On Music for Each Corner of the Soul

Or just new stuff to listen to.

by Marcello Cortese

Good morning, happy Sunday, and rabbit rabbit!

Lately I’ve been thinking a great deal about music; specifically its place in the line of language. I find it’s often the pinnacle form of communication in our modern age, what with messages felt rather than spoken. It is a cornerstone of expression for any and all, and remains integral to all aspects of coping and transition.

Whether you’re one of those people who need music to do quite literally anything (like myself) or prefer it in its “appropriate” moments, it remains, unhiding. Given this, I thought about what hidden messages exist across the genres, and further how such a thing is used as a tool of kinship and community. So, I decided to rummage up a list of songs that I personally deem applicable to each “corner of the soul.” These are curated specifically for all aspects of existence and emotion: 

Sunshine (feat. Fousheé) - Steve Lacy

The easiest route to immediate joy. Such is why this is first on the list. If this song doesn’t put an instant smile on your face, truly nothing will. Since his solo rise post The Internet, Lacy has proven himself to be one of those artists that makes truly good music. Without a specific agenda or niche, he makes a moment of his songs. “Sunshine” is one of those blends of lyrics and melody that result in a sweet and warm love. The title is fitting, it will give you simple and warm happiness. 

The Wake - The Albertans

The kind of soft rock that scratches your brain. With folkloric lyrics, steady percussion, interrupting guitar riffs, and a consistent electronic baseline, The Albertans have crafted a “certified banger,” as the kids say. If you want to let your mind go blank and have a little bit of purity wash over you, listen to this. 

Driving Into The Sun - Grady

A reckless, youthful escapade. One of my favorites from one of my favorite artists. Grady has that alternative touch that subscribes to no real “rules,” but lures you in with a damn good song regardless. “Driving Into The Sun” is a car racing down the Amalfi Coast, scarves and sunhats flapping in the wind all the while. It captures a summertime freedom of salty swims and yearning in between sunburns. A true “summer crush high” vision.

Immensità - Andrea Laszlo de Simone

A float amongst the stars. The album cover is perfect for this one. It captures the music effortlessly. Simone is one of those artists I found accidentally and has since lodged himself in my heart. “Immensità” is a consideration of existence. That’s as simple as I can put it. A soft, eternal comfort of a song that makes you feel like you’re floating all the way back to your very childhood. Flashes of grandparents and sunrises and springtime meadows, they’ll all find you here.

Moonlight in Vermont - Sarah Vaughan

Clarified, overwhelming beauty. Sarah Vaughan remains atop the musical pantheon in my estimation. No one ever sang like her, and none have since. She’s one of those artists who championed jazz, opera, blues, latin, you name it. Her version of “Moonlight in Vermont” is easily the best there is. It affronts you almost immediately, overwhelming the senses with that first note: clear as crystal. It will make you weep with joy.  

Gone with the Wind - Betty Carter & Ray Bryant

A whisper in the wind. Betty Carter and Ray Bryant deliver this bellowing, delicious melancholy. She captures something deeply sensory, something enveloped by the lyrics and that dusty, cold sorrow between musical notes. There is something insistent about her slow, patient course, imploring you to sit and listen with all your attention. Not to mention that final note… it’ll leave you shuddering indefinitely. If Sarah Vaughan’s voice is silk, Betty Carter’s is absolutely velvet.

About Yesterday - Grady

A snow-speckled hug. I had to include this one because it’s essentially the antithesis of “Driving Into The Sun.” Grady has that classic monotone that does well with his musical idiosyncrasy, and here it comes through as tender, like the gentlest embrace of a dear friend. I also adore the album cover for this EP, as it perfectly encapsulates the feeling the song harnesses: that quiet desire to see a loved one again, to hug them, and to tell them about your day.

Upside Down - Jack Johnson

We all know why this is on here.

