September really flew by like migratory birds on an autumnal breeze. Speaking of autumn, the weather for most of last month did not have its normal chill. Found myself trying to find the fall feeling in the songs I was listening to. They each have this crisp and refreshing feeling biting into a semisweet apple straight off the tree.
“To Name All the Bees in the Backyard (For Barry)” by Biitchseat
I saw poster for a Biitchseat show in college after I had gotten into the Penn State DIY scene. I remember my friends were joking about how I should go see them because they were also from Ohio. I ended up going to another show that night, but I had them on repeat all that week. I was really drawn to them again this past month, especially their song “To Name All the Bees in the Backyard.” I love the imagery of this song; it really encompasses the theme of growing up and the feeling of being lost while clinging to the final threads of youth. The opening lines “You settled me down/ Lips pressed on my forehead/ You tell me I’ll go to sleep somehow,” really captured my attention and these feelings. I remember my parents soothing me when I had a nightmare the same way. Now I don’t have forehead kisses, but I have friends who will laugh at how ridiculously complicated everything is with me. It’s the little things we remember that make the moments we have a little less like scrapped knees and a little more like naming bees!
“Anywhere but Here” by Sour Fiction
The two singles “Anywhere but Here” and “Whispered and Fast,” have made me so excited for the release of Sour Fiction’s new album. Listening back to the last album “Nothing Sound” in comparison to the singles, Sour Fiction has really grown into their folky nostalgic sound and it is beautiful! Of the two singles, the bittersweet lyrics found in “Anything but Here” especially hooked me this past month. The lyrics “Everyday I feel further/ But I’m still wearing downing my shoes/ You can’t have a road with no direct/ But I’m seeing myself through,” really like this imagery and how it captures this feeling of not being able to escape the feeling that progress is the goal and there is no pausing. I enjoyed how Sour Fiction explores ideas like this and I will probably keep this song in rotation for a bit longer!
“Daunting” by Abel
When I was first getting into the local music scene of Columbus, I stumbled across Abel’s album “How to Get Away with Nothing” and absolutely loving it. “Daunting” was one of the first songs that really cemented my adoration of Abel and the creatives behind it. It has this energy to it that just encapsulates this feeling of anxiety. The slow creeping buildup of the guitar in the beginning mimics the pit that forms in your stomach as the rest of the band join in as this dread grows. The lyrics “I spent time again/On the stupidest thing” are exactly what I think of when I let go of the anxious thoughts. They were not really that bad. They just had a heaviness to them that “Daunting” replicates. It is because of this lingering weight that the breakdown at the end is so much more powerful. I had a wonderful time replaying “Daunting” and I highly recommend checking out Abel!
If you have any local music recommendations, please message me on the Howlite Instagram account! Stayed tuned for October’s recap!
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