“Ordinary Creature by Of Monsters and Men – A Song Feature

 

     In celebration of the third day of an extended weekend in the U.S., it’s appropriate to feature a song from an Icelandic band that has seen the fruits of its labor (we recognize that it’s a weak justification). According to Of Monsters and Men, “Ordinary Creature” is about the feeling of yearning for that someone that brings you comfort. It’s about when you start feeling better after a period of not feeling so great. That moment when you start coming back to yourself again and remembering what it’s like to be an ordinary creature.
 
     Of Monsters and Men comprise lead singer and guitarist Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir, singer and guitarist Ragnar "Raggi" Þórhallsson, lead guitarist Brynjar Leifsson, drummer Arnar Rósenkranz Hilmarsson, and bassist Kristján Páll Kristjánsson.
 
     “Ordinary Creature by Of Monsters and Men

Lyrics of “Ordinary Creature by Of Monsters and Men
[Verse 1: Nanna Bryndís Hilmarsdóttir]
I was on a train
Heading through the veins of your heart
You were looking in
But the passenger window was dark
 
[Pre-Chorus: Nanna & Ragnar þórhallsson]
Slow swim in sloe-gin, getting lost in the labyrinth
I've been grinnin' through Easter like an ordinary creature
Farewell, my dreaded fear
Thank you, but I'm out of here now
 
I wish I could run to your house when it gets dark out
I wish I could run to your house when it gets dark out
 
I was in a dream
Swimming up the stream to your door
Flowers in the window
Sweater on the bed, what's your day like?
What's your day without all your problems?
 
Slow life in low tide, gettin' back to my clementine
I've been strolling the beaches like an ordinary creature
Farewell, my dreaded fear
Thank you, but I'm out of here now
 
I wish I could run to your house when it gets dark out
[Repeating]
 
I wish I could run to your house when it gets dark out
I've been dancing with you like an ordinary creature
I wish I could run to your house when it gets dark out
Like an ordinary creature
I wish I could run to your house when it gets dark out
[Repeating]
When it gets dark out
 

“Turn Off the Tears” by Vân Scott – A Song Feature

 

     The motivation for “Turn Off the Tears” came from his sister and the lyrical spark stemmed from his uncle, inspiring Vân Scott to maximize both his production mastery and his vocal prowess. It’s true of all songs, but particularly ones intended to motivate the listener – the details hold the power to transform “entertaining” into “personal and stirring.”
 
     Some details are readily apparent, such as the brief reverberating burst (at 1:02) that definitively separates the chorus from the following verse. Other details are subtle-yet-impactful, such as at 1:46, when the vocals convert from lo-fi to high resolution after the first syllables of “Are you gonna keep on crying your eyes out?” There isn’t an obvious explanation for the resolution shift, but its existence is effective.
 
     Vân Scott is the performance moniker of Scott Oatley. The explanation of “Turn Off the Tears,” states:
  “The song began as a request from Scott’s sister, Kayt, to help express ‘what it’s like to go through pain that no one else understands.’ Kayt’s life was put on pause in 2017 while she reeled from the setbacks and mental hurdles caused by a traumatic brain injury. After enduring 12 more concussions over the next 7 years, she managed to persevere through the darkest nights of the soul to once again ‘start living in the light,’ a heartfelt cry found in Scott’s chorus.”
 
     The lyrics at the bottom of this post are clear reflections of the sister’s request, particularly the first two verses. Regarding the uncle’s role in the song:
  “The title ‘Turn Off the Tears’ was inspired by a comically familiar phrase from Scott and Kayt’s childhood. Those same words were once shouted by their uncle to a car full of bickering cousins, quickly pacifying the whiney breakdowns that would erupt from the back seat. Scott, however, flips the nostalgic yet negative context of the phrase into a positive and uplifting mantra that wills oneself to persevere through life’s most trying times. According to Scott, it might be ‘the song that [Kayt] needed more than the song that she wanted. I hope that the song and the story behind it will be an encouragement to others who are struggling in their day-to-day lives to keep fighting and to never give up hope.’”
 
