The lovely Kimbra has put together a special playlist for us via Spotify
She also sent over a lovely description of her playlist and why she loves these songs so much. Check it out below:
Silverchair | Across The Night
This song blew my mind the first time I heard it. It feels more like 6 or 7 individual songs meshed into one incredible masterpiece. The string arrangement by Van Dyke Parks is extraordinary (and has put him on my list of top people to work with) not to mention Daniel's incredible vocal melodies on this song. This album will always mean so much to me and take me back to teenage years growing up as a Daniel Johns fanatic. What I love most is the element of surprise all through this track, the way they throw you off with multiple chord changes and confusing movements that are just so perfect and satisfying at the same time. It is gold.
Sam Cooke & The Soul Stirrers | Come Let's Go Back To God
I only discovered Sam Cooke's gospel album more recently but I've always loved his voice. This song goes right to my core, it's so emotional and raw. The primitive sounding A Capella vocals of the Soul Stirrers mixed with Sam's heart wrenching voice soaring overtop really captures a deeply spiritual moment. It gets really heavy when he lets loose towards the end, this song quite literally takes me back to the true heart of God in my moments of distraction.
Minnie Ripperton | Only When I'm Dreaming
This lady's voice is so dreamy to listen to and takes me to a Disney-like world, the way she flies between octaves is of course delightful but the depth to the songwriting is also so impressive, as well as all the sonically interesting moments throughout this song. It travels effortlessly between light and dark moments, and is just perfect.
Prince And The Revolution | Under The Cherry Moon
It is virtually impossible to pick a favourite Prince song but this is my current favourite. This song is so sexy and wildly romantic in the way it moves and almost takes on a Latin feel with the piano, but Prince's vocal in this song just kill me every time. I am constantly astounded at his ability to pull off intimate ballads like this with such class. He is the best.
The Mars Volta | Take The Veil Cerpin Taxt
This song takes me back to the first time I played The Mars Volta as a 14 year old, and how confused I felt afterwards but so insatiably drawn to keep listening and dissecting the songs, it was so powerful and Psychydelic at the time and this album became my life for a while and challenged the whole way I listened to music. This track in particular is just incredible and has the fattest groove. It makes me want to jump up and down and swing microphones around.