Silence - Pop Club

An arcade kind of nostalgia. I broke the cardinal rule for this one. I only ended up listening because I loved the cover art. It was just too whimsical for me not to give it a try. Pop Club’s sound is invariably too unique to not love… “Silence” focuses on a past emotional turmoil that is wrapped in the absurdism of the music itself. From the unexpected synthesizers to the guitar and percussion, there is a kind of childhood “arcade noise” effect that it leaves.

Winston - CVC

A strange, intimate friendship. Oh, Winston. If I could put every song from this album on here, I most certainly would. CVC is one of those bands that takes you through all areas of rock and what it can be. I highlight “Winston” because it’s warped. It’s edgy. It’s soft and cool, but gets your blood pumping too. In a way, it sounds like your best friend’s surprisingly awesome single that just enchants you. And then, as if that weren’t enough, imagine they recorded it backwards. 

Caviar - Dogpark

Delicious rock. Who doesn’t love indie rock? Dogpark is that kind of band you want to go to Nightclub “101” on a Wednesday night to see by accident. 

And “Caviar” is sex on a stick. Plain and simple.

Can’t You Hear Me Knocking - The Rolling Stones

I mean, do I even have to explain this one? I would be remiss to even think of excluding The Stones. So here’s the sexiest selection from the sexiest band of all time, which I believe makes this the sexiest song of all time.

In a Manner of Speaking (feat. Camille) - Nouvelle Vague

A rhythm to do a puzzle to. The bossa nova keeps a clear, distinct concentration and Camille’s vocals are sensual and enticing throughout. The lyrics follow the universal struggle of finding the right words to tell oneself both nothing and everything. There is intrigue, there is movement, and there is peace.

Sogno l’amore - Andrea Laszlo de Simone

That beautiful, addictive tragedy. Needed to include one more of Simone because he is one of those artists that captures distinct scenario. Picture a small Italian village. Children laughing. Bell towers tolling. Somewhere there is a confession of love on a balcony. Somewhere else is a swim in the sea. Ripe fruit and funereal beauty. This is the kind of song an arsonist in a movie listens to while he lights up. It is drama. It is breath. It is memory. It is magnificent.

Get Misunderstood - Troublemakers

Noir chaos. This one could have been in Birdman or Whiplash honestly. Immediately, it’s one of those intriguing and slightly unhinged jazz selections that quickly mellows itself out into something orderly. Imagine the detective has just left the smoke filled bar and is braving the wind outside for the sake of the hunch. He’s whipped and bitten by the cold, but he persists…

Mezzanine - The Technicolors

A comforting, liminal space. I consider this entire song a waking dream; to imagine a child is out in the halls of an opera or ballet house while everyone else is watching the performance. No one around. Closed doors. Winding carpets. Every now and then some music comes through a wall. It is a simple, winding dream, lit by chandeliers and adventurous curiosity. 

I’m Out to Get You - Robin Trower

A search for someone in a crowded room. Everyone say thank you to The Leftovers for this one! Another rock classic, and one that’ll get you swaying your pelvis before you realize it. It’s sexy, it’s deadly, it’s the perfect pace for stalking out some prey, and The Leftovers has already proven this.

Float (feat. Sean Kuti & Egypt 80) - Janelle Monáe

A toast to the self. A song to truly get you out of your funk. Something to get down to when you need to get down. Throw on sunglasses and use a hairbrush as a microphone kind of moment. Janelle Monáe always ensures that everything hits, everything laughs, everything is a celebration of something. So here’s a celebration of a celebration.

Man on the Moon - Zella Day

Freedom in a can. I would say the effect this one has is not unlike that of David Bowie’s “Heroes.” Pure exaltation of the self. One of those tunes to run down the street laughing out of pure relief. The wind on your back, the sun on your skin. Vitamin D in a song, really.

DARE (feat. Shaun Ryder) [Radio Edit] - Gorillaz

You know those songs that everyone says they should play in the club? This is one of those. Easily a level of funk that gets you wiggling immediately, on the level of Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines.” Put your arms up over your head and enjoy.

