These 3 tracks have gorgeous sounds with a lot of focus on vocals, even though they take on different genres and tones overall. From mental health struggles to relationship issues, these songs are all for anyone ready to get a gut-punch to the feelings. Are you ready for a somber September? Check out these 3 tracks with lyrical depth to jump into.
Gal Musette – Broken Clock
‘Broken Clock’ is a noir country piece with a lot of soul that’s filled with a laid-back pace, which builds into an emotional story. The vocals in this track take on a full alto tone, building with gorgeous and well-layered harmonies later on, and the soft swing of the instrumentation allows focus to be placed on the vocals and overall narrative. Additionally, the string-filled instrumentation swings and bends around with beauty. Lyrically, this track tells the tale of a relationship falling apart and the emotions that come with that. Though it gets into the story of being hurt by another, it also tells the tale of one’s own folly.
Night Teacher – Never Better
‘Never Better’ is a unique pop R&B piece with R&B influences, with a whole lot of atmosphere and just enough experimentation to keep it fresh and new. The general tone has a nice swing to it, and the vocals take on a rhythm that gives a lot of focus on the lyricism. They have a gorgeous melody at times, but there’s a bit of a spoken-word aspect that’s intriguing. The bass has a nice slap, and the percussion weaves around them softly. Additionally, there are guitar sounds well mixed in the stereo with some brassy tones to round things out. This track takes on the idea of being someone who struggles with mental health in a way that makes connecting with others seem out of the ordinary.
Nicky Phillips – Stranger
‘Stranger’ is a gorgeous, folksy singer/songwriter pop piece that has a beautiful, warm buzz in the acoustic guitars and vocals with diverse rhythm and a lot of strength and control. There are several guitar layers in the track that play along with bass tones that ring out, and a soft shaker production. As mentioned before, the vocals are great. They weave around between strong, near belts and softer whispered tones. Also, the way that they stand out in the mix allows a lot of raw emotion to ring out. This track comes from the perspective of someone in a relationship when they realize that another has fallen out of love. On the other hand, it also touches on how the subject of the track has changed. The way it gets into this gives a poignant and introspective tale overall.
Written by Sage Plapp
Cover image by Roman Odintsov
