SOUNDTRACK OF THOUGHTS. VOL. 14
I found myself feeling trapped inside a loop of playing the same songs over and over. Sometimes I like it because it comforts me. In this scenario, it had the opposite effect – it choked me. In these situations, I either force myself to listen to something new, which rarely works, or listen to nothing and wait for new music to find its way to me. It can sound delusional, but it works. You just can’t force yourself to listen to and like new music if you are not in the headspace. This is the case, at least for me. In the previous Soundtrack of Thoughts, I wrote about different ways I find new music, so I will not spend time writing it again.
Some of the songs from this Soundtrack of Thoughts are old favourites, but many are new entries into my world of kitchen parties. What I mean by kitchen party is basically singing and dancing around while cooking and baking when it’s time to let loose. You don’t care how you look, you don’t care what the neighbours think of your singing. All you care about is feeling yourself.
I am deeply embarrassed I heard “American Girl” for the first time in Paul Thomas Anderson’s film One Battle After Another. It is really not an exaggeration when I say I have so many blank spots in my music knowledge. This Tom Petty song I’ve had on repeat since I saw the film, and it has that uplifting, comforting, and reassuring feeling to it. Another recent discovery is the beautifully magical world of Laufey. That is what I respect and love about musicians is that some of them are able to create whole world, which is so unique to them that you are scared to tap into it. “Falling Behind” tells the story about a person who’s never been in love, sees other people falling in love, but fails to succeed themselves. And my best friend's found a new guy / I'm only getting older / I've never had a shoulder to cry on, she sings in the chorus. What drew me to the song are the bossa nova rhythm and its warmth, even though she sings about the feeling of isolation.
Laufey with Los Angeles Philharmonic on The Hollywood Bowl stage. Photo: @laufey (Instagram).
A crazy, enthusiastic, and persistent musician whose music I love is Raye. Listening to her live album from London’s Royal Albert Hall with The Heritage Orchestra is so joyful. She is one of those people who live and breathe music, and you can feel it. “The Thrill Is Gone” is one of my highlights from this live album. I can’t imagine how huge it sounded live. One more British musician I’ve listened to since her debut record is Olivia Dean. If I could use one word to describe her, it would be charming. “So Easy (To Fall In Love)” is a single from her latest record, The Art of Loving. Listening to it, you come to the conclusion Dean has quite an eclectic music taste, but it doesn’t come off as flashy. “So Easy (To Fall In Love)” is a gorgeous song, and you can’t help but start swaying while she sings, I'm the perfect mix of Saturday night and the rest of your life / Anyone with a heart would agree.
Raye with The Heritage Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall. Photo: @gdrfirm (Instagram).
A kitchen party wouldn’t be possible without at least one ABBA song. My choice is “Angel Eyes,” but it can change any time. If you don’t feel these insane pop masterminds, I really don’t know what to tell you — although I am 100 percent sure there is one ABBA song for everyone. It is only a matter of time before it finds you and hits something in you.
