Anthems of Our Time (& a bit earlier)

I'll admit to being a little disillusioned by most modern music. From where I'm standing, we're being constantly inundated with teeny-bopper boy bands (1 Direction *ahem*), or generic, over synthesised pop that sounds good only when played in a club at 1 AM. Yet, thanks to talent both old &new, we can look upon the music of our time with a glimmer of hope. These are the people with gumption enough to make music that not only sounds good, but has real depth to it; the stuff to get really excited about. So, in my own little celebration of these artists, here is my list of what I think are the Anthems of Our Time (in no particular order)...

Delilah, Shades of Grey

I've written about this particular lady before, and now that she's released her début album, I am convinced that she is one of the best British artists of the tenties. All of her tracks are easy to listen to, with her sultry vocals &heartfelt lyrics. Yet, Shades of Grey really stands out. When it comes to relationships, we all have our bad experiences. Feelings of loneliness, frustration, the inevitable end; swiftly followed by the drive to get over it &move on: all of these sentiments Delilah communicates with heart &sincerity, in a way anyone can relate to. This is a song that doesn't make you feel sorry for yourself, but will make you want to have a party, much like the one Delilah has in the video. Plus, it will leave you with a grin plastered over your face, something everyone needs after a bad break up. What more can you ask for from an anthem?

Via Helen Oh on Pinterest

Razorlight, Golden Touch

Ok, so we're rewinding a little bit here, but isn't this such a tune?! I remember when 'Golden Touch' came out, &every girl in school was swooning over Johnny Borrell, giggling nervously at that nude photo of him on the cover of NME. Yes, my fifteen year old self was also one of those girls, &I listened to this track on loop for about two weeks. Under 18 club nights always played this song, and everyone would just get happy at the first bar, and on my first big night out in Oxford, the DJ played this song &it still managed to have exactly the same effect on everyone in the room. Imagine my excitement when the boy I 'fancied' back in 2004 (eeesh) played it to me on his guitar, down the phone. Oh happy days!

Elbow, Open Arms

So, maybe I could have chosen 'First Steps' as one of these anthems, but whenever I listen to Elbow I'm always reminded of their belting performance of 'Open Arms' & 'One Day Like This' at the Olympics closing ceremony. Oh my gosh, wasn't it amazing? With the athletes walking in to the stadium in true carnival fashion, dancing &smiling along to Guy Garvey's booming yet sweet vocals, I turned into a gushing wreck, welling up to the brink. I'm pretty certain that everyone else watching felt exactly the same way. When the closing ceremony promised to deliver a symphony of British music, these guys were a stand out act, representing the heart&soul of British alternative rock with insurmountable class. It's not just Garvey's vocal delivery that makes 'Open Arms' such a brilliant track, nor the jangly crescendos that fill it, it's the sincerity& simplicity of the lyrics:

'And you're not the man who fell to earth,

You're the man of La Mancha,

And we've love enough to light the street, 

'Cause everybody's here.'

Really, this was always cut out to be an anthem.

R.E.M, It's the End of the World as We Know it

Ok, so we're rewinding back to 1987. I wasn't even born when this song came out, but, like many others I have always tried (and failed) to keep up with Michael Stipe's speedy singing on this track. I like R.E.M because their songs always made a point about something, rather than just being facile croonings about puppy love or whatever else. Yes, it's a bit political, and I get that that can turn some people off, but their music carried on the revolutionary streak in the industry from the sixties and seventies. They made points that needed to be made, and with this particular track, I love how the listener is lulled into thinking that it's a cheery party song with an upbeat tempo, but, listen to Stipe's voice and you'll hear a relevant reminder of a few issues that the world still needs to face up to. 

Via Sharon Autenrieth on Pinterest

Jamiroquai, Canned Heat

&Off we go to 1999. Wasn't it a good year? We were all really really excited about the Millennium, and I turned ten. I was so excited. This song really sums up the party mood of the year. We were ready to move on to a new decade with the internet, mobile phones & Brit Pop. I guess, in a way, we felt like we really could dance all our cares away. Even now, my friend Kate &I try our hardest to perfect Jon Heder's legendary dance from 'Napoleon Dynamite'. Truly, this is a song that has continued to make us happy until today, and I'm sure it will for many years more.

Eddie Vedder, Hard Sun

So here it is, the last in my little line up. Mr Vedder did a top job when he worked on the soundtrack for 'Into the Wild', the biopic of Christopher McCandless, but this song is the real stand out track. A drum and guitar bubble away in the background as Eddie works his magic with the vocals, telling a story of human exploits lived out under 'a big hard sun, beating on the big people in a big hard world'. It's evocative because we all know what it's like, or will do at various points in our lives. That's an anthem right there.


So go on, give these anthems of our time a listen. They'll make you happy, I'm sure of it. :) 

Miss D x