Nocturnal Sounds

Music of the night comes in many forms. It's the music you listen to to fall asleep. It's the music you're mindlessly tapping your pencil to when you're up at three, cramming for tomorrow's exam. It's the music you're cruising to, late night, windows down. It's the music you're dancing to at the nightclub and/or rocking out to in your bedroom. It's the music that accompanies you when you've struck creative gold and spend all night perfecting a drawing.

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Nightly Sounds - All About It ft. Ed Sheeran sung by Hoodie Allen

Now, please be warned That every song I feature on has capacity to be reborn I said that anything can happen when I pick up a pen But now I'm all about love so won't you say it again

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Nightly Sounds - Lonely sung by Akon

Never thought that I'd be alone, I didn't think you'd be gone this long, I just want you to call my phone, so stop playing girl and come on home

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[Album Review] Sir Sly's You Haunt Me

My first encounter with Sir Sly was actually live when I attended The 1975 concert in April and they were one of the special guests. I even serendipitously met the lead singer, Landon Jacobs, who was happy to sign their Haunt EP vinyl for and take pictures with me. From then on, I was hooked and awaited patiently for a full fledged album. And the indie pop band, hailing from Los Angeles, delivered: first teasing me with the You Haunt Me music video then finally dropping their debut album.

Released: September 16th, 2014 Similar to: Wolf Gang, Bad Suns, Fyfe Overall Rating: ★★★★★ Why the stars? Sir Sly has a gift for blending eclectic beats and dark synths. The only word that comes to mind in describing their unique sound is ethereal. In most videos on their Youtube channel, their music is accompanied by looped scenic shots and nothing else. And it doesn't need that something else. Landon Jacobs' distinct voice sets their sound apart from other bands and offers a contrast from their misty instrumental backing. This significant contrast is intriguing and lures the listener into a state of harmony.

For track by track review, please continue reading.

Ghost Although not one of my favourite songs from them, I do enjoy listening to it from time to time and adding it in a few playlists. It's a good song to, like the name implies, float to. (4/5)

Gold If I am going to be completely honest, this song has been driven into my brain so much, especially now that it's in the Cadillac commercial, that I now click NEXT every time I hear that his mouth is made of metal. Which is unfortunate because it deserves just as much love as the rest of the album and is clearly a crowd favourite. (3/5)

You Haunt Me This song was the teaser to this album and it worked. When this song was released, my excitement for the full Sir Sly album was renewed. It's extremely catchy despite being such a ominious song. (5/5)

Found You Out Before the full album has made its way to a release, this was my favourite songs from them and still is. The change in pace prevents the song from sounding dull. I especially love the last verse. "I fell in love but soon I met you. Now I'm over it." (5/5)

Nowhere / Bloodlines Pt. I The beat to this song is addicting and becomes an anchor while the rest of the song stimulates ethereal floating (you'll understand towards the end). I do have to say that the outro into Bloodlines Pt. I isn't as awkward as Pt. II. (4/5)

Inferno Probably the most different song on the album but not that different is a bad thing. This song is certainly more fast-paced than the others with a haunting undertone. Though with a feature like MSMR's Lizzy Plapinger, it's hard for this song to be anything short of genius. (5/5)

Leave You Awkwardly enough, his voice doesn't work in this song as it does in the others. What saves this song is the instrumental. Otherwise, nothing stands out for me. The lyrics are boring and the voice is drowned out. (2/5)

Floods A little too repetitive and droning in both aspects of instrumental and lyrics for my taste. But the verse starting at 2:13 will be the reason why I haven't benched this song quite yet. “They say that no one’s an island themselves, that’s the reason I came to you when you know that I needed help.” Wow. (3/5)

Too Far Gone One of my favourite songs on the album. It grabbed my attention during my first run-though of the album and I found myself listening to it over again and again. (5/5)

Helpless/Bloodlines Pt. II While the overall theme of the album is the dark and ominous tones and lyrics, most of the other songs had more of a chill vibe whereas this one reminds me of leather and absinthe. (4/5)

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Nightly Sounds - Good Thing sung by Sam Smith

Too much of a good thing won't be good for long Although you made my heart sing to stay with you would be wrong

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Nightly Sounds - What Would You Do? (City High Cover) sung by Bastille

And his daddy's gone somewhere smokin' rock now, In and out of lock down, I ain't got a job now, So for you this is just a good time But for me this is what I call life

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Nightly Sounds - Black And Gold sung by Sam Sparro

I look up into the night sky I see a thousand eyes staring back And all around these golden beacons I see nothing but black

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Nightly Sounds - The Mess (The 1975 Remix) sung by The Naked and Famous

And how does it feel to be on the fault line? And how do we heal now we're on the decline? 'Cause it's a hell of a long way to fall just to learn to get up And I'm not gonna forgive you for all of the things that you've done

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Nightly Sounds - Falling sung by Haim

But now I'm falling Into the fire feeling higher than the truth I can feel the heat but I'm not burning Feeling desire, feeling tired, hungry too

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Nightly Sounds - Begging For Thread sung by Banks

I know my disposition gets confusing My disproportionate reactions fuse with my eager state That's why you wanna come out and play with me, yeah Why?

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Nightly Sounds - I Want You Back sung by Yuna

It's giving you a heart attack Hate myself for doing that You're the best thing I ever known

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Hello Audiophiles!

I'm sorry about the brief hiatus but life decided to bombard me with different little hurdles (start of school, visit from a distant family member, and a last minute trip to SF). But I'm currently writing my review for The Naked and Famous concert that I went to on August 29th and the daily Nightly Sounds will also resume starting tonight so stay tuned.

- M 

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Nightly Sounds - Woman sung by The 1975

She mistakes my name I see the light come around Strange as it seems, I'm bursting at the seams

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Nightly Sounds - Holding On To You sung by Twenty One Pilots

Tie a noose around your mind loose enough to breathe fine and tie it, To a tree, tell it, "You belong to me, This ain't a noose, this is a leash, And I have news for you, you must obey me."

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Nightly Sounds - All My Life sung by Nizlopi

And I'm wandering in the dark now 'cause I'm looking for you still In my heart I'm longing to walk up this hill I really can't pull out the thorn, love

All my life

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Nightly Sounds - Holes sung by Passenger

I know a woman with kids around her ankles and a baby on her lap She said one day her husband went to get a paper and the motherfucker never came back

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Nightly Sounds - Till Sunrise sung by Goldroom

In the West, I could see clear A vision of us in a slipstream And through the haze, you met me here Show me the way that you want it

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Fresh Off The Press - bad_news sung by Bastille

It's currently 3 AM in California (West coast represent) right now and yet I'm up for the new release of Bastille's single bad_news. Even while I'm fighting for the last few minutes of consciousness, I was very excited to give the song a listen as soon as it had popped onto my Facebook news feed. And I was not disappointed. The beginning didn't seem very familiar in that Bastille-esque way without the rich bolster of Dan Smith's voice but if one delved in the two-part cover album that the band had previously released, it was like coming home. It is more processed than other songs off the Bad Blood album but I can still dig it