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Janet Jackson — “Miss You Much” (1989)
Fantastic in every way: danceable, hooky, and making good use of some of fun pop tropes, like the stutter and spelling out of words. Despite the “miss you” sentiment, the overall feeling is more like triumph at having a lover so damn missable. My husband and I theorized that “Miss You Much” might actually be in the top five of songs by any Jackson. The music video is spectacular as well. The dancing of course is the highlight, but it’s also in that sweet spot where a mainstream video could be polished and classy without descending into bland slickness.
HAIM — “Little of Your Love” (2017)
The first three songs on the new HAIM album are all excellent (though it does become a little same-y after that). They have a way of squeezing a lot of words into the main hooks of their choruses that I really like. “Little of Your Love” has some creative touches, including the weirdly effective slowed down backing vocal and the a cappella breakdown near the end. A lot has been made of Fleetwood Mac’s influence on HAIM, but the little “ha”s that punctuate the song remind of nothing so much as the Spice Girls’ “Wannabe.”
Lindsey Buckingham and Christine McVie — “Feel About You” (2017)
It’s pretty unbelievable that these two could put out a new album in 2017 and have it be so listenable. “Feel About You” is a particular treat, joyous, romantic, sparkly, pure pop. This track is a good reminder that McVie might be the most underrated of the Fleetwood Mac songwriters — not as clever as Lindsey or a cultural signifier like Stevie. Yet she’s responsible for the monster hooks on songs like “Don’t Stop” and “Little Lies,” and she clearly hasn’t lost her ability to please. There’s some filler on the album, but it’s got a solid 3-4 really good songs in addition to this one.
Richard X. Heyman — “So What” (2017)
Richard X. Heyman’s classic rock-influenced tune is full of good cheer and humor. The bright trumpet and “so what” lyric combine their powers to deliver maximum exuberance. Richard tells listeners how they can learn from his example of what not to do when it comes to love — but he doesn’t sound too broken up about his past mistakes either. I also love the off-kilter little guitar solo about two-thirds through.
Fountains of Wayne — “I-95” (2007)
Only Fountains of Wayne could make the phrase “Guns ‘N’ Roses album covers” sound as good as it does here. And the second verse nearly lulls you into believing you’re experiencing something grand, the melody and the starry night sky opening up around you — until that van cuts you off and you realize you’re actually just on the highway after all. Their ability to write melodies is astounding, really, and their harmonies are just as good.
Declan McKenna — “Humongous” (2017)
“Humongous” is the latest single by Declan McKenna, an 18-year-old who is a bit of an indie sensation in the UK right now. His debut LP, What Do You Think About the Car?, was just released and hit number 11 on the British charts. “Humungous” is super melodic with the compelling hook “I’m big, humongous, enormous, and small/And it’s not fair.” The last minute or so is an unexpected synth freakout and brings in a totally new, equally good melody. His album isn’t quite up to this standard through, but it shows promise.
Cliff Hillis — “Superfluous” (2017)
“Superfluous” has a gentle sound, with almost a ’70s soft rock vibe at the beginning. The song has nice build, though, and by the end it feels a little meatier. Hillis is quite a good lyricist in general, and he has some fun with words here on the beginning of each chorus: “superfluous,” “magnanimous,” “fathomless.” This song is from a new EP called Many Happy Returns that’s full of thoughtful, singer-songwriter pop.
St. Vincent — “New York” (2017)
Despite her indie-level popularity, I really haven’t listened to much St. Vincent. When I first heard “New York,” I thought it was Sam Phillips (of Gilmore Girls “la-las” fame). So I have no idea if this song is consistent with her other work. But it’s really striking, with the chorus cutting like a machete through the sad and lush arrangement. It’s also a gem at 2:34. It seems you rarely hear anything that short anymore.
The Bee Gees — “I Started a Joke” (2017)
Eeerie, sappy, baroque, obtuse — “I Started a Joke” is the epitome of the early Bee Gees. Robin’s vocal is weird, but beautiful, and the lyrics only make sense on a kind of mythic, nonverbal level. I love it.
Gilbert O’Sullivan — “Out of the Question” (1972)
I discovered this track thanks to an artist playlist that singer-singer John Wesley Harding posted on Spotify. (These playlists can be serious treasure if you’re willing to dig for them. This feature is a great example of Spotify’s potential for human-driven music discovery and their lack of interest in doing more with it.) O’Sullivan has wonderful delivery and is, in a word, charming. The end bit has a “song that never ends” quality, spiraling around until you’ve lost track of where it even began. The lyric “She’s breaking my heart/Nearly every day/Not only in pieces/But every way” is actually kind of dark. I’m imagining some evil genius of heartbreaking coming up with ever elaborate plans to destroy poor Gilbert.
China Crisis — “Arizona Sky” (1986)
“Arizona Sky” seems to be at least in part a song about travel — a British band singing about Arizona, New York, Venice. I like the line “It took my breath away/That doesn’t happen every day.” It has a sincerity that’s possibly at odds with the chorus — “Decorate, paint it for the union/No reason to give up on the illusion. I can’t actually come up with a cogent interpretation of these lyrics, but musically the song’s tone is also a balance between cheery and melancholy. The horn arrangement is a nice mix of trumpet and saxophone.
Ricky Ross — “Soundtrack to the Summer” (2005)
Another discovery courtesy of people curating their favorite music on the internet — this one from a terrific Mixcloud show called Daily Robbo Radio. Ross is the singer from the Scottish band Deacon Blue. This is a nice twist on the idea of the summer song. No convertibles or bikinis here — only a wistful lyric and the saddest Brian Wilson harmonies.
Melanie C — “Independence Day” (2002)
I wrote about Mel C, my favorite Spice Girl, earlier this month. She’s had a number of good moments over the years, but this deep cut from the Bend It Like Beckham soundtrack is probably the best. It’s still girl power, but cast in a more shimmering, power pop light.