Arts: Music

The Founder Recommends

As part of a new feature, each issue of the Founder will feature some of our editor’s recommendations for their favourite songs, albums, and artists. So, have a read if you want to find something new to listen to or even be reminded of one of your own favourites.

Managing Editor, Robert’s picks: Favourite Song: Cigarette Daydreams – Cage the Elephant Robert has chosen the 2013 hit from American alternative rock band, Cage the Elephant. From the moment it was released 9 years ago, this has been one of Robert’s most-loved tracks. The track topped the Billboard Alternative Songs chart and was certified platinum in the US. The song comes from the band’s third studio album, Melophobia, and it is one of Robert’s favourite tracks because it never fails to provide a healthy dose of childhood nostalgia. Favourite Album: Illmatic – Nas The debut studio album from American rapper, Nas, Illmatic is often referenced as one of the magnum opuses of hiphop. Robert loves its “effortless New York jazz undertones partnered with Nas’ reflective narration of Queens-bridge life and gritty drum loops.” Upon release in 1994, the album was met with widespread critical acclaim, even earning a five mic rating from the prestigious American hip-hop and entertainment magazine, The Source. Robert says that it is a must listen for rap and modern music fans. Favourite Artist: Frank Ocean

A firm favourite amongst the editors of the Founder, this isn’t the first time that Frank Ocean has appeared in The Founder Recommends. Robert has named Frank Ocean as his favourite artist due to his unequivocally colossal impact on R&B and 21st century music. Despite a limited discography, Frank Ocean has solidified his place as one of the greatest by winning 2 Grammys and the Brit Award for International Male Artist in 2013. Robert is a big fan of how Frank Ocean pulls his influences from many different genres.

Source: Spotify Features Editor, Sela’s picks: Favourite Song: Off to the Races – Lana Del Rey Sela has chosen Lana Del Rey’s Off to the Races as her favourite song, “mostly because of the lyrical masterpiece that it is”. She finds that every line in the sing dreamily alters between luxurious yet mundane moments. The song first appeared on Lana Del Rey’s self-titled Interscope debut, but was re-released on her second studio album, Born to Die, in 2012. Sela is obsessed with the images that the song uses.

Favourite Album: Born to Die – Lana Del Rey The second studio album from the American singer and songwriter is Sela’s choice for her favourite album and she believes that it is Lana Del Rey’s strongest album. Sela thinks that the strength of this album is “rooted in its consistency - its consistency in invoking a strange feeling of worry for a woman who is so happy to be showing off her boulevard life with so much pending sadness to come”. Favourite Artist: Lana Del Rey Unsurprisingly, Sela’s favourite artist is also Lana Del Rey. Sela loves Lana’s poetry. She adores the way “she so selectively intertwines mundanity and luxury and transforms it into a life that is impossible not to speculate about”. With 8 studio albums, Sela particularly appreciates how with each new album “she invents a new era, invoking new feelings and vulnerabilities, and a new level of maturity that exceeds the last”.

Source: Wikimedia Commons

THE FOUNDER January 2022 ARTS: MUSIC 23 Fearless (Taylor’s Version), Taylor Swift: Review KATHERINE MCGLADDERY | CONTENT WRITER

