Trending Tunes
Adele - “Hello”
If you go to Exeter, chances are you have heard this song already. It came out two weeks ago, and since then it has been stuck in everybody’s head. Everybody has been talking about it, listening to it or singing it on the paths—and for good reason. It may be a little too soon to tell, but “Hello” could be one of the best songs I have ever heard from Adele, right up there with “Skyfall,” which has been my favorite Adele song for a while.
“Hello” opens with ominous piano chords, sparse vocals and a lot of dramatic pauses. As the verse progresses, it becomes more emotional and the suspense builds up for the chorus, where a full band comes in and Adele’s voice rises in intensity. Her delivery in the chorus is incredibly powerful, and it provides a nice contrast to the slow, drawn-out verses. Overall, “Hello” is a fantastic song, and if it’s not already on your playlist, it should be.
Vampire Weekend - “I Think Ur A Contra”
Vampire Weekend is a fairly popular and well-appreciated band, both at Exeter and in general, and I consider myself a pretty big fan of their work. I think a lot of people, myself included, however, focus a lot on their first album and their third, most recent album, so their second album, “Contra,” goes fairly ignored much of the time. But, if you listen to the track that lends the album its title, “I Think Ur A Contra,” I think you will be persuaded to give the album a chance.
“I Think Ur A Contra” is a slow, electronic ballad with sweeping synths and meandering vocals. At the beginning, it is rather chaotic and disorgainzed, but it all falls into place when a drum track comes in alongside more layers of instrumentation. It is very different from much of Vampire Weekend’s work, but it still has some of the distinctive Vampire Weekend sound, and it is still just as good as their more well-known songs.
The Paper Kites - “Leopold Street”
The Paper Kites are a relatively underground indie rock band from Melbourne, Australia. “Leopold Street” is an upbeat, cheerful song that combines acoustic and electric elements in a very effective way, with a vocal melody that can get stuck in your head for days. The Paper Kites deserve more attention. If you need to be convinced, take a listen to “Leopold Street.”
Drake - “Jungle”
I’m sure there are not many people at Exeter who haven’t heard at least a few songs from Drake’s surprise mixtape from last year, “If You’re Reading This, It’s Too Late.” Songs like “Know Yourself,” “Legend” and “6 God” have continued to be referenced and played out of dorm room speakers even into this year. “Jungle,” however, is one song from this album that did not receive the recognition it deserved. As one of the only emotional songs on the album, it provides a very interesting contrast to the rest of the album, and it makes for a worthwhile listen, for a song that you may have forgotten about.