Selena Gomez just released a new album, Rare, that I played once in the background the day it came out. It’s receiving some of the best reviews of her career, and I owe it another listen.
In the meantime, here’s a track from Gomez’s 2015 album Revival, which I like very much.
Following this album, Gomez suffered from physical and mental health issues tied to lupus. She checked herself into rehab to treat her depression and anxiety attacks.
I didn’t have much to say about today’s random selection, the final track from Arcade Fire’s 2013 album Reflektor. But then I realized it was originally written for the Spike Jonze movie Her and shows up during that film’s end credits, so that gave me a bit of a hook.
Her is one of a handful of films from the last decade that I wish I had revisited before compiling my ‘Best Movies of the 2010s’ list. It’s not that I think it would have a fighting chance of making the list, but it’s a movie I feel I owe a reconsideration.
‘Hold That Thought’ is a standout track from Ben Folds Five’s reunion album, 2012’s The Sound of the Life of the Mind.
This track’s vibe sounds a lot like some of Folds’ solo work, such as ‘Jesusland’ from 2005’s Songs From Silverman. But Darren Jesse’s drumming and especially Robert Sledge’s bass work add something that Folds has never been quite able to capture the same way on his own.
I was intially surprised to see I hadn’t already posted today’s track, from Rufus Wainwright’s 1999 self-titled debut album.
In fact, I’ve posted only one song from this album, period, the opening cut ‘Foolish Love.’
Looking back at that post, I was reminded why Wainwright has had a relatively low profile on the blog (26 Songs of the Day, including six on Random Weekends). My regular readers, especially ten years ago, just didn’t like him very much.
To paraphrase what old Ben Kenobi once said about the name “Obi Wan”: Sugarland… Now that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time.
Today’s track is a short callback to the title cut on the band’s 2010 album Incredible Machine. It is sung by Kristian Bush, while the longer version (like most of the band’s songs) is sung by Jennifer Nettles.
‘Pidgin English’ is the 13th track on Elvis Costello’s briliant 1982 album Imperial Bedroom. This is an album on which Costello was working at the very peak of his powers, channeling his mad musical visions into addicting cerebral ear candy.
As YouTube commenter Vincent Straziuso writes about this track, “How do you imagine this song pull it out of the ether and write this???”
‘One Man Guy’ is a lovely track from Rufus Wainwright’s 2001 album Poses. It’s a cover of a song Rufus’ dad, Loudon Wainwright III, released on his 1985 album I’m Alright.
There’s a lot going on in this recording, including the twist Rufus’ homosexuality puts on the title. It’s also a loving but sharp-edged nod to a selfish streak in Loudon that didn’t make him the best father all the time. Rufus is joined on this track by his sister Martha on backup vocals.
