The Setting Son – I Still Can’t Decide What I Want
Everything goes and nearly everything has a place in this world. That’s the truth when it comes to music. But that realisation might just inspire a little too much optimism in the minds and hearts of casual musicians.
The requirement to start playing shows, provided you live in a large enough city, isn’t very high. Sure, it’s not easy getting a band together, assembling songs and playing them without stumbling. That’ll get you through the door.
But would anyone want to record those songs as a memo on their phone and listen back to them the day after the show? Is it enough for people to develop an obsession with your group and want to follow you around?
Great songwriters are rare. Few have an intimate understanding of melodies, harmonies and the elements that help create great pop music. Denmark’s The Setting Son possesses those kinds of gifts and throws them around like they’re nothing on the beautiful and hooky “I Still Can’t Decide What I Want.” The music brings to mind The Lightning Seeds at its low-profile power-pop best. The Setting Son has made a song that’ll be hard to shake out of your mind.
Mall Gag – Working High
Has boredom killed anyone? Not directly, no. But it’s certainly had an effect on the mental well-being and the imagination of those forced to live through it. Besides, it likely increased the risk that these people pose to society.
I’ve had jobs where the only escape from the mind-numbing boredom was to use my imagination and dream myself in a place far away. And when that stopped being fun, hitting my head against the wall felt like a realistic alternative. For all other people like that, Mall Gag have written a song.
Then again, it’s only appropriate. How many music streams would immediately disappear if everyone’s work environment made every single day a great laugh? How many of us haven’t developed unhealthy obsessions with bands as a result of our boredom?
Mall Gag’s musicians are punk-rock veterans still excited about music and pissed out about everything else. That hasn’t made them lose their sense of humour, though. “Working High” is a song that blames all of the band members’ problems on how boring the world is and how alluring and readily available weed and booze happen to be. We’d wag our fingers if we didn’t all feel the same way. And as for the people doing work that requires them to repeat the same action every day, just let them do it while high. The world might just be a better place that way.
