Staff Playlist of the Week

Switch – 6lack

I discovered this song a couple of weeks ago, and I have been in the same mood since I found it. It is pretty much been the only thing I listen to. I enjoy that it has a really good beat, and it is also something I can listen to when I am trying to focus.

The Bug Collector – Haley Heynderickx

Based just outside of Portland, Haley Heynderickx’s “The Bug Collector” is one of my favorite songs. I have probably listened to it 2-3 times a day for the past month. I love the simplicity of it. I love being able to visualize her prose. I love knowing that we both share similar realities. We share the same big trees, the same fog that crowds the roads at night, the same winter rain.

Momma I Hit A Lick – 2Chainz ft. Kendrick Lamar

Releasing his first project since 2017’s “Pretty Girls Like Trap Music,” 2 Chainz is back. His new album, “Rap Or Go To The League” has impressive features, a solid play time of 54 minutes and showcases the rappers outrageous style. The eighth track, “Momma I Hit A Lick,” features the one and only Kendrick Lamar. Both artists refer to, of course, how much money they make and their untouchable status in the rap game. With Pharell’s production, Lamar’s intricate wordplay, and 2 Chainz’ classic lines like “money taller than a giraffe,” the song is a certified banger.

I Can’t Feel You – American Football

American Football’s third album is the best album of the year thus far. It is the millisecond before a head-on collision, the lost staring into their reflection and wondering who they have become, the art that invites you to peel back its layers like your own skin. It is one of the most beautiful records I have ever experienced. “I Can’t Feel You” is the best song from off that album.

“Holocene” – Bon Iver

“Holocene” by Bon Iver is an all encompassing song that allows for beauty in every way. Not only does the immaculate fingerpicking on guitar and beautiful, jaw dropping vocal capacities envelope the listener into a blissful mood of warmth, but the messages contained in this song are very strong and substantive as well. Powerful landscapes are illustrated through imagery that makes the listener feel as if they are standing in frozen isolation. The songs pre chorus is possibly the most powerful part, with the writer stating, “and at once I knew, I was not magnificent.” This is particularly moving to me as I think it speaks to the fact of how minor we all are when compared to our wondrous earth and universe.

Brazil – Declan McKenna