There are a select few of us who listen to music in search of a story or meaning. I personally have always been a fan of the storytelling that goes into a good, quality song. As mainstream songs continue to take over the radio with laughably horrendous lyrics, it's important to take a a minute out of our day to appreciate the true connoisseurs of chorus. Don't get me wrong, I too have great respect for all the songs of the world like "Trap Queen" and "I Can't Feel My Face When I'm With You." But when I put my earphones in at the end of a long day, there's nothing I love more than humming along to a truly meaningful melody.
1. The Decemberists.
The Decemberists' abundance of lyrical gems within in each song will leave you thinking they hired Robert Frost as a songwriter. Their relaxed, indie-style music combined with their poetic genius transforms each listen into a musical and literary experience.
But we're not so starry-eyed anymore
Like the perfect paramour you were in your letters
And won't it all just come around to make you
Let it all unbreak you to the day you met her.
"Make You Better."
2. The National.
This unique indie-rock band will have you performing English major style analyses on their confusingly beautiful word choice. While at first listen they may seem like a random assortment of nice sounding words, I've found their unusual lyrics can articulate the deepest meanings of love, life, and being a human.
Tiptoe through our shiny city with our diamond slippers on
Do our gay ballet on ice, bluebirds on our shoulders
We're half awake in a fake empire
We're half awake in a fake empire.
"Fake Empire."
3. Mumford and Sons.
Had to go with this classic for the list. Who couldn't love a band who borrows 400-year-old Shakespearean prose for their lyrics? Although many of their most famous songs are now a bit dated, their timeless lyrics continue to make each listen enjoyable.
In these bodies we will live, in these bodies we will die
And where you invest your love, you invest your life.
"Awake My Soul."
4. Dawes.
From just one listen, you can tell this band has the time of their life jamming out in the recording studio. Their fun, folk feel paired with the distinctive story each song tells is sure to please even the most hardcore lyric buffs.
Maybe 'cause I come from such an empty-hearted town
Or maybe 'cause some love of mine had really let me down
But the only time I am lonely is when others are around.
"If I Wanted Someone."
5. The Head and The Heart.
This band cannot go wrong with their flawless phrases (not to mention their equally flawless voices). From making you smile about your fondest childhood memories to making you sob about your old high school friends who are 500 miles away, their songs will tap into all the memories you forgot you had.
Nothin' is as it has been
And I miss your face like hell
And I guess it's just as well
But I miss your face like hell.
"Rivers and Roads."
6. The Avett Brothers.
These talented guys can perfectly execute a passionate love song and a fun song to jam out to, all within one album. Each listen sounds like a diary entry remodeled into a melodic masterpiece.
When nothing is owed or deserved or expected
And your life doesn't change by the man that's elected
If you're loved by someone, you're never rejected
Decide what to be and go be it.
"Head Full of Doubt."
