Natalie Brooks’ Song of the Day | Ava Gratia – “Traffic Lights”

I can spend ten minutes deciding between coffee and tea... and then wonder if I chose wrong. So, I felt a little seen by this next song. Ava Gratia takes that indecision somewhere harder. Being with someone feels wrong, but being without them feels worse.
Natalie Brooks

“Not Falling” by Drew Nold & Emily Gray

This song captures both rational and irrational fear. There’s the rational fear that love may not be returned, but resisting love when the feelings seem mutual becomes irrational. Drew and Emily sound as though they’re trying to convince themselves they’re not falling, while the song tells us otherwise. Beautifully written and performed.

Jake Sommer’s “Drift” is tense! The instrumentation, minor key, and tone support that feeling as Jake reflects on life, uncertainty, and the person who has helped carry him through it.

The video follows a fog-covered drive across the Golden Gate Bridge. The drive reaches its halfway point during the piano solo and the far end of the bridge as the song finishes. The music, lyrics, and video work extremely well together. Three thumbs up from me. 

[Click on IMG to listen]

Power-Pop & Indie Jangle: Describes the guitar voice and harmonic structure—the prominent, cyclic two-chord progression and bright, chiming tone driving the song rather than heavy distortion.

I chuckle when I get lost in the many genres and subgenres that have developed over the last 30 to 40 years. This is not the first time I have made a list just to get a handle on where a song’s roots emerged. KaiserKillers’ “Isolation” lives in that space.

The lyrics describe “Isolation” first as the positive act of getting away from the high-speed pace of the world, then contradict that idea with the loneliness of being left alone for reasons beyond your control.

I highly recommend giving “Isolation” a listen. KaiserKillers take a simple idea and make it memorable. 👍👍👍

by Rob Bennett
[ClickImage to open in Spotify]