It was just a couple of hours ago last week that Taylor Swift dropped her second pandemic album called "evermore".
I have listened to it about five times so far in my office. I am sad to say despite having that many listens under my belt, I still haven't take the time to really absorb the album.
I have mentioned this before, but I really feel the best way to enjoy an album is in the dark with a good quality set of headphones or speakers.
I remember when I was younger, I had a pretty decent stereo system in my bedroom. The house I grew up in was fairly small, so it was pretty rare that I really got to crank it up. Even at low volumes the sound was phenomenal (for a teenager), and I spent countless hours in my room in the dark letting the sounds of U2, Counting Crows, and various other artists wash over me.
Those artists are still some of my favorites today because with all outside stimulus removed, I was able to create an intense connection with the music at the deepest level.
Keeping all of that in mind, I am going to share with you one of Taylor Swifts new songs and then a couple of others that I feel are best listened to in the dark.
I'll be honest, I wasn't a huge fan of the Reputation album when it first came out. It was quite a bit different from anything she had done before. She was clearly heading a bit in that direction when 1984 came out and was solidly in the pop vein.
If you know me, you know that Red is one of my favorite Swift albums and it is no surprise that I enjoy Folklore and evermore so much because even the people who get paid lots of money to review them are comparing them to Red.
I saw a post in my social media the other day where someone was talking about how over-rated they think Taylor Swift is. That's a fair opinion to have, but personally, I think she is brilliant. She is a smart business woman. From what I hear, she basically runs her whole brand. At least she has the final say in it.
Maybe you don't like pop music. Fair enough, throw out the genre and just look at the lyrics. You can't deny she has a way of crafting songs that tell a story and exercise your mind. Say you are a rap music fan, are you telling me you think Stupid Ho by Nicki Minaj is better because the lyrics are so deep and meaningful? :)
I love Bruce Hornsby and The Range. This is another song that tells a story and speaks to me on a very deep level. Plus Bruce Hornsby has some mad piano skills. Don't believe me? Check out the song The Valley Road.
If you dig the 80's pop vibe and you are looking for some songs with some powerful lyrics and some great story telling, you should really check him out.
Okay, I am not saying the lyrics are super powerful or meaningful in this one, but it is just a fantastic song. There is something that always gets me when Don Henley comes in with that line "you in the moonlight". I've heard the song a million times, but I have never seen this video before.
I am actually impressed that they sound so great considering their age in this video.
Don Henley is another example of some pure 80's gold. Plus all his great stuff with The Eagles, but that is a whole different story!
Okay, that is all I have. I feel like I was a bit all over the place with this post, both theme-wise and musically.
So let me know what you have been listening to this past week. Better yet, write your own post and use the #weeklyspins tag!