Three's Company

Lyrics are the key this week -- per usual -- to deciphering my mood and life of late. In the midst of some trying times at work, my 15th move the last 10 years, and the stressors that come from these and other arenas flavoring my limited free time with the metallic tang of tension, I've been a bit frayed recently, to say the least. But the songs have kept me steady, and say it better than I , so we'll jump right in with a nice little threesome to buoy any flagging spirits in the dog days of summer.

The first song speaks to the work front, and is off Coldplay's latest disc, Viva La Vida. (Stop groaning.) It's actually a two-fer, a little double bill halfway through the album, showcasing the strengths of the band of old and not the vanilla corporate leviathan of their last album. The front half of this one (and the bulk of the new disc, for that matter) captures a bit of the emotion and energy of early U2, all rollicking guitar and bright piano lines, while harnessing frontman Chris Martin's soaring croon to keep things together.

The back half slows things down and showcases the band's other side, the introspective, piano-laden portion that garners the band so much enmity and ridicule. (I can hear all you 40-year Old Virgin fans now asking the monitor, "You know how I know you're gay?") And while they may have leaned a little too far to this side on their last outing -- the dismally uneven X&Y -- sacrificing strong lyrics and melody for mere mood, this is what made their debut so great to begin with. (And still makes it their best album, by far.) For every "Yellow" to get the blood pumping there were two or three others to calm things down -- "Spies," "Sparks," and "Trouble," for example -- that were actually better than the uptempo numbers. And this song is a perfect balance between the two sides -- beautiful melody, haunting, swirling piano, Martin's voice drawing you in -- and a perfect return to form. Check out "Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love" here:




The second song speaks to my difficulties moving, uprooting myself after three years of living in my perfect (yet prohibitively expensive) little bachelor pad, and this track off Death Cab for Cutie's latest, Narrow Stairs, captures the angst and prettiness nicely. It's about the difficulties of letting go -- of things, of the past, of ideas of what could/should be -- and forcing yourself to move on. It's textbook Death Cab -- smart lyrics, lovely melody, and Ben Gibbard's otherworldly voice, one so warm and inviting it could bring a smile to your lips even if extolling a double homicide. (Or a stalker, as in the lead single.) Honestly, the entire album's like that -- just another solid effort for the boys from Washington. Check out "Your New Twin Sized Bed" here:




The last song covers my private life and its decreasing amounts of free time, represented by an old track off the first Gorillaz disc, the self-titled Gorillaz. This one kept popping up on the 'pod lately and seemed apropos, if for nothing else than to give my answer to what should be an obviously rhetorical question -- "Stereo? I want it on." There's not much else to say here -- this one's just got a sick beat, creepy little melody, and Damon Albarn's classic mopey whine, with a cool little video to boot. What more do you want from a bumping summer song?




That's all for this one -- until next time, my friends...