Dean Wareham - that's the price of loving me, 2025

"Dean Wareham is about to release another solo album, the follow up to 2021's I Have Nothing To Say To The Mayor Of LA. A few songs have appeared ahead of it including this one- That's The Price Of Loving Me is a gorgeously understated song, sublime chord changes and padding bassline, Dean's voice in a lower register now than it was back in the late 80s. Kramer, the man who produced those Galaxie 500 albums, is back at the controls and it shows."

REM - boy in the well, 2004

"The song, like a lot of songs from this album, starts off in a slow and dark sounding way. We get some acoustic guitar playing a bleak progression that starts with two minor chords (Em and a variation of F sharp minor). There’s also some piano and dramatic synth strings. I think the fake strings make this intro sound a little corny and overall it’s a sound from this album we’ve heard a ton of already. Lyrically, this song starts off with this character leaving a situation or a person/people that are dragging them down. Michael sings about this character walking away and how this other person or people are “drowning” while on display. The reason I think it could be “people” is because he sings “every time I've dropped by, I've tried to say ‘the water is rising.” This gives me vibes that this character could be talking about their parents. And maybe they feel like the boy in the well because they feel like getting out this metaphorical well."

Club 8 - love in december, 2001

"Opening track “Love in December” doubles as the album’s high point, showcasing Karolina’s seductive, emotive singing and Johan’s knack for crafting memorable hooks."

Enya - one by one, 2000

"Four tales from under the Cherry tree. Four tales, four seasons, four loves. Each tale tells a different story, each season has its own time, each love ends in a different way. One by one the tales of love are told, and one by one the pages upon which they are written fall as the leaves fall."

Bee Gees - above and beyond, 1993

"The album was recorded following a time of considerable strain for the Gibb brothers. Maurice had only recently managed to overcome his long-term struggle with alcoholism and Barry Gibb's wife and prematurely newborn daughter both suffered ill health. Barry himself was also scheduled to have back surgery. Subsequently, on 6 March 1992, the brothers' father, Hugh Gibb, died, the day after the birthday of their late brother Andy, who had died in 1988. The album was dedicated to Hugh. Work on the album began in 1992."

The Housemartins - reverends revenge, 1986

"Many of the albums I loved as a kid had instrumental songs, such as “Reverend’s Revenge” by the Housemartins, “Aku Aku” by Styx, and “Musicatto” by Kansas. It’s quite common in prog rock!"

Beirut - perth, 2015

"It was a slow burnout. I remember waking up thinking my mind was going one way, my body of going the other. It's hard to describe."

Robert Forster - fortress, 1996

"It was about sweaty Brisbane nights, banana trees in the backyard, animals walking around at night, fruitbats flying in the air. I was looking at Brisbane with new eyes in this new suburb, and I was listening to this music that had more space, more rhythm. I wrote all the songs in about eight months, quicker than I had written since the late 70s."

Pet Shop Boys - one and one make five, 1993

"musically it's a masterpiece."

Of Monsters And Men - dirty paws, 2012

"Dirty Paws" is a song written and recorded by Icelandic band Of Monsters and Men for their debut studio album, My Head Is an Animal. It is the opening track and the title of the album comes from a line in the song, and was released as its second single in April 2012 in the United Kingdom, Ireland and Europe. The lyrics describe a war among animals, launched by the bees against the birds, but won by an alliance of animals against them."

Keane - can't stop now, 2004

"On its surprising debut album, seemingly underpowered Brit trio Keane (piano, drums, vocals) reconfigures the high-romantic aesthetic introduced by Radiohead and mainstreamed by Coldplay as the launchpad for a serious hookfest. Hopes and Fears contains more hooks than most pop groups manage in their careers; the album brims with unabashedly grand, sun-breaking-through-the-clouds gestures."

The Mary Onettes - hit the waves, 2013

"unlike the dry guitar and drums of American surf rock, Hit the Waves is absolutely drenched. That makes it a somewhat more remote pleasure than either their essential 2007 self-titled debut or its 2009 follow-up, Islands, which sounded more weightless and pretty at first but ultimately revealed itself as a result of the same sharp songwriting and carefully structured melody of the debut."

The Durutti Column - sketch for summer, 1980

"Sketch For Summer remains an otherworldly gem and Lips That Would Kiss still beguiles the listener."

Paul McCartney - richard cory cover live, 1976

"Richard Cory" is a song written by Paul Simon in early 1965, and recorded by Simon and Garfunkel for their second studio album, Sounds of Silence. The song was based on Edwin Arlington Robinson's 1897 poem of the same title. The inspiration for this song comes from the poem that was required reading in English class while Paul Simon and Arthur Garfunkel were students at Forest Hills High School in New York City."

James - she's a star, 1998

"She's a Star" is a song written and performed by British alternative rock band James. It was released on 10 February 1997 as the first single from their seventh studio album, Whiplash (1997). "She's a Star" reached number nine on the UK Singles Chart and became a brief hit in Australia and Canada."

Pet Shop Boys - building a wall, 2009

"Neil may have had the Berlin Wall in mind as partial inspiration for the song, or at least for much of its imagery. Neil has, in fact, confirmed this"

Letting Up Despite Great Faults - the colors aren't you or me, 2009

"fascinating is “The Colors Aren’t You Or Me”, a song that has more relation to the Swedish band The Radio Dept. circa their Lesser Matters heyday. In fact, much of the album seems to be influenced by the likes of Lesser Matters; it features fuzzy electrics and vocals that flip between mopey and lovey."

Mike Oldfield - oceania, 1994

"it is usually Mike Oldfield's differentiation of rhythms or styles on a song to song basis that makes his music thought-provoking and fresh"

Bee Gees - follow the wind, 1965

"The song is a folk rock ballad and sounded like The Beatles' "I'll Follow the Sun" (1964), "You've Got to Hide Your Love Away" (1965) and "Norwegian Wood (This Bird Has Flown)" (1965). Barry and Robin Gibb sing the lead while Maurice Gibb and Trevor Gordon play lead guitar. It was recorded in August 1965 in Festival Studio at the same time as "Wine and Women", with Robin playing organ and Barry on acoustic guitar."

Belle And Sebastian - nice day for a sulk, 2000

"Songs such as “Sleep the Clock Around,” “A Summer Wasting,” “Nice Day for a Sulk,” and “We are the Sleepyheads” translate what is essentially a viral condition into a hip drowsy stance for the indie scene."