Thursday Tunes for our Times
Between the frigid Northern air and the harsh American political climate, I’ve felt reflective and introspective the past week. Sometimes it’s hard to stay still during these moments, but music helps me - and many others - handle them with style, grace and soul.
"Let me show you, show you the way/On the edge of darkness there's a brightest light." - Thundercat
While there are many policy changes I’m scared of in the coming years, I’m optimistic in the state of the arts. Barring the possible elimination of the NEA and the privatization of PBS and NPR, great art is created during times of chaos. The artist either thrives on chaos or uses their medium to make sense of things and either make peace with them or use their craft as an agent of change. Think of how art - visual, musical, written and otherwise - surged in the 1960s with the advent of the Civil Rights and Anti-War movements, and again in the 1980s (to a lesser extent) during the presidency of Ronald Reagan. The time has come today for creative people of all stripes and disciplines to band together to make monumental works, some of which we’re already seeing or are cued in to. Here are three songs - either from right now or pertinent to the moment - that I’ve kept on repeat or in mind recently.
“Show You The Way” - Thundercat (feat. Kenny Loggins and Michael McDonald): We are being called to consciousness. Thundercat knows it. Michael McDonald knows it. Heck, even Kenny Loggins knows it. These three musical forces collaborated on a track that dropped yesterday, “Show You The Way” off Thundercat’s upcoming album Drunk. I’ve seen Thundercat live twice, and love how he blends ‘70s flecked funk and R&B with looped melodies. It’s based in the language of hip-hop but steeped in the sounds of soul.
“Show You The Way’s” lyrics snake around direct references to modern issues, but the timing of the single’s release indicates a message behind the words and a call to presence and positivity during this time of chaos, unrest and fear. Think of Thundercat’s lines as the 21st century iteration of Leonard Cohen’s famed “Anthem” lyric - “There is a crack in everything, that’s how the light gets in.” When he sings “Let me show you, show you the way/On the edge of darkness there’s a brightest light,” Thundercat gives listeners a glimmer of hope to hold on to, that even though many of us feel weary and heavy right now, things can get better.
The Cover Up mixtape - Zuluzuluu: Local R&B collective Zuluzuluu merge classic consciousness with the sounds of the future on their Cover Up mixtape. Though the mixtape was released soon after the election, the tracklist gets at the fears and hopes of the American people that hit an all-time high on November 9. Take one look at the classic soul covers like WAR’s “The World is a Ghetto,” The O’Jays’ “Backstabbers” and The Stylistics’ “People Make the World Go ‘Round” and it’s clear that these songs from 40 years ago are as pertinent today as they were when they debuted.
What Zuluzuluu also understand is that we need a break from fighting for what’s right every once in awhile, and they threw in lazy Sunday morning jams like Weldon Irvine’s “Morning Sunrise” and party starters like Junior’s poppy “Mama Used to Say” as a recognizing of the need for joy, relief and relaxation. Resisting in style is a hard task and those who do so are not immune to burnout, and during these times it’s important to balance hard work with enjoying life.
“Universal Love” - Woods Empire: An obscure soul single from 1981, Woods Empire’s “Universal Love” has a slinky, polished disco beat with a smooth delivery of an important message: “We need love, universal love.” I was reminded of the song when shopping at MartinPatrick3 earlier this week and a remix of the tune played over the speaker. Knowing the song was obscure, I couldn’t believe my ears for a second. This led me to rediscover the tune and reevaluate its message for the 21st century.
What Woods Empire get at behind their simple message is the importance of universal dignity and compassion. We don’t do that by barring people from our country or erecting scary border walls - we do that by creating dialogues of respect and not engaging in “otherism.” I’ve heard some people spout on social media that respect is for the middle class, but that’s false. Sure, we can’t love everyone at every moment, but doing our best to be kind and understanding from a position of strength is universal love. And boy, do we need it.
Location: Spyhouse Northeast