Trending Tunes

Sleeping At Last - “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)”Many people will know the song “I’m Gonna Be (500 Miles)” in its original form: an uptempo, upbeat, lighthearted song with a catchy chorus, performed by the Scottish band The Proclaimers in 1988. This cover presents a reimagining of the song; no longer an upbeat karaoke anthem, the song is presented as a slow piano ballad, providing a much more emotional take on the track. This is tough to pull off, as it would be to completely reinvent any classic song, but Sleeping At Last pulls it off. The concept of a slow cover of “500 Miles” may seem like a joke, however, it is anything but; this is a very compelling and well-made song that I recommend highly.Simon and Garfunkel - “America”“America” is often cast aside amongst other songs in Simon and Garfunkel’s discography, in favor of their bigger hits such as “The Boxer,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water” and “The Sound of Silence,” but in no way is “America” a song to be ignored. Paul Simon is known for his lyric-writing proficiency, and this song shows him at his best: “Counting the cars on the New Jersey Turnpike, they’ve all come to look for America.” This is an inspiring song, not happy per se, but deeply hopeful, which explains why presidential candidate Bernie Sanders chose the song for a recent campaign ad, bringing some people’s attention to the song (including my own). But even if you do not support Bernie Sanders, this song is still well deserving of a spot on your playlist.The Lumineers - “Elouise”As I wrote about in my article last week, The Lumineers have recently announced an album for the first time since their 2013 self-titled debut, with a single called “Ophelia.” This news prompted me to go back to the original album after not having listened to it for a while, and I discovered a deluxe version on Spotify which I had not been aware of until then. “Elouise” was one of the bonus tracks on this version, and I found it to be on par with some of the best songs on the actual album. As this song flew under many people’s radar (including, somehow, my own) I encourage anyone who has not heard it to go back and give it a listen. It’s worth it.Lil Dicky - “Truman”There is a common perception of Lil Dicky as a joke rapper, and I do not believe that this is fair. Many of his songs are intended to be comedic, but his music is not a joke, so to speak. Lil Dicky is an extremely talented rapper whether or not his lyrics are written to be funny, and on the song “Truman” he makes this apparent, with no intention of joking around. Backed by a fantastic, soulful beat which he produced himself, Dicky gets uncharacteristically personal on this song while delivering his signature smooth flow and thoughtful lyrics and also brings an explosive energy to the mic, which comes out as the song goes on. The track is ten minutes long, but the latter five minutes consists of a comedic sketch; I would implore anyone who writes off Lil Dicky as a joke to take a serious listen to the first five minutes of the song, and I am willing to bet it will change your opinion.