MARTIN L

Tag: Music

  • Losing my Lordeginity: A Synopsis of Virgin

    Hi gang, today I decided to review Virgin, the senior album from Aotearoa-based artist Lorde.

    Martin recognizes the adopted name of Aotearoa, the Māori name for the country commonly known in the English language as New Zealand. Aotearoa has no commonly recognized precise definition, but generally refers to a land of a long white cloud.

    As an artist, I have a complicated relationship with Lorde. I really liked her music when her freshman album, Pure Heroine was released into the world. Songs such as 400 Lux or Ribs continue to make up my repertoire of summer songs to this day. I will not be discussing Melodrama and Solar Power in this review, although a TL:DR version: the former is overrated, whilst the latter is underrated.

    In addition, I would like to note that I will not be mentioning the lyricism, as I don’t really have any deep thoughts about it. I heard Lorde wanted this album to be more abstract in lyricism, and I will be respecting this laissez-faire take.

    Track 1: Hammer

    I love Hammer! It’s a very nostalgic summer song in my opinion, very reminiscent of sitting in a field, feeling lost on a summer’s day. Probably one of my favorite songs on the album, and by far the best single released so far. It’s a punchier ballad that almost veers into being a danceable number, but ultimately best enjoyed sitting on a MTR train on a hot summer’s day, braving the long journey from Tsuen Wan to Tuen Mun. 9/10.

    Track 2: What Was That

    This song has its highlights, but I would say this song really does remind me of storming through a city square. Maybe not as mad as Lorde does, but still a quick storm around. I think the pre-chorus is probably my favorite part, the buildup puts you in that position of stomping. 5/10.

    Track 3: Shapeshifter

    LOVE THE CHORUS IN THIS SONG. It is so reminiscent of just encompassing your brave spirit. It starts off very slow, and then builds up to a grandeur spit of lyrics. Tonight, I just want to fall, and I agree with my whole heart. I hope everyone takes the time to sit with this song and live with it. 7/10.

    Track 4: Man of the Year

    I understand that this is a song about loving yourself and realizing that you’re the only person who will ultimately support you, but it’s also not a great song. Maybe a bit too slow for me? 3/10.

    Track 5: Favorite Daughter

    I think this is a very decent middle of the album song. Kinda filler core? But there’s a lot of absenteeism daughter talk that litters in a very strange way that I can’t seem to grasp clearly. The bridge is probably my favorite part of the song, and it reminds me of swinging on a swing set for some reason. 4/10.

    Track 6: Current Affairs

    I really do like this song! It reminds me of regret, like when you nick your finger and suck the blood, wondering why you decided to do this to yourself. It brings you to a lot of levels, and the lyrics wave a story of fear and regret. A solid song in the album, for sure. 7/10.

    Track 7: Clearblue

    Feels like a ballad that’s trying to skin you alive. I really like how it tries to capture the feeling of receiving scarring news. 6/10.

    Track 8: GRWM (Grown Woman)

    This feels like a more classic Lorde song. I really resonate with this song, it feels like you’re stuck in the teenage vortex of time. I personally feel like a 16 year old in a 25 year old body, so this song was probably written for me. A slow, charming melody stops you in the moment that is ever omnipresent in your brain. 7/10.

    Track 9: Broken Glass

    This is mostly a song about being in frustration and trying to let go unsuccessfully, which I live completely in (although I believe this is in reference to an eating disorder, which I don’t have). Musically, it’s a bit boring, one of the more pop songs off the album, but still a soothsayer if brought up from the past. 5/10.

    Track 10: If She Could See Me Now

    Not a huge fan of this song, musically it’s a bit bland and overused in this album by this point. If Clearblue was meant to cleanse your palate, this song was meant to waterboard you with the same tones. I guess it’s a song about growth and seeing how you turned out, but everyone has this song. Not a great penultimate song. 2/10.

    Track 11: David

    David is a great track to round out the album. It traps you into a wave of sonar depth, chipping away at you as you immerse yourself into the waves of Virgin. If you’ve experienced being lost in a sea of thoughts, David wacks a cane into your soul. The chanting of “Am I ever gonna love again” pounds the frustration of being in disappointment to a new generation, but ultimately opens up towards a new start. 8/10.

    Conclusion

    I like Lorde, but since I still have the mindset of a teenager I think I’m still stuck in the Pure Heroine era. Maybe I’ll revisit this when I finally move into Melodrama.

  • Ranking all the Taipei Metro Train Arrival Music

    Did you know every Taipei Metro line has it’s own train arrival music? I’m pretty sure they just copied this from Japanese train systems but I love it because it adds so much personality to each train line. I hope every train line in the world adds this level of personality to their train lines because if we’re going to ride the metro everyday, might as well make it fun.

    You can click on each title to listen to each sound.

    6. Wenhu Line 文湖線 (Brown Line)

    This line is in last place because it actually doesn’t have any arrival music. This is because it’s mostly elevated (so passengers can see trains coming without the music), and it’s close proximity to residential buildings means that music could be a nuisance.

    5. Bannan Line 板南線 (Blue Line)

    I don’t know… it’s just a very slow sound for such a fast moving train. Doesn’t really fit the energy of a train line that goes through most of Taipei’s most “dynamic” neighborhoods. It’s just a bit too slow for me, and personally it’s not loud enough to be heard over a busy rush hour crowd, which defeats the purpose.

    4. Tamsui – Xinyi Line 淡水信義線 (Red Line)

    I think it’s a very lovely song, but it’s also a very bland song. It kind of reminds me of a new spring day in a anime scene… very random but overall it’s just a neutral sound.

    3. Zhonghe – Xinlu Line 中和新蘆線 (Orange Line)

    This song straight up reminds me of Pokemon music… it’s a bit haunting and I love it for being so unique! It sounds like a cool, crisp autumn dance. I like how it dances around, which makes it distinct when you’re waiting for a train.

    2. Circular Line (Yellow Line)

    Not technically a Taipei Metro line, but the Circular Line has the same vibe of listening to the music that plays during the weather segment of the news. It’s very light, spring day and I love it for that, 10/10 for being such good music. I give it points for being the most unique song, because the next song isn’t actually that unique at all.

    1. Songshan – Xindian Line 松山新店線 (Green Line)

    The Songshan – Xindian Line is also my favorite line, and therefore is also my favorite song. All jokes aside, this is a lovely rendition of Nocturne No. 2 by Chopin, and it’s rendition works so much better than what I would have expected. It’s just so classic, and reminds me of standing in a Chinese Bakery.

    Takeaways

    Not much, but I hope you take the time to appreciate how the most mundane things in life can be appreciated, and eventually turned into a blog post.