Tag Archives: tuneoftheday

Weezer, “I’m Just Being Honest” (Weezer [Black Album], 2019)

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By Allesandro Rotondi

Honesty is a hard thing to come by these days. In the current political and social media climates, it’s hard to know who to believe, who to trust, and who’s actually telling the truth. For these reasons, Weezer’s “I’m Just Being Honest” is refreshing, relevant, and necessary. The song’s truth-telling scenarios are light, relatable, and deal with everyday happenings. Whether it’s telling a significant other what you think about their new haircut, or giving an honest opinion about a band’s new music, Rivers Cuomo & Co present it tastefully in an interesting and comedic way.

When asked about his opinion on his S.O.’s new haircut, Cuomo sings “I thought you looked better before,” before receiving the reply “Hope you like sleeping on the floor.” He also has the nerve to hilariously tell a new band looking for critique that they “sound like shit.” This line alone will likely make smaller artists think twice about handing their mixtape to Cuomo.

During the chorus, Cuomo states “I should have lied / Don’t get mad at me, I’m just being honest.” And that’s the fact of the matter: the truth hurts, and Weezer is here to give you the cold, hard truth.

Musically, the song is not particularly interesting. The upbeat drums drive the song, pushing forward without second thought, and representing the blatant and unfiltered brain of Cuomo. The chord progression is unchanging and repetitive, until the bridge. Luckily though, the vocal melody is diverse, and production techniques like vocal double-tracking and synth layering keep the choruses interesting, and varied from the thinner texture of the verses. The synthesizers and electronic drum beat during the choruses make the song feel sugar-coated and dancy, quite the opposite of the non-sugar-coated lyrics. But hey, maybe that’s what they were going for. After all—I’m just being honest.


Hozier, “Almost (Sweet Music)” (Wasteland, Baby!, 2019)

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by Chelsea Ives

Classic 1930’s and 40’s jazz songs are artfully embedded in the lyrics of Hozier’s new song, “Almost (Sweet Music)”. The song pays homage to a number of classical artists such as Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald by integrating song titles, lyrics, and the names of these iconic artists throughout the song. Hozier has created an intriguing and satisfying melody which is pleasant to the ear and the soul.

The Irish indie-rocker keeps his toes in soul, blues, folk, and R&B music for inspiration. The fourth song on Hozier’s newest album, “Almost (Sweet Music)” is a refreshingly different and expressive song, which truly gives fans the history of his inspiration. Opening with hand claps and a catchy beat, the song is a clever mash-up of jazz/soul song titles and artists who influenced Hozier himself in his musical tastes while he was growing up. Sometimes referencing only the artist, sometimes just the name of a song, and sometimes both: “Do I owe each kiss to lip and cheek as soft as Chet can sing ‘Let’s Get Lost’” in the second verse, Hozier pays tribute to Chet Baker’s song, “Let’s Get Lost”.

In an interview with Entertainment, Hozier said that “Almost (Sweet Music)” was “a fun song writing challenge. I was also eager to point to some of the music that shaped my formative years […] it was a way to leave little bread crumbs for younger fans to follow a path to check those songs out”. You can hear a playlist of the songs Hozier pays homage to here.

Hozier released his newest album early March 2019 entitled, Wasteland, Baby! The album touches on important themes such as politics and religion. Billboard recorded this as the first rock album to top the Billboard 200 so far in 2019. It is Hozier’s second studio album.

Hozier’s, “Almost (Sweet Music)” appeared on his newest studio album, Wasteland, Baby! Released March 1, 2019.

“Record Shop” – Said the Whale (Cascadia, 2019)

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By Michaela Maxey

Said the Whale released their sixth studio album Cascadia on February 8th, and it’s unlike anything they’ve done before. This album has essences of folk, alternative rock, and indie, making each track unique as they constantly vary between these genres. Yet, “Record Shop” sticks closer to the rock sound their known for and makes it seem a bit out of place on the album. Nonetheless, it’s a solid track that anyone can nod along to.

The track explores a love for music that makes it easy to escape into another world. As the narrator in the track faces heartbreak, he’s able to find some sort of peace at the record shop. Ultimately, being there and listening to music is the one way that he can feel better. Although the song is somewhat metronomic in its delivery, there is a sweet harmonizing in the middle that is a nice and unexpected twist. This harmonizing makes the track feel inclusive by creating a unity amongst the bandmates while inviting the listener to join in and celebrate with them. As the track winds down, the keyboard becomes a bit imperfect in its sound and the volume slowly fades to nothing. Somehow, Said the Whale has perfectly captured the image of the needle of a record player moving across the record. They also reenact the brief moments of silence between tracks on a record and truly make me forget that I’m listening to it through Spotify.