Albums of the Year 2021: Editorial Picks FINN MURPHY | MUSIC EDITOR

April 9th, 2021, marked the release of Fearless (Taylor’s Version), becoming the first re-recorded album ever to reach number one on the Billboard 200. This success marked both a personal and commercial achievement for Taylor Swift, as she made a stand on behalf of every artist and their right to own their music. In June 2019, Scott ‘Scooter’ Braun bought Big Machine Records from Scott Borchetta, a US$300,000,000 deal which included the master recordings of Swift’s first six studio albums. She contested this and accused both men of ‘controlling a woman who did not want to be associated with them’. In a powerful move, Swift publicly explained her decision to re-record all six of her original studio albums with her new label Republic Records to assert her right over the masters to her own music. This set a brave precedent which inspired both fans and fellow artists. While highlighting the inequality unfortunately still prevalent within the music industry, Swift has managed to make something magically beautiful out of a dire situation, creating a record which simultaneously sounds highly original and comfortably familiar. It is very poignant that Fearless was the first album that Swift chose to re-record. The best-selling album of 2009 and the most awarded country album in history, Fearless is an ode both to simpler days and to the pains of growing up, a perfectly crafted diary of the highs and lows of teenage years which retains its magic even now. Its bittersweet messages, countless hooks and instantly memorable melodies carry across seamlessly to ‘Taylor’s version’, proving that Fearless has stood the test of time and has lasting longevity and meaning, standing as a testament to Swift’s musical talent and endurance. The re-recordings achieve the perfect balance of keeping the components of the original songs while imbuing them with subtle improvements. The production is crisper and clearer, making the diaristic delivery of the album even more intimate. Swift’s voice has matured over the years, and she showcases her vocal prowess in both the original Fearless songs and six new songs from ‘the Vault’. Love Story retains its swooningly romantic, anthemic quality, and Breathe features the original duo vocals from Colbie Caillat while managing to improve on the original with richer sonority. Similarly, Forever and Always is given an acoustic upgrade with a raw piano backing which highlights Swift’s maturity. A particular standout is Mr Perfectly Fine with characteristically acerbic, intelligent lyrics and emotional delivery which bridges the gap between 2009 Swift and her current incarnation. There is also a hint to Swift’s later work with the line ‘Mr Casually Cruel’ which many fans immediately associate with All Too Well from 2010’s Red. Widely regarded as her most powerful song with its heartrending vocals and incredibly moving lyrics, it is interesting to see the beginnings of the song take shape in the previously unheard Mr Perfectly Fine and to draw parallels between her bodies of work. Overall, Fearless (Taylor’s Version) is a triumph in every sense. Genuine love and affection have been poured into this re-recording, evident from the new and improved sound. Swift’s commitment to fulfilling the vision of her past self and bringing it forward into a new decade in the face of adversary to the delight of old fans is sure to introduce a new generation of fans to this timeless album.

Skin – Joy Crookes

My first pick for the best albums of the year goes to Joy Crookes’ Skin. Her debut studio album is a work of art. The British singer-songwriter combines her heritage and identity to create a souljazz record with beautiful lyrics and rich vocals. The album opens with the track I Don’t Mind which seamlessly segues into 19th Floor in which Crookes uses her illustrious storytelling abilities to bring us a song that is full of character and history. The stand-out songs on the album come in the form of When You Were Mine, accompanied by a music video that celebrates the beauty of her hometown, London, and the soul-pop hit Feet Don’t Fail Me Now. Crookes has recently been nominated for two Brit Awards at the 2022 ceremony proving what a great year she has had. Collapsed in Sunbeams – Arlo Parks This album featured in my picks for the October edition of Founder Recommends, however it has to be featured in my albums of the year due to the impact that it had. Another debut studio album, Arlo Parks combines poetic lyricism with heavenly instrumental melodies. It is difficult to choose stand-out tracks from an album that is pure perfection, with each song complimenting the one before it. The opening track, Collapsed in Sunbeams, acts as a lead-in for the rest of the album, in which Parks reads a poem defining the feelings of the entire collection. There is something about this album that I will never get tired of. It is an intimate portrait of life in its purest forms. The universality of experience in the album is contrasted by the hyper-specific names that Parks uses. It is a triumph that has received wide-spread critical acclaim, winning the Mercury Prize in 2021 and a nomination at the 64th Grammy Awards for Best Alternative Music Album. This is truly an album that everyone must listen to.

The Walls Are Way Too Thin – Holly Humberstone Whilst this pick is not a full album, but rather an EP, it is too good to miss off the list. The British musician from Grantham released the EP in November 2021 with Interscope and Polydor Records. The sixtrack album is a thing of beauty in which Humberstone is able to work with catchy choruses and emotionally charged verses to form unforgettable music. Scarlett stands out as one of the lead tracks from the EP, and features one of the best lyrics I think I’ve ever heard: “We go together like bad British weather on the one day I made plans”. It is this lyrical genius that allows Holly Humberstone’s vocal talent to shine. She is predicted to be a future star in the music industry and has been awarded the Brit Rising Star Award 2022. She is one to watch and I can’t wait to see what she does next.