Five Song Friday - February 21st

Hey everyone, happy Friday! Welcome to the latest edition of Five Song Friday. I hope your weeks have all been less busy than mine, but no need to worry; I have still made time to find more and more music (I know, you were all so worried). It's a weird mix of some alternative, some indie, and even some hardcore thrown in. So make sure to check out the links to videos (some of the videos might have graphic content, so be warned) so you can hear the songs, and then read my thoughts and compare them to your own. Thanks for reading!

1. And The Snakes Start To Sing - Bring Me The Horizon
   Haunting is definitely the word I would use to describe this song. It builds in a fantastic manner, but has dark undertones that make the piece not the most uplifting. It has a lot of vulnerability and even pain in the vocals, with Oliver Sykes giving both soft moments and searing, throaty growls that punctuate an already heavy instrumental of distorted guitars, crashing drums, and gang vocals. It flows and ebbs, with builds that soar and almost silent lows. Overall, it's a very mature song from a hardcore band. 5/5
2. Sex - The 1975
   I've already talked about The 1975 before, but I finally got their entire album from a good friend of mine, and was even more impressed than I thought I would be. The two songs I had weren't entirely representative of their sound, which I discovered was a very mellow-alternative sound that just grooves no matter what. This song is more  upbeat and gritty feeling than some of the other songs on the album, leaning more towards the rock side than the alternative. Guitar chords, a smooth bass-line, and a driving drum beat come together to create a lively and summer-oriented vibe. The song also is about sex (surprise surprise), but it's not something that'll make you feel awkward or flustered listening with others. It's a sound that is appealing to most people, and draws the listener in with the easy going feeling. 
3. Candles - Daughter
   I was introduced to this song by a very good friend of mine, and I think it's absolutely beautiful. A fantastic mix of the indie-acoustic sound with electronic elements makes for a very relaxing song. The lyrical material is bittersweet and sad, but the vocals are a perfect combination of sensual and haunting. The overall feel of the song is intriguing, bringing to mind a multitude of places and ideas. It has a very woodsy feel to me, but that may be different for everyone. I definitely enjoyed it, and recommend it for those of you who like Bon Iver and Florence + The Machine. 5/5  
4. Late - Issues
   I haven't listened to much of Issues' work before, but I kept hearing things about them and saw they had a new album so I gave it a listen. This was the song that stuck out the most, with it's combination of electronic and hardcore elements. It's not an incredibly innovative song that brings anything new to the scene, but it offers something a bit different by leaning towards the "mellow" side, relatively speaking. It combines pop-sensible vocals with heavy guitars and drums, all with synths and even a little acoustic guitar mixed in. It all comes together to create a catchy tune that definitely will get stuck in your head. 5/5
5. Menswear - The 1975
   This is another favorite so far off of The 1975's self-titled album. It's got an extended instrumental intro (almost half the song), but the wait is worth it. As with the general feel of the rest of the album, it's a very soothing yet grooving song. It has a lot of soft elements, like the drum beat that is half real drums and half synthetic and the vocals that stay pretty low in pitch and volume. It serves as a great dusk-time song, with some sensual vibes but a pulse that makes you want to move, to dance. Thanks to the intro, the song itself feels pretty short, but it's a sweet little tune that'll leave you in a better mood than before. 5/5