Vibes Matter
A comparison between three very different songs reveals our abilities and limitations in understanding. Also, I like a Dustin Lynch song.
I was considering doing a song review post. The plan was to shuffle my Liked Songs playlist on Spotify and randomly review some stuff. As I was collecting songs for the review process, a few stuck out to me as possessing particular characteristics worthy of discussion.
The first song is Dustin Lynch’s Stars Like Confetti (2022). Do excuse me for having a Dustin Lynch song on my liked songs, I usually like a song when it sticks out to me. Not necessarily as a measure of enjoyment or perceived quality.
It is a pretty stock mainstream arrangement. Canned guitars on top of a slick drum loop with Lynch’s signature dull vocals layered on top. The melody doesn’t surprise you when you listen to it. Why exactly does this song stick out that is is worthy of being on the liked list? Dustin Lynch has some songs that stand out from the morass. Thinking About You features some really nice detail in the storytelling and some killer vocals from either Lauren Alaina or Mackenzie Porter, depending on the version you gave a spin. Cowboys and Angels and Pasadena both use acoustic warmth to add focus and gravitas to Lynch’s baritone. Stars Like Confetti doesn't really have any of those redeeming factors. The somewhat unique whooping in the chorus is tempered with the odd addition of a choir faintly echoing his words. Everything else sounds near identical to the dullest of mainstream country. It took me a few listens to this song to properly understand it. Oddly, it finally clicked when I heard it on the radio. (Medium matters. There’s lots to unpack there but that’s for a different time.)
To put it in plain terms, the song is a vibe. That can mean many things to many people, but to this writer it means that all the varying components of the song are cohesive towards a particular feeling. In this instance, it is meant as a simple and very basic appreciative anthem. Everything is tuned towards a bouncy, carefree, and exultant atmosphere. No sharp edges are allowed in the song. That would add complexity that would taint the vibe. The rhythm almost never varies. The tone of the guitars are computerized and consistent. The singing stays in Lynch’s comfort zone. All is there to service the smooth party vibe.
I’m not trained in music by any stretch so I can’t pinpoint chord choices or other more analytical methods to explain why this is the predominant feeling that I get from the song. I would point to the explosive drums driving the rhythm, the uptilt at the end of vocal lines, and especially how the choir emphasizes the more upbeat and positive vocal lines in a higher register. It adds more positivity to the feeling emanating from the song. Without training, I kind of just have to trust my gut about what the song does well. In spite of its plastic, synthetic, and canned nature that typically would be a turn off for me, I think I understand and appreciate what was intended here.
This focus on vibe leads me to the second song. Sandcastles (2016) is an EDM song by an artist named Adam Jensen. It is a remix with ToWonder and Severo.
The remix amplifies the elements of the original song. I appreciate dance music because it is often wholly focused on a singular element. That element gets distilled and harnessed to peak efficacy. You want driving kick drum? Ok, here’s a four on the floor beat that will rip your chest out at 180 bpm.
This remix displays some more sophistication than the straightforward house music you might associate with your childhood. The song starts out with finger snaps and soft synths. A strong trap drum kit joins in and builds up to the pulsating chorus featuring unintelligible auto tuned vocals and a thumping bass heavy beat. Further variation on this basic setup emerges throughout the song as different elements are stripped back and further emphasis is given to the other parts.
Unlike many other songs in this genre, short thrift is not given to the lyrics. You know the Millenial and Gen Z stereotype as depressed sadbois? This song will do nothing to dispossess you of that notion. It is a melancholy vibe through and through.
The lyrics are extremely self deprecating. The refrain leading into the explosive chorus/drop is quite literally the words “No one wants me”. Perhaps it takes a teenage brain to properly appreciate the contradiction of dance music extolling crippling self esteem issues, but to be fair, the architects of this banger have an implicit understanding of the subtle emotion needed. There’s a darkness and desperation that permeates the arrangement. Perhaps this is me getting out over my interpretive skis, but the unintelligible auto tuned vocal very well could be seen as representing the collective anguish and lack of understanding that the primary character of the song is experiencing. The splicing of the No one Wants Me refrain into the second auto tuned chorus certainly could imply that if one wanted to try and make an analysis of this. Now is it possible that none of this was intentional? Certainly. It is highly likely that most of what was being envisioned by the remix collaborators was simply “ bro, this sounds pretty tight!” Nonetheless, I think that this understanding of the song as reflecting the desperation and angst that many have in daily life is certainly a key element of the song.
The last song, Mons Meg, is from 1998. It's a folk instrumental played by the noted UK folk artist Eliza Carthy.
On the previous two songs, I used the lyrical content to give me a first clue towards ascertaining the intended content of the song. Music is inherently vague. For instance, a slower and starker arrangement, especially a piano ballad, will imply seriousness and gravity. That fundamental note of seriousness can be applied to many different contexts. Stripped of lyrical content, it would be nearly impossible to know if the song is about a funeral, a breakup, or if it is a devoted love song. Perhaps those with trained musical ears can suss out more specifics based on musical theory and convention. If I had that it would certainly help me understand this song. To my ears it is a lovely instrumental piece. It has a more traditional melody and the fiddle work is reminiscent of other neo vintage folk songs I've heard. It feels very soothing and basic to me. I might turn it on when trying to study or if I was attempting to replicate the calming atmosphere of a chic cafe you might choose to spend a lazy vacation morning in.
I am very curious what the song was really trying to say. Carthy is a prestigious folk artist. In interviews with any folk or traditional music artist, they always talk about the deep meaning in the songs. To be frank, I have a hard time hearing it. I dont have the trained ear, nor the experience to be able to interpret a song without enough clues. Lyrics, album art, the history of the artist and so much more all go into being able to unwrap why a song clicks with you. The traditional styled fiddle work reminds me of JP Harris’s Don't You Marry No Railroad Man which has very similar old school vibes. The comparison between these two really shows the difficulty I have. Harris’s album varies between different types of folk ballads. Some happy, some sad. Some are celebratory and others depressing. The arrangements are spare and don't have much in the way of embellishment. Without the light of the lyrics, it doesn't “feel” indicative of anything. Fortunately Harris adds vocal work to his album. Carthy on Mons Meg does not.
I gave the song title a quick Google and apparently Mons Meg was a very large cannon made in the 1500s or so. It has great historical meaning, I guess. It did nothing to allow me to understand this song any better. Maybe you fellas will have better luck. To me, music analysis is when you first experience an emotional feeling, and then get curious what triggered that emotional response. Analyze the music to see what physical aspects of the music trigger your emotional responses. Understand that and you have figured out your taste. I haven’t cracked this one song. Maybe there’s something subtle and complex or maybe this is just the Joe equivalent of Stars Like Confetti. It’s a vibe. I’m gonna roll with that and enjoy it like the basic folk instrumental that it appears to be to my ears.
Let me know what you thought about this piece either in the comment section below or by reaching out to todayiheardblog@gmail.com
Joe