Music for the mind
Max Ingleby runs through his favourite music for reassuring and calming the mind.
Over the past couple of months, I have, like many others, struggled to keep a clear head in these difficult times. When routine collapses, and friends are far away, it is easy to become overwhelmed by problems both terrifyingly big and frustratingly small. Here are a few things that I listen to to keep myself together.
Aretha Franklin – Day Dreaming
This is best listened to first thing in the morning. I love the dreamy interludes that bookend the track, and Franklin’s vocals are glorious. It’s one of those songs that seems utterly without flaw – everything is in the exact place it should be. It’s just perfect.
Matt Maltese – Ballad of a Pandemic
Matt Maltese’s charming song ‘Rom-Com Gone Wrong’ popped up on my Discover Weekly last week, and it led me to the beautifully cathartic ‘Ballad of a Pandemic’. As the title suggests, South Londoner Maltese composed and recorded the song in the confinement of lockdown, but you couldn’t tell that from the warm and gloriously vibrant production. It’s reassuring to hear your feelings echoed in a song, like when Maltese sings “I’m scared” over an empowering crescendo. As a bonus, all profits from the single go towards UK foodbanks.
it’s reassuring to hear your feelings echoed in a song
Yo La Tengo – Center of Gravity
This blissful Bossa Nova duet hits the sweet spot every time. It’s sung by long-time couple Ira Kaplan and Georgia Hubley of Yo La Tengo, whose voices intertwine and combine in perfect harmony. Hubley’s voice in particular is absolutely breath-taking as she sings “Whenever you’re next to me / Center of gravity / Can’t feel both feet on the ground”.
Phantom Thread (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Speaking of breath-taking, I’ve had the soundtrack to the seminal film Phantom Thread on repeat for most of lockdown. Composed by Radiohead member Jonny Greenwood, the songs on this album evoke an experience of pure, transportive escapism. It sounds like the best meal you’ve ever eaten, the comfort of home and a peaceful nap all rolled into one, but is often tense and heart-breaking too. Just tell me the moment the strings come in at 1:43 on ‘For the Hungry Boy’ doesn’t take your breath away.
The Magnetic Fields
I hadn’t heard of this band until a couple of weeks ago, but Last.fm tells me I’ve listened to them ninety-four times, so they’re definitely a new favourite. Lead singer Stephin Merrit’s hypnotising bass register seems to thrum from the ocean’s depths, a gloomy whale song murmured over cheery power pop melodies that gets stuck in your head for days upon days. Check out ‘Strange Powers’, ‘I Don’t Want to Get Over You’ and 69 Love Songs, which is genuinely an album of sixty-nine love songs – an absolute treasure trove.
