Yael Naim - 'New Soul'
Being quirky within musical circles is often seen as a bad thing. It suggests a lack of feeling, a frivolous, irreverent, silliness, and an unwillingness to get to the point of making music in the first place - namely to create a balm for the soul by banging bits of stuff together in an aurally appealling fashion.
Making music which is quirky is like being the comedy buddy in a film (or like Chandler in Friends). You're kind of useful to keep the conversation going, and sort of charming in your own way, but you'll never be the hero, or get the girl, or save the day.
And yet, when it comes to our friends and loved ones, the things we tend to love most about them is their little ideosyncracies, the things they do which no-one else does. The way everyone you know says 'tewthbrush', but they say 'tuthbrush', or the way they always give you a second, smaller hug after you've hugged them hello. Or the fact that they have a cute phobia about buttons, or ladybirds, or psychopaths with big swords (aww!).
So why can't we openly enjoy songs which sound quirky? Are we that scared that people will think we're, like, so ker-AY-zee, and therefore very annoying? Why is it easier to publicly love a song which evokes dark feelings or sad feelings or even blissful feelings than it is to love a song which is just kind of cute and weird and giggly and happy? Surely it can't mean that you're shallow, just by liking one song, just like it can't mean you're deep because you listen to Linkin Park.
And this is a really loveable teddy bear of a song. It's got a tuba playing the bass part, for gawdsake! It's got a "la la la" refrain which kicks in almost as soon as the first verse is out of the way! It ends on beautiful angelic harmonies! People are doing YouTube cover versions on ukuleles! Summer is on the way!
No wonder the ad people wanted the song for their laptop commercial, eh? People really love their laptops. Quirks and all...
Download: Out now
CD Released: May 5th
(Fraser McAlpine)
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