By Megan Bliek
November has been a month of discovery. I discovered a lot of new music and expanded my music taste into jazz–something I never thought would happen. I’m hoping my playlist somewhat makes sense, although I make no promises. Honorable mention this month goes to Lexie Liu’s “delulu,” which I wanted to include, but I (alas!) prioritized the vibe of the playlist instead. Here is a peak at some of the music I’ve been loving this month.
elegy – Jeremy cunningham
Shoutout to my concept album professor for introducing our entire class to this album (Dr. Paul Hecht!). My professor had the idea that these testimonies were played in the recording studio, and each music part is improv in response to these, which I feel is very likely. Despite being musical notes, each piece reflects the weight of the testimonies and somehow carries a masterpiece of emotion. I’ve always had a special place in my heart for albums that incorporate spoken word or poetry in some form, and this album now resides there as well. In this album, Cunningham, along with family and friends, recounts the story of his brother’s murder through jazz and spoken testimonies. When I listened to this album for the first time, after each song I had to take a moment to simply breathe. Each track had a heaviness that bores down on one’s soul. Although I would never call myself a jazz listener, this album opened my eyes to jazz in a way I never thought possible.
coming back to me – Leith ross
The first day of November, I had come back from a party in UW-Madison. I was at a party with maybe 10-20 people. Middle school, or even high school me would be astonished. ‘I have that many friends?’ ‘They invite me places?’ Yes, little me, they do. While listening to this song on repeat, I laid in my bed and sobbed my eyes out. This song brought back the memories of middle school me, crying at night because none of my friends actually liked me, crying because I was stuck in my house while everyone had parties with each other. This song, like so many others in this playlist, carries so much nostalgia and many emotions with it, which is why I love this song so much. Although middle school me was so different from who I am now, she is still a part of me, and that part of me will always see herself within this song.
Francesca – hozier
I listened to this album when it first came out, and I have no idea how I forgot about this song. I did a presentation on another Hozier album for class, and I became a fan of him all over again. I’ve been in my feelings a lot lately about being single, but somehow this song doesn’t amplify those emotions like most other love songs. To try to say it simply, this song exemplifies everything I imagine an ideal relationship to have. In even simpler terms, this is the song I daydream to.
if I learned today – Gustavo cortiñas
Another hidden gem brought to my attention by my jazz professor. Once again, I am not a fan of jazz, but this album broadened my horizons once again (not going to do the same with country, though). While most of the songs on the album were not to my taste, I can appreciate them all the same. “If I Learned Today” is slower than the typical track I enjoy. It makes for a refreshing break and reminds me to slow down, and always listen to the music.
the great gig in the sky – pink floyd
While my dad has always been a massive Pink Floyd fan, I never paid much attention to their music. I will admit, I made a mistake. This month, I finally sat down and listened to The Wall and The Dark Side of the Moon. I had no idea what I was missing. This album is incredible in so many ways, and despite the lack of words in this track, the emotion is so raw and close to the heart–just the way I like my songs (able to send me into a depressive spiral).
Hopefully this playlist doesn’t send you into a depressive spiral (like it does for me), and good luck! Take a listen to the rest of my playlist on Spotify!
daybreak 