MIDNIGHTS
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If one is talking about storytelling, one must mention Taylor Swift. Though a singer, her lyrics tell as good a tale as any.
In deference to her ability to tell an epic saga in under four minutes, I will make this brief. Somewhat brief.
Current favourites from her album New Album, Midnights (3am edition).
Lavender Haze: A smoky, perfumed cloud, this song is both a love letter and a cutting remark. A snarky comeback to fickle public opinion and negative press, Swift gets right on the offensive from the get-go
Maroon. The song has a vibrating, edge-of-the-knife bass line, with glossy, shimmering lyrics coating it voluptuously. The imagery is sensual, almost tangible. Wine soaks white t-shirts, and rubies glitter like embers in a fireplace.
Anti-Hero is a wild scramble for lyrics, which occasionally strikes gold. A perky, somewhat desperate, ‘confessional’ song, it has rare flashes of a sensitive soul.
Snow On the Beach has the delicate beauty of a dandelion, or a fragment of ancient lace. Awe-struck, and tentative, the song is shyly wondering. A tightly woven duet, Lana Del Ray’s melancholy vocals quietly shine to make this more subtle than a normal love song.
You’re On Your Own Kid captures the essence of the coming of age story, vulnerability and grace. It does in four minutes what Paper Towns could not in 300+ pages.
Midnight Rain is heavily altered, with a low, voice-modulated chorus. It is a bit of a mixer, weird but haunting. Nostalgic, and a little teary, it is a song for staying up late and reminiscing.
Question, is simply that a question. What happened? Why? What could have been? It has a lightly jaunty swing to it, a hushed shiver down the spine.
Vigilante is the pop-song version of a noir, femme fatale, 80’s movie. Kitschy, over-the-top lyrics contrast with a stripped down, ascetic, beat. It’s a lot, but never too much.
Bejewelled can be best described as glittery. Sparkling diamonds and shimmering tears make this number a bright, but sharp, warning.
Karma is a wide smirk, teeth sharp as knives. Quirky, gloating, lyrics and a catchy beat combine to make this the anthem of “she who laughs last”.
Labyrinth is a maze of synthetic sounds, nervous and commitment-shy. Asthmatic, and claustrophobic, it is self-confined, trapped. The lyrics and background give the song a feeling of an inevitable fall.
Sweet Nothing is a comforting whisper of a song, world-weary without being bitter. It is achingly longing, lovely and soft.
Mastermind is a bright, golden souvenir. Eye-catching, tacky and metallic, the song is full of synth sounds and cutesy lyrics.
The Great War is the confluence of brutal love and debilitating war, something of a blend between a fight song and a love song. The expansive, glorious lyrics paint a bloody, triumphant picture.
Bigger Than The Whole Sky is a grief-stricken ballad. Coincidences are pondered over, existence is questioned and fate is wondered about.
Paris is a sugar-rush of a song : happy, high, and smug. Up above, and away from the world, the singer saunters around in her own blissful paradise. Sometimes swooping, sometimes staccato, the background is candy-sweet.
Glitch is jerky and off-beat. Chill, lo-fi beats with odd rhyming. Breathy and surprised, it is startlingly titillating.
High Infidelity is dark and sharp. Lyrically ambiguous with a cold melody, it is a double-edged blade. Enticing, but off-putting.
Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve is epically biblical; righteous rage and shattered stained-glass murals, innocence and demons. It is a cry that refuses to smothered, a memory that does not go away.
Dear Reader is the conclusion. It is refreshingly ironic, almost self-mocking. With a soft, pulsing beat, it doesn’t fully capture the imagination, but still lingers in the air
Maroon. The song has a vibrating, edge-of-the-knife bass line, with glossy, shimmering lyrics coating it voluptuously. The imagery is sensual, almost tangible. Wine soaks white t-shirts, and rubies glitter like embers in a fireplace.
Anti-Hero is a wild scramble for lyrics, which occasionally strikes gold. A perky, somewhat desperate, ‘confessional’ song, it has rare flashes of a sensitive soul.
Snow On the Beach has the delicate beauty of a dandelion, or a fragment of ancient lace. Awe-struck, and tentative, the song is shyly wondering. A tightly woven duet, Lana Del Ray’s melancholy vocals quietly shine to make this more subtle than a normal love song.
You’re On Your Own Kid captures the essence of the coming of age story, vulnerability and grace. It does in four minutes what Paper Towns could not in 300+ pages.
Midnight Rain is heavily altered, with a low, voice-modulated chorus. It is a bit of a mixer, weird but haunting. Nostalgic, and a little teary, it is a song for staying up late and reminiscing.
Question, is simply that a question. What happened? Why? What could have been? It has a lightly jaunty swing to it, a hushed shiver down the spine.
Vigilante is the pop-song version of a noir, femme fatale, 80’s movie. Kitschy, over-the-top lyrics contrast with a stripped down, ascetic, beat. It’s a lot, but never too much.
Bejewelled can be best described as glittery. Sparkling diamonds and shimmering tears make this number a bright, but sharp, warning.
Karma is a wide smirk, teeth sharp as knives. Quirky, gloating, lyrics and a catchy beat combine to make this the anthem of “she who laughs last”.
Labyrinth is a maze of synthetic sounds, nervous and commitment-shy. Asthmatic, and claustrophobic, it is self-confined, trapped. The lyrics and background give the song a feeling of an inevitable fall.
Sweet Nothing is a comforting whisper of a song, world-weary without being bitter. It is achingly longing, lovely and soft.
Mastermind is a bright, golden souvenir. Eye-catching, tacky and metallic, the song is full of synth sounds and cutesy lyrics.
The Great War is the confluence of brutal love and debilitating war, something of a blend between a fight song and a love song. The expansive, glorious lyrics paint a bloody, triumphant picture.
Bigger Than The Whole Sky is a grief-stricken ballad. Coincidences are pondered over, existence is questioned and fate is wondered about.
Paris is a sugar-rush of a song : happy, high, and smug. Up above, and away from the world, the singer saunters around in her own blissful paradise. Sometimes swooping, sometimes staccato, the background is candy-sweet.
Glitch is jerky and off-beat. Chill, lo-fi beats with odd rhyming. Breathy and surprised, it is startlingly titillating.
High Infidelity is dark and sharp. Lyrically ambiguous with a cold melody, it is a double-edged blade. Enticing, but off-putting.
Would’ve Could’ve Should’ve is epically biblical; righteous rage and shattered stained-glass murals, innocence and demons. It is a cry that refuses to smothered, a memory that does not go away.
Dear Reader is the conclusion. It is refreshingly ironic, almost self-mocking. With a soft, pulsing beat, it doesn’t fully capture the imagination, but still lingers in the air
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