“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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/hellosistermusic/
Website: https://www.hellosistermusic.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hellosistermusic/

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

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/quinnie
Website: https://www.deepseaquinnie.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quinnie/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@q.uinnieb

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

“SHADOW” by SAMSARA – A Song Feature

 

     From the initial bars of the song, it is immediately evident that “SHADOW” is hook-heavy Rock. Based in New York, SAMSARA wastes no time as the guitar kicks in and is soon joined by power percussion. Then as the song progresses, the band flexes other muscles. Their compositional skills shine through beginning at 1:44 with the uncompleted statement “Sometimes I feel okay, sometimes I feel alright, but then I just think back to that godforsaken…” At that time, the guitar that introduced the song makes a modified return, leading “SHADOW” into melodic dark territory. The vocals soon exhibit a strength and sustainability that only a select number of bands can match (Nothing But Thieves comes to mind). At 2:29, the song returns to its original upright driving position.
 
       The instruments and vocals are aligned with the lyrics. Has he been wronged? The most telling lines include the bookends to the above-mentioned uncompleted statement:

I see you in the shadow

Every time I close my eyes

And I wonder if I’ll ever see you

In the same light

Sometimes I feel okay

Sometimes I feel alright

But then I just think back

To that godforsaken night

 
      The members of SAMSARA are Dylan Trif, (lead vocals), Charlie LoMonaco (guitar, background vocals), John Devito (bass), Ben Bustamante (drums, background vocals), and Brendan Sandhovel (rhythm guitar). Their bio explains, “Charlie, Ben and John began playing music together at an early age through a local music school.  Years later they connected with Dylan and Brendan and formed what is now SAMSARA.” They draw their influence from several styles including grunge, funk, metal and alternative. SAMSARA's “alt sound” weaves grunge with today's modern rock.
 
     “SHADOW” by SAMSARA

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/samsara.nyc
Website: https://samsaranyc.com/
Bandcamp: https://samsaranyc.bandcamp.com/

“Overcome” by Nothing But Thieves – A Song Feature

 

      Nothing But Thieves released a second single from their upcoming fourth album “Dead Club City.” Based upon the singles, the band is moving in a more synth-heavy direction. We have a preference for their more guitar-based Rock, but we hope the transition works as well as it did for Van Halen in 1984.
 
     While talking about “Overcome,” the band said:
  "Overcome has always felt like a 'throw your stuff in a bag and get away' song. Dead Club City (the city) would definitely feel enticing for someone like that. We're all battling something, so having a song on the album that would describe why someone would want change felt right."
 
     The album is scheduled for release on July 7, 2023. “Dead Club City” is a concept album:
  “Through their forthcoming 11-track album and new singles ‘Overcome’ and ‘Welcome to the DCC,’ the band showcase their city-sized members-only club ‘Dead Club City.’ The album's tracklist and overall narrative is formed by different characters and story arcs from in and around the city. Is it a shared consciousness? Another planet? The next corporate wasteland? Heaven? Or somewhere else? Creatively engineered by the band themselves, the stories, themes and connections across ‘Dead Club City’ will be revealed in the lead-up to the album through songs, videos and artwork.

  Using the club as a focal point, it is easy to imagine the real-world meaning behind ‘Dead Club City.’ Themes such as advertisement, unity, internet culture, the music industry, ageing and politics, as well as escapism and change are highlighted by the alienation or privilege of a members-only club.”
 
     The members of Nothing But Thieves are Conor Mason (vocals, guitar), Joe Langridge-Brown (guitars), Dominic Craik (guitars, keyboard), Philip Blake (bass), and James Price (drums). We chanced into seeing the band at a bar during one of their visits to the San Francisco Bay Area. Our not-so-sneaky picture is included in this post.

