, though, it reminds me of my mum and her music taste and how similar hers is to mine. 

Other songs to check out from the album are You're the Storm, For What It's Worth and Please Sister.

Thirty Days of Music Day 04 - A Song That Makes You Sad

I really struggled to pick one song for this category because there are so many really incredible sad songs.  For a while I toyed with Konstantine by Something Corporate, but I feel its message isn't actually sorrowful even if the melody is.  I also thought about Winter by Joshua Radin and Hallelujah by Jeff Buckley, but these seemed a tad predictable.  In the end I was stuck between My Love Has Gone by Josh Rouse and Kingdom of Rust by Doves and I went for the latter.

The song itself is not classically, or stereotypically, sad - it's not slow, lilting and soppy, it's not quiet and gentle and it's not about doomed love.  Doves have created a song that is driven and progressive that also exudes earnest emotion and paints a bleak, beautiful picture of England.  Williams' vocals are simple in melody but they encourage contemplation.  He sings out 'My God/ It takes an ocean of trust/ It takes an effort it does' and it feels like the song could be applied to any part of our lives.

The video that so beautifully accompanies it is an almost perfectly appropriate interpretation of the song, and together they make one of the most moving pieces of art I've ever seen.  The shots of England are absolutely stunning and the conclusion of the video seems so genuine - it's as if the director has invested great personal and emotional experience into its creation.

Even though I have little other experience of Doves, this song alone gives me great respect for their songwriting ability and I would also recommend Caught by the River. 

Come back tomorrow for a song that reminds me of someone.