Although they say how blues music is for good people who feel bad, the same can be applied to almost any music genre out there. This is what lead Nick Hornby, the author of High Fidelity, to ask the question: What is older - the music or the sadness? Do I listen to melancholic music because I am sad? Or am I sad because I am listening to sad music? Whether you are a dedicated music lover who listen to ten new albums per week, or a casual youtube listener, you have probably found yourself in a situation where you're playing some sad music. If you were getting through a breakup, or you were lonely, you were probably listening to the music congruent to the mood. This week's SundaySpotlight is not dedicated to a single artist, rather three albums that are masterpieces of melodic sadness. So, let's put a spotlight on them. Spoiler alert: you can listen to these albums even when you're not sad.
American Music Club - Mercury
Mark Icel, singer and songwriter of American Music Club from San Francisco, is known as one of the most melancholic figures in popular music. His lyrics are deeply intimate, and depending on whether you are depressed or happy, you will hear them as either melancholic or realistic. There are not many poets who can reflect dismal feelings in only two to three verses. On Mercury, he managed to pull it off several times. One year, he was even named "The poet of the year" by Rolling Stone magazine. Anyhow, his verses will show you how big of a talent better than any award.
Mercury is saturated with songs about emotionally rejected people and those who are not understood by their environments. It is also about people who do stupid stuff and they often wonder why they can't stop. Be careful when listening to this record. My suggestion is to not listen to it at all unless your life is solid. I am saying this because of songs I've Been A Mess, Gratitude Walks, and Apology For An Accident. Happy man will become morose in a minute, and sad man will gain a hope by hearing that there might be a light at the end of the tunnel. In fact, person who listens to this album and doesn't understand it can consider himself/herself a happy person.
Beck - Sea Change
Contrary to vast majority of Beck's albums that are fused with electronic elements, Sea Change is predominantly acoustic. Instead of sampling old records, he called his father for this occasion. Beck's dad, David Campbell, is a renowned composer who collaborated with artists such as Paul McCartney, Bob Dylan, Sheryl Crow and Radiohead. He was responsible for arrangements on Sea Change, which is why it sounds like it was made in the 70s. That doesn't mean that the album sounds obsolete. On the contrary, interplay of old school and contemporary style made the album's sadness more real and applicable to the modern days.
While Mercury is pure pain, Sea Change also offers romantic moments. The words are not that important here, rather a melancholic atmosphere of the whole album due to acoustic guitar and strings. Beck recorded Sea Change after his girlfriend broke up with him. Makes sense.
Neil Halstead - Sleeping on Roads
Neil Halstead begun his music career at the end of the 80s in Slowdive. Filtered noisy guitars, dreamy vocals and specific production had made this band popular among people who were not satisfied with what MTV had to offer. Slowdive were never famous. That was never their aim. On the contrary, they were so shy that they never looked at the audience when performing and that's where the term shoegaze came from (gazing at shoes).
Neil was the leader of Slowdive, but as soon as the band broke up, he changed the direction and started making acoustic (piano and guitar) songs about love and loneliness, first with his new band Mojave 3 and then solo. His solo debut Sleeping on Roads is an epitome of melodic sadness. It would be best to describe it with as intimate. Almost every song is played on acoustic guitar with intermittent support of piano. While you are listening to the album, you have a feeling like Neil is speaking directly to you, knowing all of your fears and hopes. I have discovered this record in 2010, and it helped me get through some rough times. I wish all of my readers to listen to it when they are feeling good.