For all music junkies out there, there’s no doubt that this song will resonate with you. Said the Whale captures our dilemma with the simple lyric,“I wish that I could drop a million bucks.” Until the time comes that we can drop some serious cash at our local record stores, we’ll have to stick with Said the Whale who seem to truly understand the plights of a music junkie.


Cage the Elephant, “Ready to Let Go” (Social Cues, 2019)

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By: Julia Ristoska

Cage the Elephant return with their new single “Ready to Let Go” from their upcoming fifth studio album Social Cues which will be fully released April 19th. This upbeat song can be portrayed as a perfect “I am moving on from my relationship” anthem. This song is about failed relationships and learning as a individual you must learn to take control of the situation and move on. This connected deeply to lead singer Matt Shultz who just recently divorced his wife of seven years. Although the song “Ready to Let Go” talks about moving on it wasn’t such an easy journey for Matt. In the Rolling Stone article his band mate and brother mentioned that during the making of the album Brad confessed, “we’d think he was getting back to normal, then he would melt down.There was a fair amount of self-medication and intense isolation.”

His emotional instability that developed after the divorce reflects in the song. The drums are bouncy, the guitars are bright and polished which reminds me of Arctic Monkeys. Yet the instrumentation creates a cheerful tone. However, when focusing on his voice the strong and aggressive way he pronounces each word creates a very angry tone. It can be taken as passive aggressive, and makes you wonder if he moved on or saying he did just to trick his mind in believing so. The structure and lyrics of the draws listeners attentions since there is a sense of melancholy behind it despite it being a catchy radio friendly tune. Unlike their older songs like “trouble” the lyrics has a melancholy undertone as he sings, “don’t you worry, baby, no sense trying to change it// I’ma strike these matches, never had control//I’m ready to let go, no, was I fooling myself?//I’ma spread these ashes, never had control/I’m ready, I’m ready, I’m ready to let go.”

There is an emotional core in his lyrics that shows his relationship unfolding. Matt was very clever to structure the lyrics that has a hidden message, and requires multiple listens to get the story. In the beginning he even alludes to Pompeii, which is significant since it’s a trip he and his wife decided they needed a divorce.

There is a wave of emotions in the song and if you listen closely you can feel the pain of the breakup. However, if you came across the song on the radio it’s easy to bob your head to, and not pay attention to its meaning. The catchy instrumentation almost acts like a bandage to cover his sorrowfulness.

“Feel Something” by Adam Lambert (2019)

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It’s been nearly 8 years since anyone has heard of the name Adam Lambert, unless you’re like me and have been keeping tabs on him ever since Lambert’s American Idol days (Raise your hand if you think he should have won Season 8). When you think of Lambert, you think of eccentric glitter and dark eyeliner singing to the outcasts of the world, with his acrobatic vocals to puncture the rock and roll lyrics into your head as you rock out channeling your inner 2009 “punk-rock era”.

As tradition of being the runner-up on Idol, Adam has gained more popularity than his fellow competitor who had actually won the competition. He went on to release four albums and briefly work in TV, starting his career off on an “Original High”. After 2015, Lambert fell under the radar and kept to himself only releasing a single or two in the past couple of years. He says around this time he fell into a depression, where he felt as if he had no direction in his life and was frustrated with his career. After relfecting on all the good he has had in his life, his family and friends and his experience of playing as the frontman for Queen for 2 years now, Lambert took his pain and turned it into an achingly beautiful testimony of his life throughout the past couple of years.

“This was written about me defying my disillusionment, owning my needs and opening my heart […] there have been many times where I’ve had to compromise on my artistic vision, and I’m coming out of a dark period of second guessing my own artistry and having my mental health suffer because of it.”

This song takes a drastically different turn from his initial sound, and opts for a light guitar and drum instrumental, followed by a chorus in the background to emphasize his angelic singing style. Even if you aren’t a fan of Lambert’s earlier work, you may enjoy listening to this track because Lambert uses it to build on a new chapter of his music career.

