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Since its first appearance in The Panel almost four years ago, “The Playlist of the Issue” has become a customary article for the publication. Not only does it provide a great opportunity for Panel staffers to write about their favorite songs, but it also exposes Belmont Hill students to new music genres. For those reading The Panel for the first time, “The Playlist of the Issue” features two writers who each pick five songs which they feel deserve recognition and write about them. Henry Moses ’21 and Jalen Walker ’21 have taken on the job. For this joint issue with Winsor’s Banner, Isabelle F. ’23 has joined the team as we share a few songs that we’re thankful for leading up to Thanksgiving.
Izzy:
When We Drive – Death Cab for Cutie
This song is one of my all time favorites, and it’s perfect for listening to while driving or sitting in the passenger seat and watching everything in the world go by. The lyrics are so beautifully written, and the instrumentals that run throughout the song remind you of how the world is continuously moving. If you let the song wash over you, it almost feels as if everything is starting to fall into place.
Sedona – Houndmouth
This song just gets better and better the longer you listen to it. Everything about it- the instrumentals, vocals, and lyrics- combine together to form such a specific essence and feeling. Every time I hear the whoosh of wind and the strum of the instrumentals at the beginning, it sends me into a completely different world. Towards the second half, you can almost taste the rush of freedom that accompanies the thunder of the chorus.
Cigarette Daydreams – Cage the Elephant
One of my favorites from Cage the Elephant, this song contains a bittersweet melody accompanied by the light strumming of an acoustic guitar. The lyrics of this song are presented in the form of fragmented thoughts, and they lend to the idea of chasing down a nostalgic summer feeling.
Love$ick – Mura Masa & A$AP Rocky
Released as a single by Mura Masa and featuring A$AP Rocky, this track is one of his most underrated songs. Although the lyrics don’t make too much sense, that’s perfectly okay, because everything else about this song slaps. “Love$ick” has such a fun groovy vibe; I absolutely love how the instrumentals overlap and continuously evolve with the lyrics and beat of the song.
Greek Tragedy – The Wombats
If you have the slightly problematic habit of listening to your music at an ear shattering volume, then this is the song for you. The bass of this song is so deeply layered with different colors, and that’s not even the best part. Everything in “Greek Tragedy” builds up to the chorus “she hits like ecstasy” where the song practically explodes with colors. You won’t understand the exact feeling until you listen to it, but it really does feel like ecstasy.
J Walk and Mosey:
Your Name – Bernache (Mosey)
With immediate intensity by the lead singer of the Montreal band, Men I Trust, this track captures the listener. The beat rides for about a minute, then with the ethereal tone of an other-worldly being, the vocals join in to create a complete sonic experience. The lyrics convey a hopeful melancholy that matches the amalgamation of sounds that back it perfectly. It’s this combination that makes you want to just keep this song on repeat.
Hungboo – Peggy Gou (Mosey)
Peggy Gou is one of the best discoveries I have made over the course of the pandemic, and “Hungboo” epitomizes why I like her so much. It’s relatively stripped back, and doesn’t have any vocals, but still, every time I listen to it, any stress I have is relieved and I’m transported to a more carefree place.
A Lot’s Gonna Change – Weyes Blood (J Walk)
“If I could go back to a time before now,” wow. I remember listening to the album that this song is on last school year during one of my free blocks. It’s beautifully somber, and Weyes Blood effortlessly reflects on the feelings brought about by growing up and experiencing changes in life. I love this song so much. I wish I could go back to that day, sit in my favorite chair in the library, and listen to this track all over again for the first time. But I can’t, and I suppose that’s the beauty of life’s incessantly ever-changing nature.
Raygun – Redveil & Kenny Mason (J Walk)
On October 19th, Redveil posted a video teaser of a monkey listening to a slowed and reverb version of this song. Once I saw that Kenny Mason was featured in the song, I was intrigued. I watched the 15-second teaser every day until the song’s release on October 27, and I wasn’t disappointed at all when that day came. Both artists mesh perfectly on this track as they float on the beat while trading bars about needing new rayguns and navigating newfound wealth. Oh, and Redveil is only 16, which is pretty awesome.
Time Today – Kero Kero Bonito (J Walk and Mosey)
You may already know Kero Kero Bonito because of their hit song Flamingo, which is bubbly and found fame as a meme, but this track is one that shows tremendous growth for the group from 2016 to 2018. Like most Kero songs, it’s got simplistic lyrics and a rhythmic melody–but the vibe is what makes it stand above the rest. Mosey and I’ve got so much time today, and we choose to use it by listening to this song.