     Once a demo singer for Maroon 5, Scott’s voice and music has been featured in over 50 film and TV projects, including blockbuster film soundtracks for La La Land, High School Musical 3, and SING, and on hit TV shows like Black-ish, The Simpsons, and The Voice. He released his first full-length album Almost Gone in 2021, featuring the single "What's Coming Next?" that went on to become the Overall Grand Prize Winner of the 2021 USA Songwriting Competition.
 
     “Turn Off the Tears” by Vân Scott

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/VanScottMusic/
Website: https://www.vanscottmusic.com/
Bandcamp: https://vanscott.bandcamp.com/

Lyrics of “Turn Off the Tears” by Vân Scott
Sun’s been hiding in shadows
Like a walk to the gallows
Without a friend by my side
 
There’s a million questions
And they all feel like weapons
‘Cause no one knows what it’s like
 
Every day feels the same again
Like I’m going under
All of my doubts come flooding in
How long till I
 
Turn off the tears
Stop running
Stop running from the fear
Start living
Start living in the light
You don’t have to hide
‘Cause the sky is clear
Oh, it’s time to
Turn off the tears
 
I remember when dreaming
Didn’t mean I was sleeping
I’ve kept my eyes closed for so long
 
Don’t know what I’ve been missing
But my entire existence
Is just a shell of what it was
 
Turn off the tears
Stop running
Stop running from the fear
Start living
Start living in the light
You don’t have to hide
‘Cause the sky is clear
Oh, it’s time to…
 
Are you gonna keep on crying your eyes out?
Are you gonna keep on crying your eyes out?
Are you gonna keep on crying
Keep on crying
Keep on crying your eyes out?
 
Turn off the tears
Stop running from the fear
Start living in the light
You don’t have to hide
‘Cause the sky is clear
Oh, it’s time to
 
Turn off the tears
Stop running
Stop running from the fear
Start living
Start living in the light
You don’t have to hide
‘Cause the sky is clear
Oh, it’s time to
Turn off the tears
Turn off the tears
Turn off the tears
 

“How You Love Someone” by Pynch – A Song Feature

 

     While staying true to its core identity, “How You Love Someone” ventures into various sonic territories, most notably during its final 100 seconds. At 3:13, Pynch steer the single into an instrumental bridge, led by quick-tempo, lo-fi guitar. The aggressive bridge then seamlessly morphs into pulsating synth beneath distant, reverb-soaked vocals reflecting on a relationship that has run its course, but “ the world keeps turning anyway.” Then, the outro layers a more melodic synth against the pulse, before the track slips away with a Max Headroom-esque stutter effect.
 
     The final stretch of “How You Love Someone” reveals the creative spark of Pynch, though its charm is woven throughout, not confined to those last 100 seconds. The song opens with commanding drums, soon joined by jangly guitar, and by the time the vocals emerge, the track stands fully formed as an engaging triumph. When talking about their song, Pynch explained:
  “We wanted to continue the album campaign with 'How You Love Someone' because it shows a more vulnerable side of the band - a dissection of modern love, built on lo-fi guitars and new wave synths. It’s one of the most personal songs we've ever written, about the breakdown of an important relationship that ultimately couldn’t work, no matter how hard we tried. Produced and mixed in our home studio, this track represents a more cinematic and introspective side of our sound, building slowly but intentionally into a layered, heart-tugging outro.”
 
      The song will be on the album “Beautiful Noise,” which is scheduled for release on Friday October 3 on Chillburn Recordings. According to their Bandcamp page, the musical makeup for “How You Love Someone” comprised brothers Spencer Enock (vocals, guitar, synth) and Scott Enock (bass), along with Julianna Hopkins (drums, synth). James Rees also contributed synth to the single, however, Myles Gammon is the new member of London-based Pynch. The band says that “’Beautiful Noise’ is a document of a band unafraid to be vulnerable, ask questions, and create something messy, human, and quietly transcendent.”
 
     “'How You Love Someone” by Pynch

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PynchBand/
Bandcamp: https://pynch.bandcamp.com
Linktree: https://linktr.ee/Pynchband