 

      “Overcome” by Nothing But Thieves

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NothingButThieves
Website: https://www.nbthieves.com/

Lyrics of “Overcome” by Nothing But Thieves
I don't wanna fight
My money's in a bag in the back for you
The future's overdue
Yeah, I know that
Turn the engine on
Our song blaring out a dead radio
Singing "I need to know"
No turning back
 
I've been thinkin', babe, maybe you're right
When you said the pain weathers in time
We're just waitin' for a change to follow
We don't always get all that we want
Redefine my pain to something more
And we shall overcome as we've done before
 
Scrolling through a life I barely recognised from a hotel room
Took in the lonely view
Got unattached (hey)
Bringer of the calm
Your arms wrapped around when the fever took
Thought I was gone for good
You brought me back (back, back)
 
I've been thinkin', babe, maybe you're right
When you said the pain weathers in time
We're just waitin' for a change to follow
We don't always get all that we want
Redefine the pain to something more
And we shall overcome as we've done before (oh)
 
It's when we lean in, into the moment
It's when we're reachin' through the divide
It's when we begin feelin' the open
It's when the stranger's fallen behind
When we shake off the darkness and harness the light
 
I've been thinkin' babe, maybe you're right
When you said the pain weathers in time
We're just waitin' for a change to follow
We don't always get all that we want
Redefine the pain to something more
And we shall overcome as we've done before
And we shall overcome as we've done before
And we shall overcome as we've done before
 

“Sugar Pills” by From Our Hands – A Song Feature

 

      Up to and including the early half of the 1960s, the Folk genre was the platform for songs that effectively served as commentaries on societal woes. Now, socially conscious songs are sprinkled throughout the genres, with the largest grouping probably found in Hip-hop/Rap. “Sugar Pills” mounts its awareness on driving Rock guitar, power percussion, and vocals with varying degrees of aggressiveness. The band, From Our Hands, leaves no doubt regarding their dissatisfaction with activity on the internet. The lyrics are included in this post (above the YouTube video).
 
      The drums set an appealing rhythm at the start of “Sugar Pills,” with the guitar soon joining with a tenacious riff. Still, the vocals and lyrics define the power of the song. The song notes that people are too quick to judge others based merely upon their birthplace and they too often reach conclusions on the basis of headlines rather than facts. It’s tiresome engaging in internet arguments with people who have lost touch with reality. And we love the song's emphatic shout of “The cure for cancer is not the internet!”
 
      “Sugar Pills” is the first release from “Superheavy,” the upcoming album of From Our Hands. It has been almost 9 years since the band’s last album, “Individuals.” The member of From Our Hands are Matej Hoťka (vocals, guitar), Matej Turcer (guitar), Richard Klimo (bass), and Roman Kelemen (drums). They are based in Bratislava, Slovakia.
 
     “Sugar Pills” by From Our Hands  

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FOHofficial/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fromourhandsband/
Bandcamp: https://fromourhands.bandcamp.com/

Lyrics of “Sugar Pills” by From Our Hands
People have found a new buzz.
They're hooked on them headlines and thus
Ignore all the facts, that lie in front of their eyes.
Why do they do this to me?
 
I’m sorry but I’m getting bored
by all that shit. And what’s even worse
I find it useless to argue 'bout why
Sugar pills ain’t helping me.
 
You know, I’m sorry
But the Earth ain’t flat
And no diet’s stop your ageing, I’m sure.
 
It makes me worry
about the human race.
One thing you need to know…
The cure for cancer is not the internet!
 
Just get yourself a life.
Just get yourself a life.
 
Tell me please what’s all the fuss
'bout nations and flags?
With most of you I got nothing in common. So fuck!
Don’t draw your lines around me.
 
I’m sorry but I’m getting bored
by all that shit. And what’s even worse
don’t wanna argue with someone who lost
touch with reality.
 
I feel so sorry
for people like that.
The ones who judge you based on where you were born.
 
I always worry
that they're the same
as those that want you to know,
that the cure for cancer is the internet!
 
Just get yourself a life.
Just get yourself a life.
 
I see it everyday.
I fear it might be too late.
You can’t change something that’s broken from the start.
 
