Early November Playlist - 11/8

Fall has unequivocally descended on Syracuse, NY, and as such I have had to retire my summer playlists, shifting to more autumnal tones.  Reflecting on this, summer playlists tend toward lighter lyrics, catchy guitar riffs, and new pop/hip-hop tracks.  Spring lays the stage for these with songs like "Marching Bands of Manhattan," which starts soft and slow, eventually blossoming into a fuller, 'windows down' kind of track.  Prior to this - and doubly so in Syracuse - we have Winter, filled with holiday music, and slow jazz consumed by the fireplace with a glass of Merlot.  Which brings us to Fall:  a season where I tend to look back, rediscover songs that I may have misplaced, overlooked, or shortchanged, and rekindle my love of B-side tracks and non-billboard artists.  For me, it's a time for reflection as the year throttles down, before the commotion of the holidays.

Solid Autumn Listening:
Bush - Glycerine [Sixteen Stone]:  Wow - throwback to 15 years ago... But you wouldn't know it.  The songwriting is superb, and the production is top-notch:  clean, clear, vivid, and present.  And it has a bizarre ending to boot!  This song is a definite winner.
The Fray - Heaven Forbid [How To Save A Life]:  This may require some explanation:  I don't actually dislike The Fray (an opinion you may have incorrectly inferred from a previous post), and in fact have some really great memories linked to some of the songs of this album in particular.  Regardless, "Heaven forbid you end up alone and don't know why..." is a great line, and I like the development through the song (a reoccurring theme for this playlist).
Frou Frou - Breathe In [Details]:  I found this whole album to be really hit-or-miss, but that's not necessarily a bad thing, because the hits are damn good.  The song is quirky, with disjointed lyrics and Heap's trademark mind-bending production style.  Gloriously appropriate title for a woman who aims to keep the "air" in her music by breathing her own life into it.
Hem - Halfacre [Rabbit Songs]:  Talk about a blast from the past:  I learned about Hem from a guy named Benny Gammerman (or Facebook, if you prefer) back when we were both in high school laying down tracks for EPs and whatnot in his living room with my portable rig.  Those were some days.  Similar to Details, I found Rabbit Songs to be hit-or-miss, but the hits are Halfacre, Leave Me Here, Interlude, and Waltz.  Halfacre is beautifully light, with piano, strings, and fingered acoustic, with some of the more striking vocals I've heard in a long time.  The close-micing on the soloist is intimate, and would be grating if her voice wasn't so perfectly fitted for the song.  If you haven't heard these guys, at least check out Halfacre - it's currently their most popular track on iTunes. :-p
Imogen Heap - Wait It Out [Ellipse]:  If you were confused by The Fray making this list, you're probably cursing my name at this entry (the background if you have no idea what I'm talking about and that actually bothers you).  First of all, I dropped this track as one that possibly interested me, and second, I possibly judged this song a little hastily.  There are some really interesting lines in Wait It Out, like "Pain on pain on play, repeating" and "Fluorescent lighting sets the scene."  The song also has the interesting quality that, though there is a significant build in the song, I don't think it's the driving point of interest.  There are new features that appear throughout the song, all the way to the end, and that's what keeps me listening.
Incubus - Anna Molly [Light Grenades]:  Perfect example of a song that I heard when I first listened to Light Grenades, didn't sufficiently note, and misplaced until recently.  Anna Molly would be just another good Incubus track, except that the bridge launches the song into the next bracket up right after 2:12.  "There is a light, there is a fire..."  And they even bring it back right at the end of the track in the right channel!  Very 80's, but too cool.
Jimmy Eat World - My Sundown [Jimmy Eat World]:  Similar flavor to Hear You Me, but with perhaps a more interesting fine.  I've written about this song before, so I won't go into additional details.
Porcupine Tree - Collapse The Light Into Earth [In Absentia]:  Perfect for the cold weather:  slow, building, ethereal, reflective...  The song has only 9 lines and lasts almost 6 minutes.  And it's a phenomenal Porcupine Tree album.
Regina Spektor - Eet [Far]:  I don't even like Regina Spektor, but I heard Beyond Unison do this track, and I was totally hooked.  This is a decent song, but I mostly listen to it for the flashback high to the BU Fall Concert, 2009!