‘Helplessness Blues’
Fleet Foxes on ‘Helplessness Blues’ (2011)
‘Helplessness Blues’ is a folk rock song by Fleet Foxes released in 2011 as the title track of their second album. The song explores existential questions of purpose and identity in modern society. The narrator expresses a desire to break free from his quasi-selfish disposition and sense of individualism to find meaning through being part of something larger than themselves. There's a yearning for simplicity and clarity of purpose, with the orchard deployed as a metaphor for finding fulfillment through humble, meaningful work connected to nature and community. The song's emotional progression moves from uncertainty and questioning toward a tentative, but satisfying resolution of acceptance and modest purpose.
‘Dibiyu’
Evanora Unlimited & Ecco2k on ‘Rift Two’ (2023)
A collaboration between the emerging Oakland artist Orion Ohana and the established Stockholm multi-hyphenate Zak Arogundade, ‘Dibiyu’ remains one of the best compositions of the past five years. Produced by the talented Yves Tumor, it conveys a sense of longing that’s hard to pin down. Lyrically, it is probably the simplest song within Ohana’s ‘Evanora Unlimited’ project. And although Ohana carries the song with his vocal performance, Arogundade’s feature is a welcome addition. He delivers a classic ‘Ecco2k’ performance that dovetails nicely with Ohana’s vocals.
‘Etoile Et Toi’
Monogatari Series OST (2017)
"Étoile Et Toi" (Star and You) serves as the closing theme song for the ‘Kizumonogatari’ film trilogy, with different versions appearing throughout the trilogy. The song was written by meg rock and composed by Satoru Kosaki and Ryuichi Takada of MONACA.
Within the love song, cosmic imagery is deployed. It explores the concept of a singular person being the protagonist’s entire ‘universe,’ with phrases about feeling love that will last forever. The song is performed in French by a singer named Clémentine, with different editions featuring additional vocalists. There are multiple versions of the song including "édition le blanc" (white edition), which appeared in the third film of the trilogy, and a newer "édition le noir" (black edition) released in 2024.
The song serves as a musical motif throughout the film series, being referenced in at least 17 different tracks across the trilogy, making it a central theme of the ‘Kizumonogatari’ story.
‘Femme’
Le Couleur on ‘Voyage Love’ (2013)
Released in 2013 by Canadian electro-pop group Le Couleur, ‘Femme’ explores themes of longing and heartache following a failed relationship, depicting a woman's inner thoughts as she reminisces about a past lover. Its lyrics contain references to physical intimacy with phrases describing "delicate fingers" grazing "ebony skin" The lyrics invoke imagery of closed curtains and dimming lights to symbolise the end of the relationship, while also suggesting the protagonist perhaps still dreams about her former partner.
‘Hardly Ever Smile Without You’
POiSON GiRL FRiEND on ‘POiSON GiRL FRiENDS’ (1991)
‘POiSON GiRL FRiEND’ is Noriko Sekiguchi’s musical alias. Ms. Sekiguchi was born in Tokyo, raised in Brazil, and educated in French school. Thematically, the song explores unrequited love and emotional turmoil: expressing profound longing for someone who remains out of reach for its protagonist.
‘The Divine Chord’
The Avalanches & MGMT on ‘We Will Always Love You’ (2020)
‘The Divine Chord’ is a song from The Avalanches' 2020 album ‘We Will Always Love You’ constructed and performed with MGMT and guitarist Johnny Marr. The song combines The Avalanches' electronic production with Andrew VanWyngarden of MGMT’s vocals and Johnny Marr's brilliant guitar work to create a dream-like landscape for the listener. Often described as ‘cosmic’ and ‘ethereal,’ the track possesses a twinkling, seductive melody that opens with soft guitar. Its lyrics explore a struggling relationship: one in which both people are let down by the idealised versions they had built of each other in their minds, though the narrator expresses willingness to ‘keep the fire burning.’ There's a personal element to the song as VanWyngarden was reportedly getting over a breakup during the recording process, with his ‘sense of loss’ captured in the music.
The song has also been noted for having a ‘Christmas-like’ quality to its sound.
‘Lipstick on the Glass’
Wolf Alice on ‘Blue Weekend’ (2022)
Lead singer Ellie Rowsell of ‘Wolf Alice’ described the song as being ‘about a moment before you have to make a decision on something. That kind of tense moment being pulled in both directions.’ Thematically, it illustrates a scene between two people attempting to reconcile despite their differences, with the ‘lipstick on the glass’ serving as a metaphorical symbol of lingering connection. The band was initially unsure of how they wanted the song to sound, working between electronic and band-focused versions before eventually finding some kind of ‘middle ground.’
‘Aganju’
Bebel Gilberto (2004)
‘Aganju’ is a song written by Brazilian musician Carlinhos Brown and performed by Bebel Gilberto. The song takes its name from Aganju, which refers to an ‘Orisha’ - or deity - in Yoruba religion. In these contexts, Aganju is strongly associated with Shango and is syncretised with Saint Christopher in Santería. According to some interpretations, the song has devotional overtones as it appears to be about how the Orisha has helped the narrator in their life. The song posses a groovy atmosphere that works well, even with sparse instrumentation.
‘Artificial’
Taraneh & Evanora Unlimited on ‘New Age Prayer’ (2024)
I first heard this song in Poland in 2023, at a party hosted by Ohana’s friends. As a fan of the ‘Evanora Unlimited’ project, I must admit that it has been slightly disappointing to have such little output from Ohana. But his feature on friend and frequent collaborator Taraneh Azar’s project ‘New Age Prayer’ (which I found unexpectedly excellent) is enough to hold one over for a long time.
In an interview with Office Magazine, Azar described ‘Artificial’ as one of her more ‘energetic’ songs, representing a departure from her typically softer and more intimate vocal style that characterised her earlier work.
It begins with a foreboding atmosphere, transitions to something resembling ‘French disco,’ then finds itself in the universe of Evanora Unlimited: industrial, chaotic, and confrontational. As quickly as the change occurs, the production returns to the ‘French disco’ sound, creating a lovely listening experience for fans of both Azar and Ohana.
‘Breaking Glass’
David Bowie, on ‘Low’ (1977)
Bowie, from Berlin. Does one even need an introduction?