So it seems like Lambert is temporarily hanging up his guy-liner and trading it for emotionally raw and heartfelt lyrics of heartbreak and isolation that everyone at one point could resonate with. So “for your entertainment”, click the link below and allow yourself to feel something through the melody and tempo of this song.

-Genna Dara

Weezer’s “Piece of Cake” (2019)

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By Mina Wiebe

I’m not usually a huge fan of pop songs brimming with “do-do-do-do” fillers, but for Weezer I’ll make an exception.  Their new 2019 “Black Album” has faced some pretty harsh critiques so far, and despite loving the band, I’ll admit I’m not particularly amazed by the album as a whole. I wanted to love it, but instead I decided to go with my gut and give the band a break since they’ve managed to push out an impressive thirteen albums. And “Black Album” does have good moments; for me, the album’s hidden gem is the fourth track: “Piece of Cake”.

The light, cheery title pairs with the song’s opening outpour of “do-do-do-do’s” to make you think you’re about to hear another upbeat Weezer tune. But in typical Weezer fashion, don’t be fooled by first impressions. Suddenly the opening lyrics pop up and your hear Rivers Cuomo’s tenor vocals declare “Let’s do hard drugs/ Fix our problems/Let me swing by/Tears in my eyes” leading in to the song’s hook: “She cut me like a piece of cake”. So yeah, not the sweetness you’re expecting.

Lyrically, the song is pretty simple, but I couldn’t help but enjoy the cynical wittiness of some of the lines. Near the end of the song for example, the lyrics “Hey man, cheer up/Make your own luck/Have a nice life/Have some more Sprite” made me absolutely giddy because if you’ve ever been sad, there’s always that one asshole who tells you to just “stop being sad”, and here he sounds exactly like that asshole. I could hear the sarcasm dripping off of Cuomo’s tongue in this line, and I appreciated the subtle yet brilliant self-awareness that I’ve come to expect from the band.

So no, “Black Album” wasn’t a win for me, but I guess you could say that “Piece of Cake” definitely…takes the cake (should I hold for applause, or let myself out?). But in all seriousness, it’s worth giving the album a listen to form your own opinions, and I really think that “Piece of Cake” in all of its bleak, sarcastic glory wins my vote for best track of the album.

“Superstar” by MARINA (Love + Fear, 2019)

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by Danielle Bulhoes

Marina Lambrini Diamandis, also known as by her stage names of MARINA or Marina and the Diamonds, is a Welsh singer and songwriter who has a long career in music. With about a decade of experience under her belt as well as a few awards, MARINA is set to release her fourth album this year, labelled Love + Fear, with “Superstar” being one of the songs released to the public.

Lyrically, the song is your usual love ballad, depicting a relationship that is supportive, accepting and affectionate. This song should feel a little happier than it does, but thanks to the creative choice to accompany the lyrics with almost gloomy piano-like EDM, the lyrics sort of come off as obsessive and dependent on the subject of the song, maybe even a little stalkerish with lyrics like these:

“And I, I know that you never sleep
Oh, so impossible to dream
When you’re far away from me
Oh, I, I’m all you could ever need
Oh, so impossible to breathe”

Pretty off-putting right? But I have to admit, I can see the other side of this coin too. If I focus on the words, I can imagine a happy couple who are so in love with each other that their worlds revolve around the other. They make each other stronger and happier, capable of taking on life’s challenges together as a team. The singer obviously cares deeply for the subject of the song, calling them their ‘superstar’, a point of strength and admiration.

“You never judge me for any of my fears
Never turn your back, always keep my body near
All of the days that we spend apart
My love is a planet revolving your heart

….

We’ll stick together
Make it through the storm
You and I
Whoever said we couldn’t have it all?”


This song is a contradiction. One one hand, you have a gloomy, borderline spooky and tense song that hints at dangerous obsession. On the other, you can hear the singer’s deep affection for their partner and the love they share for each other. It’s a very appropriate song to introduce MARINA’s latest album, , Love & Fear, coming out this April.

