Tracklist and commentary under the cut!
I just want to preface this with a little fun fact--originally, I was only going to do one more playlist for this whole big series, and it was going to be a combo of Remy and Emile songs, chronicling their relationship through The Picani Sessions. And then... I realized that they weren’t going to fix their marriage, and so an intertwined playlist just wasn’t right. So then I thought, okay, I’ll just do a playlist for Emile.
Ha. Ha ha ha. Never underestimate the strength of my compulsion to make playlists for things, apparently.
1. Can You Keep Up--Blue Kid: Yes, fine, we all know by now that I enjoy Blue Kid and am taking this excuse to make others appreciate their music. This one’s for the beginning of Remy and Emile’s relationship, the early days where Remy’s feeling more carefree and happy. But also there’s a little sense of danger for him and he’s still very much using Emile to run away from his past, which I think is highlighted really well by the chorus of this one.
2. Pomegranate Seeds--Julian Moon: Funnily enough, for a song that’s sort of about the God of the Underworld, this song is more about the relationship Remy had with the Dark, not the End (not as much, anyway). The “devil” in this case being the Dark and its agents that Remy is trying to escape, which drives him straight into the arms of a different devil, the End.
3. For The Departed--Shayfer James: Yes, fine, I fit another Shayfer James song in here. So sue me. But listen. Listen. It’s good music. Also this one suits Remy very well, in my opinion, I didn’t just shoehorn it in, this one fits really well with the moment that Remy realizes his past is catching up to him and endangering Emile. Essentially, this is the moment when he leaves, as described in Off the Record’s “Fade To Black”.
4. Silver Platters--Les Gold: Remy’s completed transformation into a servant of the End, basically. The lyrics and tone of this song just feel very Remy, in terms of his attitude and the way he speaks, but of course there’s a lot of talk of bad choices, addiction, and changing yourself that align well with what he becomes as an Avatar as well. There’s also the irony of the solution Thomas offered (on a silver platter, one might say) leading to both his salvation and undoing, matching the sardonic feel of the song.
5. Sleepwalk--Forrest Day: This is the one that gets stuck in my head the most from this playlist, I think. This is Dream Reaper Remy doing his job, striking terror through people’s dreams. The intro and the spoken bit growing louder really has this great effect for raising tension, and the whole feel of the song especially with that particular section when it’s repeated kind of evokes the concept of sleep paralysis for me, which works really well with how I imagine Remy’s power works.
6. Pathetic--Blame Candy: This is where Remy’s growing resentment towards Emile’s reaction to his new powers and him trying to get them both into couples therapy really comes through. The lyrics are SO bitter, they place the blame of a failing relationship purely on the other person’s failure to meet the singer in the middle, which is exactly what Remy ends up doing, for a while at least. Also the line “You’re having trouble sleeping and I think I know why” just really tickled me in this context.
7. Full Metal Black--The Royal They: A continuation of the previous song’s theme in terms of Remy and Emile’s relationship reaching a breaking point. Part of the lyrics here are directed at Emile, but part of them are directed inwards and towards the End. Remy’s upset about the divorce, and he’s upset with everyone and everything.
8. Jeannie... You’re a Tragedy--The Scary Jokes: The companion piece to “Sylvia’s Just A Dying Fad” from Emile’s playlist, the same relationship after its end as seen from both sides. The anger’s cooled down, and now Remy’s just feeling down. He’s starting to acknowledge that there was some good that came from the bad, though, and to feel ready to properly talk to Emile about what happened between them.
9. Autoclave--The Mountain Goats: This is Remy’s realization that his serving the End did the exact opposite of what he intended. He’s driven everyone he cares about away because of his powers, not in spite of them. It happens offscreen, but this is his rejection of the End.
10. The Truth--36 Questions: I see this as Remy’s conversation with Emile, coming to terms with everything that’s happened, and seeking the help that he needs to move forward. This, Sleepwalk, and the Scary Jokes songs are the main elements that remained from the initial “combined” playlist I mentioned. This was always intended to be a duet between the two of them, working out their issues together and moving on to a healthier, but fundamentally different relationship.
11. So Alright, Cool, Whatever--The Happy Fits: ...Yeah, Remy’s not quite over Emile, but he also wants Emile to be able to be happy, so despite the fact that he “wants to be with” Emile, he’s gotta keep that to himself, and let Emile know that it’s okay to move on with Roman, and Remy’s gotta deal with his lingering feelings on his own, and that’s okay.
12. 2econd 2ight 2eer (that was fun, goodbye)--Will Wood: Again, this is happening offscreen, but this is Remy getting his mojo back and having fun in his new path in life! He’s fully letting go of what he had with Emile, in his memory it was fun, but now it’s time to say goodbye to what was and go on to new things. And he’s also getting over the Fears, he’s able to let those memories come and go in his mind like they’re no big deal. He’s shaking off the dust and figuring out what he wants to do next, and having fun with it.
13. Sometimes--Nick Lutsko: Just Remy reflecting on everything, all he’s learned about himself and what he’s gained and lost from the choices he’s made. He’s wiser, more cautious, and he’s prepared for whatever comes next.