Da Fonk (feat. Joni) - Mochakk

Another prime example of “they should play this in the club.” House lover or not, these funky vibrations will have you getting down instinctively and without hesitation. It really can’t be helped.

Le Feu - Walter Astral

A bewitchment. I was intoxicated from the first moment I listened to this song, imagining a woman dancing by a fire. Walter Astral combines technological bass and acoustic banjo to bring out the psychedelic magic of the soul. One of those songs that worms into your ear and beats from within, enchanting you like a lullaby.

Blast Off - Gesaffelstein & Pharrell Williams

A futuristic brain teaser. Like you’re in the batmobile racing through Gotham, lights crossing over your face in intervals, chasing the Joker. It also works for the villainesque scenario: the master plan is in action and the countdown has begun. Honestly if you want to just feel like you’re being elevated, in whatever way that means to you, this is the one.

You Know What - N.E.R.D

Another Pharrell classic, and N.E.R.D is essential regardless. This is something to mix into the aux queue that’s a guaranteed crowd pleaser. Someone will get up and start dancing, someone else will ask you who this song is by, and the soft funk will steep a little more, putting everyone in a solid mood. Think a hip hop equivalent of Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”.

Got to Give It Up - Marvin Gaye

Speaking of the man himself… I just had to include this because there will never not be time for Marvin Gaye. The best from the best. Immediately getting down, immediately shaking a leg, immediately cutting a rug. No point in being anything other than in the mood when this song is on, so just turn it on.

CHIHIRO - Billie Eilish

A walk through space and time. I know everyone went googoo for “WILDFLOWER” and “BIRDS OF A FEATHER” when this album dropped, but “CHIHIRO” remains the slept-on hero of the album, in my opinion. It is meditative, it is intimate, it is distorted. It harkens back to her initial work and rebirths itself in a new and electronic way. The synth alone will have you floating through your mind.

LCD - The Hails

A spot of hope for when you’re feeling blue. Definitely one of my favorite soft rock selections, and it will meet you where a sigh of relief and a trembling lip of sorrow converge. The lyrics are poetically simple, the melody is soothing and warm, and there is an infinite sense of reassurance about this one. It is a wonderful reminder to stop and smell the roses.

The Man I Love (Unplugged) - Hindi Zahra

A gorgeously intimate daydream. Everyone has those moments of playful fantasy—young and old alike—of some kind of perfect romance. The chords of this rumination allow the lyrics to shine right through, humming about a cozy home, a loving embrace, a man to love. Zahra’s voice is pure butter, which only enhances the soft and patient beauty of this cover. 

Jolene - Ray LaMontagne

An equally tender love story. I first heard this song when I was a child, and it brings me right back every time I hear it again. LaMontagne has an honest and soulful rasp, and the lyrics here are just as pertinent, raw, and romantic as you could ever hope for them to be. Something to slow dance to, something to stair out the passenger seat window to, something to listen to while cooking dinner. It is a perfect tale, told perfectly.

Sparks - Jesse Woods

The most beautiful love song ever written (in my humble opinion). From the getgo, you’ll breathe out in wonder. The lyrics present a simple and emotional tableau of traveling and missing your love. Of wishing you can take their eyes with you on an adventure, if only to show them what you see. I consider this the most tangible song I’ve ever heard, as though it’s a postcard you can tuck right into your jeans.

Masterpiece - Sault

If unconvinced by the title, prove yourself wrong by giving it a listen. Sault has a way of inducing a kind of hypnosis in their songs, “Masterpiece” being perhaps the most obvious example of this. It’s a flavor so familiar you can’t quite place it, a perfume stuck in the hair, an evening that lingers just beyond its bedtime. It haunts you in the sleepiest of ways, and just when you expect it to end, it moseys on for just a little longer. The outro is, in a word, exquisite.