Mellow

My starving ears may have its fill of euphoric, adrenalin-dripped thumping sounds of the dance floor. But when I am disarmed and my heart is exposed, the songs on my playlist mellow to these:

Natalie Walker - Colorblind

Heard the song played on Jam 88.3's A Different Sunday one evening and the melody got stuck in my ears ever since. The Counting Crow's cover speaks of someone's willingness to come into terms with herself - whatever her state of being. And that no matter how blurry her worldview has become, she longs for someone who would accept her for what she is.

    

Billie Myers - Kiss The Rain

Kiss The Rain, to many is a piano instrumental by Yiruma. But to those who were in their early twenties a decade ago, it was a Billie Myers signature that sent a lot of kids into fits of wrist cutting. According to Myers, she was listening to Bush's "Glycerine" one day and apparently misheard the chorus. Hearing the words "Kiss the Rain" instead of "Glycerine," she came up with a song that eventually would become her timeless contribution to music. 

Scala and Kolacny Brothers - Fake Plastic Trees

A fan of Homeland must have heard the angelic voices. Yes, the Belgian choir covered the Police's "Every Breath You Take." It was used for the season 2 teaser of the Emmy-awarded TV series. But before the choir rose to spotlight, their cover "Fake Plastic Trees" used to be a playlist favorite on Jam 88.3's A Different Sunday. 

The Wailing Jennys - The Parting Glass

Nothing beats a sound distilled to its bare essentials. It is for this reason A capella for me is one of the most moving and solemn forms of music. The Parting Glass was a splendid discovery. I was streaming YouTube when I came across The Walking Dead's season 3 trailer. The Wailing Jennys' haunting lullaby got me startled and typing the few words of the lyrics on Google lead me to the song's title.

The Parting Glass is an Irish and Scottish tradition. Often sung at the end of a gathering of friends, it reminds you that all good things must come to an end. 

Guster - Either Way

Guster is one of the hardly known alternative bands that made a dent when I still breathe in the closet. Their single, "Demon" was a song I used to play every time I need a reminder as to why deception is better than showing off your true skin. Many, many years later, I came across another of Guster's single and it touched me in ways a cold wind brushes the skin. Somber and cathartic; selfless to a fault, "Either Way invites a listener to curl up in bed and stare blankly at the wall as the heart re-evaluates the need to stay withdrawn so as to keep a frail side from being exposed.