I see it everyday.
I fear it might be too late
For someone that has been broken from the start.
 
Just get yourself a life.
Just get yourself a life.
Just get yourself a life.
Just get yourself a life.
 

“Drive You Home” by Billy Raffoul – A Song Feature

 

     The vocals of Billy Raffoul possess a captivating ability to both project and attract presence. On one side of that statement, the soulfulness and passion in Raffoul’s voice demonstrate his emotional investment in the lyrical subject matter of a song. Simultaneously, his vocal qualities impact listeners, inspiring them to explore their own experiences, thus making the subject matter more personally relatable. “Drive You Home” triggers thoughts of friends and family who struggle with addiction.
 
      The lyrics of “Drive You Home” are included at the bottom of this post. They describe the pain of caring about and for a person with a substance abuse issue. The lyrics explain, “I miss you, but not who you are now.” Later, the most impactful revelation occurs:

Oh, I won’t say goodbye till I know you’re alright

Oh, I won’t say goodbye but I won’t watch you die

 
     Instrumentally, “Drive You Home” features skillful guitar fingerpicking. At times, the energy of the percussion and the richness of the song contrast with the vulnerability of the message.
 
     Billy Raffoul is a native of Ontario, Canada, but has spent time in Nashville and Los Angeles. As the son of solo artist Jody Raffoul, Billy spent his childhood immersed in the finer points of rock history, watching his father perform and learning to play guitar himself. By his late teens, he began performing around his hometown of Leamington, Ontario and nearby, writing songs and honing his stagecraft. He spent the latter part of the 2010s delivering a succession of increasingly popular EPs and singles like "Acoustic" and "Dark Four Door," which were streamed in the millions.
 
     “Drive You Home” comes after Raffoul’s March 2023 EP “I Wish You Were Here” and his Spring 2023 North American tour with American Authors. The EP features the captivating, up-tempo “We Could Get High,” the lush, soothing love song “Better,” the cinematic and soft title track “I Wish You Here,” and the pop-tinged “Bliss.” These songs were created alongside long-time collaborators Justin Zuccato and Mike Crossey and introduced a new chapter highlighting his vocals and his knack for telling stories straight from the heart. “Drive You Home” is a glimpse of the future as we can continue to watch Raffoul’s journey as an artist.
 
     “Drive You Home” by Billy Raffoul

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BillyRaffoul
Website: https://billyraffoul.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billyraffoul/

Lyrics of “Drive You Home” by Billy Raffoul
You don’t remember and so I paint the scene
Poor illustrator so I take liberties
Like half in the tank, half in the bag, what a drag
 
I miss you but not who you are now
The real you, I haven’t see ‘em round
Just have a ball and laugh it off
Sometimes
 
Sometimes I wanna kill you if that bottle doesn’t
I wish I didn’t love you but it’s not an option
I can never be the one to say “It’s time to go”
But I’ll always be the one to drive you home
I’ll always be the one to drive you home
I’ll always be the one to drive you home
 
November comes blowing through the trees
Like a reminder that everybody leaves
And you’re on your own to fend them off
But not tonight
 
Sometimes I wanna kill you if that bottle doesn’t
I wish I didn’t love you but it’s not an option
I can never be the one to say “It’s time to go”
But I’ll always be the one to drive you home
I’ll always be the one to drive you home
I’ll always be the one to drive you home
 
Oh, I won’t say goodbye till I know you’re alright
Oh, I won’t say goodbye but I won’t watch you die
 
Sometimes I wanna kill you if that bottle doesn’t
I wish I didn’t love you but it’s not an option
I can never be the one to say “It’s time to go”
But I’ll always be the one to drive
 
Sometimes I wanna kill you if that bottle doesn’t
I wish I didn’t love you but it’s not an option
I can never be the one to say “It’s time to go”
But I’ll always be the one to drive you home
I’ll always be the one to drive you home
I’ll always be the one to drive you home