Friday 1 March 2013

Friday Favourites

Oh yes. Favourites written the UK way!
 
Now back to the music:
 
Every week, I am going to attempt the mighty task of picking three of my most favourite and most listened to songs from the week to share with you. There are no genre rules or age restrictions. Anything goes. Even the cheesy pop wonders from the UK charts in the 90's might make a sneaky comeback. And I might even mention some of my all-time favourite hymns too.
 
 
1. Elbow- The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver
 
To start off the series, I've chosen to stay true to my roots and choose one of my new favourite British bands. Elbow have been on the music scene for years and have truly made a name for themselves in the live-music world. Although Elbow have been making quality music for many years, I have to admit that it took one of my American friends countless hours of persuasion to get me to listen to more than just Grounds For Divorce. I now realise that I should have listened to him a lot sooner. This certain American's power of persuasion worked in more ways than one, and after receiving Elbow's incredible album, The Seldom Seen Kid, as a birthday present, it only took me one full listen to get me hooked. The album has a mix of extremely thought-provoking songs which conjure up a wide range of thoughts and emotions. One of these songs happens to be The Loneliness of a Tower Crane Driver. So good. The "lulling" quality at the beginning of the song sets the scene perfectly for the opening lyrics and really carries the piece throughout the different stages of the song.
 
 
2. Fleetwood Mac- Dreams
 
This is an absolutely obvious choice for me. A bit too obvious now that I think about it. But I cannot help it, this song is beautifully written. This song instantly puts me at ease, which is surprising due to the song's subject matter. I'm a sucker for a good intro, and this one hits the spot; simple and completely effective. Stevie Nicks makes songwriting seems like a piece of cake and I really wish it was! It probably doesn't help that I'm listening to their Greatest Hits album as I write this as I'm now deeply regretting the fact that I missed out on tickets to their now sold out UK tour dates which were released last month. I also love the cover version of the song by the Irish pop/folk band, The Corrs, which was released back in 1998.
 
 
3. Misty Miller- You Know What I Mean
 
I was a fan of her previous releases, but when I heard her latest EP, Girlfriend, I realised she had taken a big step forward with her musical choices and writing style. I love the nod to rock influences of bygone days throughout  You Know What I Mean. The entire EP is definitely worth listening to if you want a faultless mix of songs which seem to sum up Misty's strong sense of new musical direction. Girlfriend also has a great vibe attached to it, which sets Misty Miller up nicely for lots of continued future success.



I hope you enjoyed the first Friday Favourites! Let me know what you think of the songs and artists mentioned above. I'd love to hear your Friday Favourites of the week too!

Music Review: Don't Run Away- David Archuleta

He may be serving as a full-time missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Chile for two years, but that hasn't stopped the talented musician from releasing new music for our listening pleasure!
Since leaving the States to serve as a missionary in South America a year ago, David has already released two incredible albums in that time, with a third record scheduled to be released on 26th March this year, titled No Matter How Far.
Now let's get started on the actual review itself!
Don't Run Away is the ever so catchy first release off the soon to be released album and doesn't disappoint. There's something about the first two seconds of the song that just draws me in. There's also something very reminiscent of his self-titled debut album about it which instantly made me want to pause the song and rewind back to the start again for another sneaky listen.
It is incredibly satisfying to hear the simplicity of the first bridge at about 38 seconds into the song which leads onto a perfectly structured chorus, filled with just enough power and emotion to keep the listener engaged with the ideas and emotions that the song is conveying to the audience.
David's voice is truly captivating throughout the song. It is obvious to any fan that has been supporting since the beginning that his voice has developed and matured over time and has been able to acquire a stronger dimension and tone which allows him to bring new strength to his music.
Don't Run Away had been produced by the incredible songwriting and production duo, David Sneddon and James Bauer-Mein, otherwise known as The Nexus. The production on the song is just right and really adds a great set of dynamics that any music lover could appreciate. I've been a fan of Sneddon's work since his Fame Academy days, so was pleased to see his production skills in action with Bauer-Mein on the song.
With less than a month to wait for the release of No Matter How Far, I'm already expecting great things from everyone's favourite multi-tasking missionary, Elder Archuleta!