
Lycio – I Feel Like Being In Love
Pop music may not mean much to everyone, but it has the potential to deliver something special to anyone. It’s rather amazing to consider that out of sounds meant to make you dance or cry, mostly written on guitars by kids, so many genres have sprung up. It’s amazing to consider that right now, you can go and stream a near-endless collection of songs from any one of these genres.
Because pop music has the potential to make you feel as if the band/artist is speaking directly to you, people get awfully attached to their favourite songs. One of the unfortunate results is that they also become attached to a style to the point where they cannot appreciate any other, or, worse still, they consider it a betrayal whenever their favourite artist switches allegiances.
Blending music styles together is nothing new. But since it’s been overdone to such a degree lately, it can also feel old hat if the performance that results from the new blend is not spectacular. Fortunately, Lycio’s way of blending hard-rock/metal elements with soulful singing on “I Feel Like Being In Love” doesn’t just sound natural, it also sounds earnest and truthful. Here’s a band working hard to find something stirring and inspiring in this metal-soul blend. The result is a track that is both surprising and welcoming.
Black Seagull – Pretty Things
You must have heard the rampant conspiracy theory about entertainment getting worse over the years. Yes, it’s hard to escape this notion, especially if you do most of your thinking online.
And while it’s easy to blame these comments on old-head fans stuck in the past, a closer examination reveals that they might not be entirely wrong. In fact, in many cases, the profits made by those producing entertainment are proportional to their lack of quality.
A recent news investigation showed how Netflix executives were encouraging scriptwriters to dumb down shows so that those watching them while scrolling through their phones wouldn’t miss a beat. The same happens, I am sure, in the world of popular music.
Black Seagull’s “Pretty Things” is ambitious alternative-rock music that doesn’t pander to audiences simply looking for a pop hook and little else. The composition is thick with ideas, it’s built around interesting dynamics, and it will require you to wonder and assume what story the lyrics are trying to tell. Black Seagull doesn’t care about you being able to scroll through your social media while listening to this. The Danish band wants all of your attention!