Eight Songs to Listen to Right Now

‘Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers’ – Jeff Beck

One of my favourite instrumental pieces ever, Jeff Beck covers this Stevie Wonder track impeccably, using his guitar to create so many different moods and textures in an incredibly emotional song. This is Beck’s jazz rock fusion at its finest, with him building up the atmosphere for the first half of the song with some light percussion and slow guitar work. The second half is much more energetic and allows Beck to flex his guitar abilities to their maximum, creating a dynamic piece of music which alternates between slow and fast paced very well. This is helped along by some great keyboard work which provides some contrast, allowing the guitar work to feel sharper in the song. If you want to sit back and listen to some instrumental music, this is a song to check out.

‘Computer God’ – Black Sabbath

In my opinion, this is one of Sabbath and Dio’s best tracks. Starting off quiet, the song creates a sense of menace and foreboding from the outset with some harsh crashing sounds. However, when the drums and guitars kick in after 15 seconds, the atmosphere of the song becomes much more sinister and angry, helped in no small part by Ronnie James Dio’s snarling vocals as he sings ‘Waiting for the revolution.’ This song has some of Dio’s best lyrics, a dread-inducing mix of threatening imagery about the rise of computers, given by ‘There’s another side of heaven / This way to technical paradise.’ Musically this song is no slouch either, I especially love the drum work on this song as it creates a very doom-laden atmosphere, more so than most Sabbath tracks.

‘Motion Sick’ – Neck Deep

A song from my teenage years, ‘Motion Sickness’ is the first Neck Deep song I ever heard and I’m still fond of it to this day. It is a white-knuckle rollercoaster ride of a song; it starts off strong and doesn’t let up. Lyrically it is about taking chances despite failure, exemplified by ‘He said ‘Life is the great unknown’ / Better jump, better run and…’ Musically it is a heavy guitar and drum song, which really adds to the atmosphere, and you feel more upbeat even after just the first few bars. I love this song because of how relentlessly optimistic it is, and it is certainly one to listen to if you are having a bad day.

‘In My Imagination’ – Patti Scialfa

Patti Scialfa’s Rumble Doll is an incredibly underrated album in my opinion, it is a wonderful blend of great vocals and pop/rock instrumentation with some great lyrics to match. ‘In My Imagination’ is no different. This track is underpinned by a strong drumbeat which pushes you through the song, while Scialfa regales the listener with a story of how imagination changes between childhood and adulthood. Starting with the image of a child imagining her toys to be dressed regally, these flashes of imagination become more and more adult as the song continues, especially with the devastating refrain of ‘In my imagination / I could walk without fear and / I could hide from all my sorrow / Close my eyes and disappear’ which gives the song an emotional climax and resonates with the listener long after it finishes.

‘Driving the Last Spike’ – Genesis

‘Driving the Last Spike’ is a Genesis song I have discovered only recently, and I’m surprised it has taken me so long to appreciate it. A 10-minute epic, it tells the story of the Irish navvies who came over to Britain to work on the railways and the horrific conditions they endured in doing so. This song starts off slow, but gradually builds and builds for the first five or so minutes before the drums kick in fully. Then the whole song is propelled by Collins’s explosive drumming and Rutherford’s guitar work. I especially love the ending of this song, and Collins’s climactic ‘Showing no fear of what lies up ahead / They’ll never see the likes of us again’ is both dramatic and a poignant tribute to those men.

‘Where Devils Weep’ – Jonathan Hultén

‘Where Devils Weep’ is a folk song, which I particularly like because of the natural and ethereal themes that runs through its lyrics. Hultén starts with ‘Oh dear bewailer, weary soul / To move on you must drive out / All your ghosts’ which immediately gives the song an eerie folky atmosphere. I find this song oddly relaxing to listen to, partly because of its imagery but also because of Hultén’s singing. His vocals really add to the atmosphere, and the wails at the end gives it a sense of mysticism which really complements the song. I also love his guitar work, as it’s soft and often subtle, and balances out his vocals very well. Definitely a song to check out.

‘I’m a Dreamer’ – Sandy Denny

I’m a big fan of Sandy Denny’s work, and ‘I’m a Dreamer’ represents the best of all her work for me. Vocally, she gives it her all in this song, especially in the chorus which is incredibly moving as her voice sounds both pained and weary, conveying a huge depth of emotion. This track contains some of my favourite lyrics including ‘I’m a dreamer and you know / I’m a schemer with an eye for the show’ and ‘It’s all those words which get in the way / Of what you want to say.’ This song presents some wonderful imagery of the doubts that someone has in a relationship of whether they should stay or go, set to the emotional backdrop of the piano and guitar. For anyone checking this song out, listen to the version on the album Gold Dust which is far superior to the studio version.

‘Heaven’ – Eliza Shaddad

Probably the least well-known song on this list, ‘Heaven’ is an upbeat pop/rock song driven by guitars and drums. Lyrically it is an incredibly upbeat song about getting through dark times in life and moving on from them, best exemplified in the chorus with ‘I want you to keep holding on / I know life can be unkind / And you’ve got heaven on your mind / But I want you to keep holding on.’ Shaddad’s vocals are a highlight of the song, sounding both anguished and hopeful, helping to convey a sense of optimism all through the song. This optimism is infectious, and I certainly feel a lot better once I’ve listened to this song a few times.