Let it Rock: Music I Can Sing Along To

By Sues

I like music I can sing along to. Even better is music I only have to listen to once before I start singing along. Sometimes I find myself singing along before I even know the lyrics. Other people get annoyed at my mixture of mumbles and hums, but I can’t help myself.

That’s how this week’s new releases were for me; I loved them right from the start and couldn’t help singing along. Plus, the lyrics to many of these songs pretty much rock. Of course, I already knew all the songs on the Ben Folds album, but I was immediately dancing and singing along to the new versions (and that’s not always easy to do with a cappella music).

I’m pretty sure, in fact, that this week’s new releases have caused my roommate to start packing and my neighbors to buy earplugs. What? I never said I had a good voice, but I really just can’t help singing along.

Ben Lee- The Rebirth of Venus

The first thing I thought upon hearing Ben Lee’s new album was, “Where have I been?!?!” I’ve been hearing about Ben Lee for so long and then blatantly ignoring him. I’m not sure why; it could have something to do with my general dislike of super short names. But now I’m angry I never gave him a chance, because this stuff is good. Like really good. Good as in, the first time I listened to the The Rebirth of Venus, I immediately found myself singing along. How could I sing along to songs I had never heard before? I don’t know, but I was.

The album starts with “What’s So Bad (About Feeling Good)?” and it is absolutely the perfect opening. It immediately got me dancing along, “No guilt/All pleasure/Come on/I wanna hear you yell it now.” So from song 1, I was already starting to fall in love with Ben Lee. I could probably talk about every single song on The Rebirth of Venus, but I’ll keep it to just a few. “I Love Pop Music” sounds exactly like you’d think it would. I almost didn’t want to like it, but I legit could not help it. My favorite song on the album is definitely “Families Cheating at Boardgames” and I think it does an excellent job at showcasing Ben’s voice. Plus the lyrics are pretty much to die for:“Break away from what you know/You are not alone/We can build a brand new home/You are not alone.” More amazingness about Ben Lee (as if you needed it)? He’s married to Ione Skye. You know, from my all-time favorite movie, Say Anything. And their child plays the pots and pans in the intro to “What’s So Bad (About Feeling Good)?” God, how sweet. Ben Lee, I think I love you.

The Great Northern- Remind Me Where the Light is

I first heard of The Great Northern a couple years ago when I heard their song “Home.” I absolutely loved it, so I listened to a few more of their songs. None of them really did it for me like “Home,” but I was super excited to listen to their new album, Remind me Where the Light is, nevertheless. And I’m happy to report that it’s pretty close to where “Home” is in terms of enjoyability. And in terms of singability. It was pretty obvious to me why “Houses” is the first single off the album; it’s perfectly catchy. But it isn’t my favorite song. I’m a big fan of “Stop,” which is one of the slowest songs on the album and was strangely reminiscent of Bon Iver for me. And that’s obviously a big plus.

I also appreciate the lyrics on the song “Numbers”: “Beware of strength in numbers/They play better than one/A group of those who follow/Can never reach the sound/Be careful who you’re thinking/Will save you in the end/Maybe we’re all just waiting/For one beautiful friend.” Another one of my favorites is “Driveway,” also another of the slower songs. While I might not be able to help singing along, I also think Great Northern is the perfect background music for me. And that’s not an insult at all; it’s a total compliment. It’s quiet, melodic, and has the ability to calm me. And trust me, it takes a lot to calm me.

Ben Folds- Ben Folds Presents: University A Cappella

I am a big lover of Ben Folds and I’ll take him in any fashion I can get him in, be it with the Five or a cappella. I think this album, Ben Folds presents: University A Cappella, is a really cool concept. It’s almost like you don’t realize how perfect Ben Folds’ music is for a cappella until you hear these a cappella groups singing it.  And then you realize these songs were made for it. Well, maybe not made for it, but it works really, really well. This album probably has many of your favorite Ben Folds songs on it, so it should make you quite happy. I think “Still Fighting It” is one of the songs that works the best as a cappella and found myself listening to it over and over. But “You Don’t Know Me” also worked quite well, as you could probably tell from the original version Ben Folds sings with Regina Spector. My sister just told me that “The Luckiest” is going to be her wedding song, so this version had me tearing up a bit. And I absolutely loved “Brick” and almost enjoyed the lead singer more than I enjoy Ben Folds singing it. Almost.

Of course, the a cappella groups overshadow Ben much of the time, but I guess that’s kind of the point. I think it just made me realize that while I’m loving this album, it’s also making me crazy craving some new Ben Folds.