Five Song Friday - December 13th

Oooo, Friday the 13th! I hope you all have had a wonderful week, especially those of you who suffered through finals. To those of you who haven't, keep up the good work! During this stressful week, I listened to a lot of music, so check out the songs I was using to get me through my tests and papers (which was a lot of Christmas music).

1. Sowing Season (Yeah) - Brand New
   I'm slowly becoming more and more hooked on these guys. My collection of their music has now grown to include their last two albums, and The Devil and God Are Raging Inside Me is one of my new favorites. This song kicks off the album with a bang, starting deceivingly quietly and then exploding into gritty guitars and throaty screams. I was only really familiar with Deja Entendu, and found this song, and the rest of the album, to be considerably darker, which works well. It's moody, but not depressing. It's got a bit of rage fueling it, and gets the blood pumping as you rock out to the raw nature of the song. I really enjoy this song, and I know I'll be talking about my other favorites from the rest of the album soon. 5/5
2. Wonderful Christmastime - Paul McCartney
   I had never really heard this song before this Christmas season, and was introduced to it by a good friend of mine. It's not your normal Christmas song as far as instrumentation, but it definitely has that Christmas spirit in it. The lead synth line is a bit odd, but it gets stuck in your head quite easily. Paul McCartney's voice is one of the most distinct out there, and his does Christmas quite well. This one is a classic, although not your normal Christmas classic, and inspires the delight and wonder that only Christmas can bring. 5/5
3. Little Saint Nick - The Beach Boys
   I absolutely love this song when the Christmas season rolls around. It's one of the few Christmas tunes that makes you feel like you're on the beach, but still makes you think of snow and all that jazz. Christmas music in general, and this song specifically, have this element of pure joy within them. They are able to capture a happiness that we sometimes forget about in the world, and songs like this one help remind of us the good times we have. This song will always be one of my favorite Christmas tunes, and I'm gonna be playing it until Christmas passes yet again. 5/5
4. I See Fire - Ed Sheeran
   When I heard that Ed Sheeran was going to be doing a song for Desolation of Smaug, I wasn't quite sure how that would work. However, when I saw the midnight premiere this morning and this song began playing as the credits rolled, I instantly fell in love. Ed Sheeran is a fantastic musician, and he found a way to blend his signature sound with lyrics that perfectly fit the movie, but don't come off as cheesy. It is an utterly beautiful song, with a very simple instrumentation and fantastic harmonies. The picked guitar, the violin, the tambourine, and the cajón all come together to create a powerful and polished tune. I'm definitely going to be listening to this one on repeat for a while. 5/5
5. All I Want For Christmas - Michael Bublé
   Michael Bublé has the voice of an angel, and this song is a exquisite example of that. He hovers low and gentle, but then will climb and soar, high and powerfully. I really enjoy the instrumentation of this song as well; it captures Christmas, and accentuates Bublé's voice without distracting from it. It's simple, but it gets the job done in a beautiful way. I've always thought this song was cheesy, but this version comes off very sincere and genuine. This album is only a couple years old now, but it is already a classic in my mind, and will be played in my home during Christmas for many years to come. 5/5