Jessica Pratt, “This Time Around” (Quiet Signs, 2019)

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By Allesandro Rotondi

“This Time Around” opens with a somber yet mystical chord cycle that encircles itself in the opening four bars. Jessica Pratt’s voice eases into the guitar strumming, like the songbird she sings about slowing its flight into a landing. Pratt sings softly to the major seventh chords that encompass the song and provide its reflective atmosphere. Pratt uses these chords effectively throughout the song, and it’s often considered one of the dreamiest chord qualities due to its open sounding interval construction. The major seventh chord contains the farthest interval of unique notes, before repeating the same note again as an octave, or perfect eighth. Because of this, the sound is always reaching up, and never quite arriving. This is the reason for the reflective and longing nature of the chord, and likely the reason Pratt made it the primary chord choice on her palette of desired sounds.

Pratt’s major seventh chord strumming repeatedly spins like a merry-go-round, encircling itself in a seemingly endless way. That is, until the resolution that presents itself in the chorus. The chorus hits hard, as she inverts the chord progression of the verses backwards, and resolves beautifully into another major seventh chord in the root of the home key. Pratt sings “I don’t wanna find that I’ve been in marching under the crueler side of the fight”, answering the reflective music with a lyrical theme of reaching for conclusions. But more specifically, it’s Pratt’s apprehensions as to whether or not she’s prepared to hear them. This song hits home for obvious reasons—no one is ever prepared for less than ideal but inevitable conclusions to life’s many challenges. Much like Pratt, it makes me want to cry. This time around, we have a chance to avoid them again, or face them. After all, there are only so many times around in life.


Marianas Trench, “The Killing Kind” (Phantoms, 2019)

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by Chelsea Ives

“We all float down here.” – a line which never fails to make my skin crawl. So imagine my surprise when I heard it while listening to Marianas Trench’ new song “The Killing Kind”. The Canadian pop-rock band released their newest album, Phantoms on March first. This is the band’s fifth studio album, and “The Killing Kind” is the final song on the album.

I was intrigued when the song first started – it finally sounds different than all their other music! The song starts with harpsichord, and slowly introduces a triangle – it almost sounds like a more up-beat but less-scary Jaws theme song. Josh Ramsay’s voice starts it off quiet and low, until the song picks up with the classic reference to IT.

But unfortunately the song is also a classic – classic because it sounds like every other song Mariana’s Trench has released. The song borrows the band’s theme from their past two albums, referencing lines from other songs or albums in each song. “The Killing Kind,” as the outro concludes with the line, “just hush, Eleonora,” to blend back into the intro track, “Eleonora”. While this album-as-one-extended-song move was exciting in their 2011 album, Ever After, it misses the mark in Phantoms because there’s no clear thematic train to link the songs together.

“The Killing Kind,” builds into the same “Astoria” sounding-scream by Ramsay, and then an alien-siren comes in, before becoming sweeping orchestral music, then the band harmonizes, and then one final smashing-together of all the sounds with Josh Ramsay’s voice before what you think is the end. But then, the song comes around full force again. They just don’t know when to quit.

Altogether, the song was an excellent choice for the close of the album, as it does seem like the band was trying to go in a different direction than in their other albums. The horror-esque theme with references to Poe’s poetry makes “The Killing Kind” intriguing, but ultimately, I think it ends as a six minute roller coaster of instrumental mash-ups which just leaves the listener nauseous.

Marianas Trench, “The Killing Kind,” off their 2019 album, Phantoms.

“Middle Child” – J. Cole (2019)

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By Anthony Trocchi

Middle Child is the newest instalment in J. Cole’s discography and personally one of my favourites. Throughout the track, Cole can be seen rapping about his differences from other current rappers, as well as drug abuse in the rap game. In the lines “I do not snort powder, I might take a sip/I might hit the blunt, but I’m liable to trip/I ain’t poppin’ no pill, but you do as you wish.” Cole suggests that while he himself doesn’t participate in drugs commonly used by other rappers, he understands the addiction and doesn’t necessarily care or judge someone for what they do. In terms of the name of the track, Cole is referring to his place in the current state of hip hop. Cole doesn’t necessarily associate himself with the younger or older generation but rather sees himself in between. His production value and beats usually appeal more to younger hip hop fans, while his lyricism and message is often more appreciated by old hip hop heads. He suggests this in the lines “To the OGs, I’m thankin’ you now/Was watchin’ you when you was pavin’ the ground/I copied your cadence, I mirrored your style”

In terms of the actual sound of the album, the beat steals the show. Produced by T – Minus the sampled trumpet sounds repeated throughout the song create a glorious sound which blend well with T- Minus use of high hats. Cole also uses various flows to create an overall hard hitting track, which he has always done so masterfully.