“Que Sera, Sera” by Thrillhouse – A Song Feature

 

     Thrillhouse has amassed a passionate following after a string of appealing singles over a span of more than three years. Yet, we are prepared to argue that the UK band is getting stronger and put its best foot forward with the release of “Que Sera, Sera.” The argument is primarily supported by two load-bearing pillars.

 

     Firstly, as evidenced by the Soundcloud waveform, the song is a progressive intensity build. At the start of “Que Sera, Sera,” the instruments are peaceful, and the vocals are quietly reflective. However, as the song unfolds, it gradually builds up an edginess and intensity, peaking with the guitar lick at 3:20. The song concludes with a brief decrescendo, leaving the listener with a desire to repeat the journey.

 

     Secondly, “Que Sera, Sera” holds a greater emphasis on the backing vocals than other singles from Thrillhouse. The depth of the lead vocals from Sam Strawberry is a consistent strength of the band. But this track stands out with its compelling use of octave contrast in the vocals, enhancing the richness and textured sonic experience of the Thrillhouse sound.

 

     Taking a short historical side path, in 1956, the phrase "Que sera, sera" entered the vernacular of the working-class English-speaking population to express “What will be, will be.” It gained popularity as the title of a Doris Day song, which featured lyrics reflecting upon various stages of a person's life. Interestingly (to us anyway), the song release was nearly a decade before Frank Sinatra's rendition of "It Was A Very Good Year," which is widely regarded as the most renowned songs exploring the progression through one's lifetime.

 

     Thrillhouse is moving toward their release of the album, “Something About This Place.” Each song on the album tells a story and evokes an emotion. “Que Sera, Sera” is the closing track. The band explains that the song is about “the transition from youth to adulthood and all the emotions accompanying the transition. Lamenting forgotten dreams, wasted opportunities, and painful memories whilst trying to look forward to what's still to come, even if that can be hard to see.”

 
      “Que Sera, Sera” by Thrillhouse 

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“Things You Never Said” by Hello Sister – A Song Feature

 

     It is easy to be enamored with their music before being charmed by their backstory. All within the initial 30 seconds of “Things You Never Said,” Hello Sister sequentially showcase their vocal prowess, feature a strong bass line, add power percussion, and ultimately unveil an electrifying guitar riff. Upon reaching a drop at the end of that intro, Hello Sister has built a high expectation upon which the body of “Things You Never Said” delivers.
 
     Lyrically, “Things You Never Said” intelligently addresses the challenges of how to operate within a toxic relationship. A portion of the lyrics are included at the bottom of this post. The vocal passion embraces the difficulties of the situation, and the instrumentation is consistently strong.
 
     The backstory? The members of Hello Sister are three sisters under the age of 17. They share the surname Mason. They are Grace (16) the bassist and lead vocalist, Gabriella (15) the electric guitarist, and Scarlett,14 the drummer. Hellos Sister is based in Orlando, Florida. 

     In an explanation of their song “Things You Never Said,” Hello Sister said:
  “’Things You Never Said’ brushes on the harsh truth of toxic friendships. It can be so hard when the ones you love so much are the same ones who end up stabbing you in the back. Writing this song was definitely a journey, with the first step being acceptance and denial. Was I just seeing things, or was my friend actually intentionally doing these things to hurt me? The second stage: why? What have I done wrong to ever be treated this way? And by someone I care about? And then stage 3: plan of action, do I speak up? (something I never ended up doing… which is why we have a song about it, LOL). I was completely aware of what she was doing to me, but at the same time, I just couldn’t picture myself ruining a friendship that mattered so much to me.
   Plus, it was hard to stand up to her, because what could even be said? I had no proof, because everyone around me wasn’t seeing this same version of her. I guess all I could come up with was “I know all the things you never said.” 
 
     “Things You Never Said” by Hello Sister

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Selected Lyrics of “Things You Never Said” by Hello Sister
You're the other half of my heart
Then you tear it apart
I'm falling into pieces
 
Wanna shut you out but I need you
Run away?
You'll always find me
 
I wish that you would light that fire
No one would have to find me
Why’s it so hard to live in the flames?
You find a way to burn it out
 
Nothing's a secret
A journal’s just things you never said
Not hiding from people
I know all the things you never said
You never said
You never said
Things you never said
You never said
 

“ribbons” by quinnie – A Song Feature

 

     “ribbons” has a composition that demonstrates a musician’s dedication to artistic fulfillment, prioritizing it over monetary gain. We are in an era characterized by listeners with short attention spans and a seemingly infinite number of song options. Musicians are aware that Spotify and other streaming platforms pay royalties only if a song reaches a certain minimum playing time. So, captivating song intros have never been more important to the financial well-being of musicians. However, “ribbons” does not include an intro, and the initial 50 seconds of the song from quinnie are basically free of any embellishments or ornamentation. The lush texturing of her song is withheld until its final minute.
 
     As an explanation of her song, quinnie said, “‘ribbons’ is about being exhausted with the time and effort it takes to present ‘feminine,’ and a desire to just be. i was inspired by joni mitchell’s ‘carey’ and the line ‘got me used to those clean white linens and my fancy French cologne,’ considering these motifs as markers of girlhood and feminine cleanliness.” The writing style exposes her disregard of the rules of capitalization. More importantly, the content of the writing shows her creativity and her willingness to embrace intimate subject matter. quinnie’s bio interestingly states:
   “[S]he can promise you this: the music is sentimental and earnest, with a sprinkle of playfulness and a truckload of honesty. Having wanted to be a marine biologist for most of her childhood years, quinnie’s music is greatly inspired by a love for the underwater world. quinnie hopes her music has the capacity to transport you to an array of biomes, whether it be the lush deciduous forests of New Jersey, or the vibrant tide pools she loves to explore in California. Above all else, she wants you to find beauty in the details: a smooth stone from the beach or a bolt found on the ground. Magic is all around us, you just need to know where to look.
 
      Instrumentally, the highlight of “ribbons” begins just after the three-minute mark. There is the sound of trumpet, and the acoustic guitar gives ground to Rock guitar. Vocally, the same segment of the song layers quinnie’s voice into a rich melancholic chorus.
 
      quinne is currently based in Los Angeles. The 22-year-old released her debut album in February 2023 called "flounder," which boasts breakout songs like "touch tank" and fan favorites "man" and "get what u get."
 
     “ribbons” by quinnie

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Website: https://www.deepseaquinnie.com/
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Lyrics of “ribbons” by quinnie
I took off my clothes and ribbons
To see what it looks like
I took off the face paint, no shame
It looks alright
 
I wore the same clothes
Ten days in a row
(One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten)
Seems like I'm the same
But I don't know
 
I'm tired of pretty dresses
I'm tired of clean white linens
I'm tired of pretty dresses
I'm tired of tying ribbons
 
I'm the smell of a coat from out in the cold
I'm a frozen mandarin, skin frosty and gold
No fun to be sexy on the websites
Whеn I know I always shine in the light
 
I'm tired of pretty drеsses
I'm tired of clean white linens
I'm tired of pretty dresses
I'm tired of tying ribbons
 
For as much as I'd like to vaporize
Sometimes I'm happy as a clam
Because I am
Ooh-ooh, ooh
 
I'm tired of pretty dresses
I'm tired of clean white linens
I'm tired of pretty dresses
I'm tired of tying ribbons
I'm tired of pretty dresses
I'm tired of clean white linens
I'm tired of pretty dresses
I'm tired of tying ribbons
I'm tired of pretty dresses
I'm tired of clean white linens
I'm tired of pretty dresses
I'm tired of tying ribbons