Ladyhawke – Guilty Love
Masterclass tutorials are really popular nowadays. People pay big money to watch the experts tell you how to approach a certain craft, and I would do the same to watch a Noel Gallagher masterclass on songwriting. I hope it would include advice similar to the one he presented in an interview years ago.
Asked about how Oasis get their songs, Noel said that the most important thing is to listen to a lot of records, but best not waste your time with b-sides, album tracks, and all of that. Just get a bunch of Best Of collections, see what you like, and… Presto, songwriting!
Ladyhawke’s sound has never seemed to belong to the modern era. Her first tremendously big singles sounded like 80s radio songs given a modern polish. As her career progresses, just as limey Noel might have advised, she seems to have kept her ear close to her favorite bands’ biggest singles.
Perhaps, it is no coincidence that just about every Ladyhawke sounds like it could be a single. You could take that with a grain of salt and also the fact that Guilt Love, thematically and lyrically also resembles Hozier’s Take me to Church. But, this might just be beside the point.
Guilty Love is a glam-rock stomper at its very core, with pleasant hooks that never outstay their welcome. Ladyhawke writes efficient 3-minute singles that could have a fighting chance at any time.
Caoilfhionn Rose – Fireflies
Some people just gotta work a lot to start dreaming properly. I often hope that when I fall asleep, meditate, or simply look out into the sunset, I will have the kind of gentle, joyous visions similar to the ones depicted in Caoilfhionn Rose’s video for Fireflies.
But, for the most part, I see geometrical shapes that don’t quite go together, former acquaintances that I never thought much about, and an occasional mix of colors that quite draw out any clear picture. Clearly, some folks find it hard to deal with beauty.
This is the reason why Ms. Rose’s inclusion may seem like a bit of a stretch if you are at all familiar with the music we tend to cover. However, even the coldest of hearts cannot ignore the warmth and expert craftmanship of Fireflies. With soaring, otherwordly vocals reminiscent of Feist at her best, and a tendency to lean back on 80s UK indie-pop, this is understated, beautiful work.
