November’s been a very strange month, and mostly bad as well, so it’s meant that music and writing have both very much taken a back seat to life.
Here are three songs that, in their own way, have made up the story of my month:
CHVRCHES – “Up in Arms”
My favourite band came to Aberdeen on the 23rd and it was a delight to see them live again. Their set was full of fight and fun and was exactly what I’d hoped it would be, soaring far above their T in the Park performance last year and showing that they’re true stars now.
This song is a bonus track only available to those in the US who purchased the new album Every Open Eye at Target. It’s a fun song that toes a line between the two distinct CHVRCHES sound and I think it’s certainly as good as the other songs that made the cut for the main album.
Runrig – “The Story”
After being in hiding (well, if you can call endlessly touring without making new music) for almost nine years now, Runrig have released their first single of their upcoming new album. “The Story” shows a slight evolution of their music, bringing in modern keyboard and synth sounds with their traditional Celtic rock arrangement, whilst still keeping the Gaelic and English dualism that make them so unique.
LCD Soundsystem – “Someone Great”
This month I lost my grandfather, and while he’s been in poor health for a while it’s never any easier to come to terms with the fact that he’s gone.
“Someone Great” has long been one of my favourite songs and it is incredibly powerful at times like these. It perfectly sums up the emotions, the events and the general way of life that come with losing someone and it’s been on repeat for me the last few weeks. It’s an amazing song, and a fitting tribute.