Toronto’s Jack Breakfast has recently released The Escapers, a 35-minute song cycle about familial disappointment, love, and ghosts. This is Breakfast’s fourth album, and his first release since 2003. Breakfast fancies himself an amateur naturalist, and enjoys taking photographs of waterbirds in all seasons.
Big Star / Kangaroo The sounds, the scratches, the ghostly strings, the hammering percussion, the purposeful errors in production and performance, the lyrics (silly and heartbreaking all at once, somehow) and on top of it all, riding above, Alex Chilton’s shimmering haunter of a voice. This song has been breaking my heart since I was a boy and has taught me so much about accidentally-on-purpose musical arrangement.
The Little Ones were formed in Los Angeles in early 2006. The summery-sounding band wear their influences (the Beach Boys, the Zombies) on their sleeves while composing some of the brightest indie rock of the new millennium.
Elbow / On a Day Like This We were in the UK when this record won the Mercury award. We finally picked up Seldom Seen Kid and were just floored. The whole record is really great and has such fantastic ideas going on. This song is so beautiful, lyrically and sonically. It’s been a permanent fixture in my morning routine. It just has that ‘I’m gonna take on the day’ vibe to it.
Former Split Enz frontman and Crowded House band member Tim Finn has delivered his most intimate album to date with his latest release, The Conversation. Recorded at Roundhead studios in Auckland and featuring just vocals, guitar, piano and violin, the record was co-produced by former Split Enz member Eddie Rayner.
The Kinks / Waterloo Sunset A perfectly formed melody with lyrics that contain just the right amount of yearning and apprehension. I read an interview with Ray Davies where he talked of how he was ill as a boy in hospital near Waterloo bridge. The nurse used to wheel him out on to the balcony to watch the sunset. The musical arrangement and production details provide a sublime context for the half-recommended, half imagined narrative. Probably my favourite song.
My Secret Playlist is a music discovery website and weekly email publication. We invite our favourite bands and musicians to give us the rundown on their eight favourite songs right now. These are their words on the music that inspires them.
