My favorite discovery so far this year is Spotify. I love being able to create my own playlists that fit my different moods or different parts of the day or week. I have playlists that include just Hozier songs, a worship playlist and one of my top playlists that I listen to is called “Reflections,” where I collected a pretty big group of songs that make me feel so many emotions at once. So now I share them with you so you can feel the same many emotions that I do when I hit play. Here they are.
1. 'Welcome Home, Son' by Radical Face
This song has one of the best openings I've ever heard. From the beginning, it sounds like you're about to star in an independent film where the main character figures out their life by going on an adventure.
2. 'Slow It Down' by The Lumineers
I love this song just because you can hear the longing in the lyrics and the music. This a song that you can just let hit you after a long day and when you're just taking a rest.
3. 'We Don’t Eat' by James Vincent McMorrow
"We Don't Eat" has a really cool intro, where it almost seems like two different meters are coming together. Throughout the song, the music builds until the final chord where a wall of emotional sound gets you right there in your chest. You know where.
4. 'Broadripple is Burning' by Margot & The Nuclear So And So’s
I don't necessarily know what it is about this song, but it tells a really cool story that we never truly get to understand. Maybe I just like the mystery of the song.
5. 'Rivers and Roads' by The Head and the Heart
Sometimes, it's not the right lyrics or a catchy beat, but rather a harmony that makes something in your chest fill until you have to walk away from whatever is playing your music. This song has that. At the end of the song, The Head and the Heart sing a round that overlaps and is harmonious and makes the world feel like it's coming together for a second.
6. 'Flaws' by Vancouver Sleep Clinic
I first heard this song when I watched "Before We Go," a movie Chris Evans starred in--thanks to my best friend for pointing me to the film. It's played at the end of the movie, where we're not completely sure of what happens (but you totally know what happens). At first, I thought it was Bon Iver, which got me excited, but it kept going and I looked it up and fell in love.
7. 'Little Talks (Live from Vatnagarder)' by Of Monsters and Men
I've always loved this song and a lot of what Of Monsters and Men does. This version is one that completely strips the song and makes it dark and melancholy, giving the song a different spin and meaning.
8. 'Georgia' by Vance Joy
I love Vance Joy, I really do. His voice really brings this song to life. There's really cool imagery involved; you just need to let yourself listen and envision.
9. 'If I Go, I’m Goin' by Gregory Alan Isakov
This song tells a really cool story, but it is told through some sort of hesitation that makes you wonder what's really going on. If you couldn't tell, I'm a sucker for a really good story in a song.
10. 'The Funeral' by Band of Horses
I don't remember if I heard the song first or watched the "Criminal Minds"' episode, "Revelations," where this song was featured, but this song builds until it can't get any bigger. Pictured above is from one of the most crushing episodes of Criminal Minds I've watched (which is saying something).
11. 'Cecelia and the Satellite (Canyons Version)' by Andrew McMahon and the Wilderness
I love Something Corporate and Jack's Mannequin. When I heard that Andrew McMahon started another project, I couldn't wait to hear what he did this time. I heard an acoustic version of this song first and it's actually the one I prefer. There's something about a song being so simple that is perfect because it can take you somewhere with so few instruments.
12. 'Always Gold' by Radical Face
This is the second song by Radical Face on this playlist, so you can tell I like them. "Always Gold" just has a lot of meaningful lyrics that I can connect to - you can see this by the amount of Instagram selfies I caption with his lyrics. This is also some really rad album cover art.
13. 'First' by Cold War Kids
I remember listening to some Cold War Kids when I was a little younger. One of their songs, "Hang Me Up to Dry," features a piano interlude that sounds like someone slapping a piano. I just love that this song sounds perfect for a long drive when the weather starts warming up a little.
14. 'Dead Sea' by The Lumineers
Look, another artist/band repeat! I love The Lumineers (and they're actually coming to a town near me this summer and I desperately want to go). I think I personally connect to some of the lyrics; the narrator of the song is called the Dead Sea and doesn't let anyone sink.
15. 'From Eden' by Hozier
I love Hozier's album. Of course, it started with "Take Me to Church," but every other song on his album is just as amazing, if not better. "From Eden" tells a story that is a little sad, but you can hear that somehow it's okay. This song also has a pretty cool music video.
16. 'Jasey Rae (Acoustic Version)' by All Time Low
All Time Low brings me back to my middle school/high school days. I liked all of their songs, but their acoustic versions were the versions I lived on. Jasey Rae is a character that breaks hearts and you can feel it when you listen to the song.
17. 'Charlie Boy' by The Lumineers
The simple lyrics of this song get to me. While the simplicity is in the words, the meaning is far more complex and makes you feel a lot of emotions.
18. 'Car Radio' by Twenty One Pilots
I got into Twenty One Pilots before they were on the radio, I just want to put that out there. Two of my good friends got me into the group and I am thankful every time I listen to them. There's a great interview you can listen to on Spotify about the creation of this song. Let me tell you, this gives the song a whole new meaning.
19. 'Give Me Love' by Ed Sheeran
I really like this song because of all of the layers it has. It's pretty simple at the beginning, but as the song goes on, the intensity increases until your heart can't take anymore. My favorite part of the song is after the pause, when Ed sings a traditional song. Gives me goosebumps every time.
20. 'Sleeping Sickness' by City and Colour
I knew a few songs by City and Colour, but I didn't really get into them until my best friend started sending me his songs. This song reaches a breaking point in the vocals; I love to hear a voice straining because there's so much emotion, and that's what this song is for me.
When you listen to this playlist, I would suggest a rainy night, no homework and just some time to absorb everything. Feel the music, hear the lyrics and just be one with everything you experience.