On this edition of LITM Singer-Songwriter Picks, each track takes on longing and nostalgia with calm, subtle guitar melodies and rhythms that gently rouse. The instrumentation and lyrics on each track pull the listener through immersive soundscapes that seem to stick. The list features Janet Devlin, Eva James, Mahuna and more!
1. Janet Devlin - Back to My Senses
‘Back to My Senses’ by Janet Devlin is a sentimental and rousing country tune that oscillates between pining for someone while listing out the reasons it was better to walk away. The song’s bright sentiment is laced with a bit of wistful melancholy, almost as though it moves with the narrator while they process heartbreak.
“...I’m back to my senses…”. The lyrics seem to be waking from what feels like a dream-like state almost. One that the soundscape and narrative of the song seems to bungee back and forth from. The song’s swelling guitar melodies give this story way as the lines weave down a path where healing and grieving seem simultaneous.
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2. Saint Nick the Lesser - Train Tracks
‘Train Tracks’ by Saint Nick the Lesser sounds like a rousing, quick-paced cautionary tale. One with bright melodies and rhythms that march, going past like a train would on wobbling tracks. This with lyrics that feel double-sided, edged with meaning.
“...If you walk off those train tracks, you’ll find yourself walking a better path…”. There’s an optimism to the lyrics, settling the soundscape with a call to action. One that feels as simple as stepping away, off of tracks that can blindside you. It feels warm in its descriptiveness, comforting us in the thought that you can let your guard down. “...Every train that comes your way will pass...”.
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3. Eva James - The One You Lose
‘The One You Lose’ by Eva James feels set in a soundscape that feels fractured and broken. Rhythms pulsate with slight delays, like shards of shattered glass, while our narrator reflects on a past love with wistful longing and settled satisfaction.
From “...In another life, I’d be the one you choose…” to “...when you’re ten years older, I know you’ll remember my name…”. Our narrator seems to be moving through melancholy and heartbreak as the song progresses, reaching a liberating sense of clarity by the end. “...I’ll be your one that got away…”. Fractured shards of heartache moving to slowly pick up the pieces.
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4. Mahuna - Forever Is Mine
‘Forever Is Mine’ by Mahuna is a thought-provoking track that muses on time and everything unnoticed. Minimal guitar melodies give space to heavy reflections, taking on that weight with a sense of clarity. The lyrics find something between the lines, giving that uncertainty what feels like shape and weight.
The soundscape is slow, calm and expansive, stretching out a moment and giving that moment a sense of depth. The soundscape finding itself somewhere deep between the lines. “...Unaware of passing time, at this moment forever is mine…”. The soundscape and lyrics seem to meld, settling into a feeling that seems deeply resonant and undeniably familiar.
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5. Dan Whitehouse and Max ZT - Perfect Circle - Live
‘Perfect Circle - Live’ by Dan Whitehouse, Max ZT and Katie Whitehouse takes on immersive, calm tones while the lyrics move from a spoken word piece to a cathartic vocal. There’s a sense of resonant release that seems prevalent through the track, a sort of expansiveness that seeks to draw you in.
Rhythm and spoken word seem to move in tandem, building momentum before the vocal takes over. The release into melody feels cathartic, passionate and emotionally charged. This settles into a mood that feels expansive, warm, meditative and almost familiar. “...The perfect circle of the day gently spinning in my heart…”.
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