Sophie Noel – Ghost Ship
It’s all going away, they tell us. You’d better grab a picture of it real quick, or you might not get a chance to even remember it as it was. You’d better plant a memory deep inside your heart, or you’re likely to forget it even existed in the first place, and when you talk about it, people will just look at you as if you’re mad.
Whereas previous generations of songwriters had the tendency to retreat into nature and to compare their lives to something that felt permanent, modern ones aren’t so sure. Yes, most of them feel the same urge to disconnect themselves from the madness of crowded cities. But what if nature’s going to crumble and they along with it?
Sophie Noel’s “Ghost Ship” is a beautifully performed, modern folk song in which the dream is being taken apart piece by piece. Noel’s looking at the world in wonder. But there’s no telling how long it’s going to wait to be admired. Musically, it’s Noel’s superb vocal performance that gives the song its magic. The singing fits excellently over the discreet instrumentation.
Moon Draper – Melted Blues
Unless you’re listening to the new Sabrina Carpenter single, one that was likely penned by a commission of a dozen cheerful songwriters stuck in a room telling each other where they plan to go on holiday with the check, your favourite songs were written by people who were hurting bad. No, nobody had shot them in the foot. Somebody’s kicked them straight in the soul.
But, just moaning and complaining only works for a small group of people. Eventually, you’ve got to make your audience smile even if they’re doing it at your own expense, even if they’re just chuckling when they hear how badly everything’s worked out for you.
Moon Draper’s music is written with a bittersweet smile after finding out that somebody’s changed the locks since you were last home. “Melted Blues” is meant to describe the worst feeling possible – love. It hurts so bad, and it makes you so scared for your own future, the singer assures us, that you just can’t help yourself from smiling and breaking out into a country-rock tune.
