Angelina’s Corner: Roundup
Words by Angelina Singer
Where We Are Right Now by Chris Lively
This song has an awesome message about staying present in life and remembering where you came from without letting it keep you feeling stuck. I absolutely love the sonic layers, between the pedal steel guitar and the light percussion that keeps things dynamically fresh. Make sure to listen to the gorgeous build in the bridge leading up to that grand finale - it’s a sonic moment you won’t want to miss. The vocal performance is also strong, with lots of heart and genuinely thoughtful ideas that will stick with you long after the final note.
This song has a lot of different emotions wrapped up in, with an incredibly thoughtful vocal performance depicting the gradual nature of processing a failed relationship. The vocal melodies especially shine, alongside the percussive textures and the deep awareness that sometimes, there isn’t a way to properly explain how you’re feeling — and that’s totally okay. Best listened to with a warm blanket and a notepad ready to absorb all those complicated thoughts that don’t fit into any one category. The double guitar solo especially struck a chord with me, as the dual harmonies really left their mark on my overall auditory experience.
Mia Shanks
This bright, poppy anthem is a great song to blast out your windows when you need some inspiration. It’s a song about creativity and embracing yourself in every season of your love life — even the seasons when things are more stagnant. I especially enjoyed the dreamlike guitar articulations and how well everything blended in the overall mix leading up to the fantastically buzzed-out guitar solo. With lyrics that feel straight out of a diary entry, it’s so personal — a poignant sample of the human experience during seasons of growth and learning how to do life.
This song is such a great deep dive into the more emotional alt-rock genres. The message is about missing someone that you don’t totally know how to let go of — whether that’s someone else, or perhaps a previous version of yourself. No matter what it is that you’re missing, this song will be a comforting place for you to reflect. I love the way the chorus is amped-up with more electric guitar chords without seeming too disjointed from the rest of the song. It’s edgy, relatable, and nuanced enough for even the most distinguished of listeners.
This edgy track deals with the emotional complexities of being human and feeling misunderstood by other people. I appreciated the staccato rhythms in the melodic section alongside the vocals, as well as the clever hook of “I’d rather be blind / than see through your eyes” — a seemingly angstier version of living life in another person’s shoes. The title is provocative for sure, but it’s very honest in the sense that pretending to understand someone else is often futile until you really try to walk in their place. The message is all about empathy and doing better next time to understand where your loved ones are coming from instead of making assumptions.