Ellie Sennhenn:
Another staff pick, another absolutely gut-wrenching, crying-in-the-car and intensely lyrical recommendation of mine. I have had Jake Minch’s album “George” on blast all month long. The song “For Leaving” has become a twisted sort of anthem for me, and it unfolds like a dusty photo album laid out in a late-afternoon sun: nostalgic, messy, soft and sharp all at once. It is a coming-of-age confession and carries emotion like an old grandfather’s sweater. The lyric “I thought I was ready to be seen” has dug its way into my bones, and I couldn’t be more grateful to have another banger on my fall playlist.
Maia Hembruff:
Welcome back, URI! I am simply delighted to be back on campus and am very much looking forward to a New England fall. As I’ve been driving to school and scrambling to class, one ever-catchy song has stuck with me: Big Thief’s “Incomprehensible.” Adrienne Lenker’s soothing, unique vocals and clever lyricism make this such a one-of-a-kind song – my favorite lyric being “How can beauty that is livin’ be anything but true?” Give it a listen, and it may make you yearn to be incomprehensible too.
Katelyn Drenga:
For my first-ever staff pick, I’m going with Alex G’s bright, lively, bold and carefully curated album “Headlights.” Released on July 19 in the dog days of summer, it’s no understatement to say that this 12-track, 40-minute album served as one of the most powerful sources of figurative caffeine I’ve ever experienced. After playing the album on repeat in my crappy $30 JVC headphones for two months, I was able to level up my experience by seeing Alex G on his “Headlights” tour live in Boston. My girlfriend and I may have spent over $200 on Uber trying to navigate the route back, but it was all worth the experience of hearing the electric tunes of “Mr. G” in real life.
Sadie Brandt:
Miss me? Oh, how I’ve missed sharing my impeccable music taste with you all. This month’s pick is one of my submissions for the top 10 songs of all time: “Mirrors” by Justin Timberlake. It was between that and “SexyBack,” but I thought I should keep it classy for our first month back. “Mirrors” is one of the best songs of this century, and has illuminated the loss of a positively swagged-out male pop star in the cultural space. I think the dropoff of Timberlake has directly resulted in the rise of Utah’s bargain answer to Harry Styles: Benson Boone. In this essay, I will…
Ella Gerdts:
For my very first staff pick ever, I’m going with a classic: “Bring Me to Life” by Evanescence. This song has been on repeat in my head since the beginning of the semester, and honestly, it’s been the serotonin boost I didn’t know I needed. Goth rock isn’t usually my go-to; I’m more of a folk girl at heart, but good music is good music. And this song? It hits. The drama, the emotion, the intensity… It’s iconic for a reason. Sometimes you just need a little early-2000s power anthem to get through the day.
David Okula:
For my first staff pick of the year, I’m going with a classic that has been constantly stuck in my head lately: “The Chain” by Fleetwood Mac. Of course, the reason that this song got stuck in my head has something to do with the Boston Red Sox, as reliever Justin Slaten uses it as his walk-out song, which allowed me to hear this masterpiece when he entered a game that I attended last week. Between the gripping lyrics and the blending of instruments, I think you’d be hard-pressed to find many better rock songs than this.
Morganne Judd:
When Sabrina Carpenter released her new album, “Man’s Best Friend,” I immediately added the album to my playlist. My top song from the album has got to be “Sugar Talking.” This song was originally not my go-to favorite, but it has really grown on me. I think it’s a very beautiful, slow-paced song that scratches a certain itch in my brain.
Nora Kelley:
For my first staff pick of this year, I have settled on “Jaded – Alt. Version” by Winyah. I had no idea who this band was until one of my friends dragged me to a show of theirs back in early July. I have now listened to them every single day since that July night. That show was a top-three concert in my book. Winyah sounds like summer, and during this time of year, I want to hold onto that a little longer. Big thank you to Fiona for putting me onto goated music.
Sully Cummins:
Uh, I don’t know. I have been listening to a lot of Peter McPoland recently. I like him because he is kind of a regular guy, and he also lives in Providence! He has a slight lisp that I really like, and it reminds me of my friend Tim. Hi, Tim. McPoland sounds kind of whiny, but I enjoy his voice. He’s a really good songwriter as well. My favorite song of his is “Last Looks.” It’s a really pretty love song, and I love the multiple builds in it. His new album comes out Friday; check it out!
