Editor's Note, 1/23

As my final semester at Duke begins, I find myself turning to music as a means by which to reflect on the past three and a half years. My life has always had a soundtrack, as songs seem to explain what my own words, whether spoken or written, never can. As such, the need to process the end of my time at Duke may very well be the cause of my tremendous over-creation and over-sharing of Spotify playlists over the past months.

In keeping with the theme, I'll take another editor’s note to share a handful of my current favorite tracks with you all. They aren’t all new songs and are not in a carefully curated order. The only grand truth they manage to reflect is the contradiction in what I want as a second semester senior. Do I want to sit and drink wine with my friends by the fire, reminiscing and hypothesizing about the future, or do I just want to dance the last few months away? I’ve come to the conclusion that the two aren’t mutually exclusive, as you may notice below.

Oh, and I promise this isn’t all synth pop.

1. 'Drive All Night' by Glen Hansard (feat. Eddie Vedder and Jake Clemons)

This is a gorgeous new cover of the Springsteen original. It is performed by an unexpected combination of artists: Hansard, an Irish singer-songwriter; Vedder, the Pearl Jam frontman; and Clemons, nephew of the late E Street Band saxophonist. Despite this nominally odd group, reserve your skepticism until you’ve heard this soul-achingly beautiful cover. It's ideal for the cold dead of night when your mind just won't stop running.

I'll be bold and posit that if you like Bon Iver, you're guaranteed to like 'Comrade.' This doesn't feel like a stretch, as Justin Vernon’s voice is key to Volcano Choir’s "Repave," one of my top 20 albums of 2013. There’s more to Volcano Choir than just Vernon’s voice, though, and 'Comrade' exemplifies the emotion evoked by the group’s almost otherworldly vocals and instrumentals.

4. 'Cavalier' by James Vincent McMorrow

'Cavalier' is the single from McMorrow’s new album "Post Tropical." He drew me in a while back with his cover of Steve Winwood’s 'Higher Love,' and his new album showcases his beautifully sung lyrics with accompanying instrumentals to enhance the entire experience. (Experience really is the only word to describe "Post Tropical.")

5. 'Alive' by Empire of the Sun

Yes, this is a typical MC synth-y choice. But you know what? Empire of the Sun is back in all of their glory, and I will dance. That is all.

6. 'I Blame Myself' by Sky Ferreira

Sky Ferreira had me with 'Everything is Embarrassing' in 2012 and hooked me for good with the late 2013 release of her full-length album, "Night Time, My Time." I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Ferreira is what 2014’s good pop music should and hopefully will sound like.

7. 'Dancing Out' by French Horn Rebellion (feat. Jody Watley and Young Empires)

French Horn Rebellion define themselves as “two brothers who enjoy photoshopping French horns onto things they shouldn't be photoshopped on.” Jody Watley has reemerged with vocals on this song years after her time with ‘80s group Shalamar (of soundtracks for "Footloose" and "Beverly Hills Cop") and subsequent solo career. The result of this collaboration is a danceable song that flies in the face of those who have criticized the group’s work: “The trumpets, they said, were too loud…We're the right kids with the wrong sound.” I don’t hear anything wrong with the sound of 'Dancing Out.'

8. 'Tous Les Mêmes' by Stromae

I’ve been listening to the entirety of Stromae’s latest album on repeat, and this track is my current favorite. It’s French electronic/dance music accompanied by amazing norm-defying music videos. Good luck listening to 'Tous Les Mêmes' without getting addicted.

9. 'Repatriated' by Handsome Furs

This one is a few years old, but I’ll close with it because 'Repatriated' challenges the status quo in one of the catchiest rejections of inevitability that I’ve ever heard. “I've seen the future and it's coming in low / I've seen the future, I will never be repatriated.”