09 Feb 18: Song of the Day

Song: Free ft. Emeli Sandé

Artist: Rudimental

Album: Home (2013)

Notable Lyric: "This world ain't exactly what my heart expected "

I love how simple this song seems. The piano in the pocket during the chorus. The steady guitar all the way through. The "marching" drum-line. How, although chords or rhythm of the instruments don't change, the volume does to emphasise them at different points.

One of the things I best things I've ever purchased was my Skull Candy headphones with the adjustable bass setting. Have you ever sat or stood in a dark room with headphones on and just listened to music? Not just have it on but truly listen to it. Cut yourself loose from any other senses and focus to every particle of the song.

I welcome everyone to try it with this song. It's bordering on meditation but letting go of "how weird it may feel" is the point at which it all changes. In the video above from 02:25 just listen to the crescendo. Feel how the bass builds in your chest. How Emeli's voice gives a lifting sensation. Focus on how it all grows to the point at 3:01 where the chorus comes back in and that feeling overflows. When you're talking about songs that give you goosebumps, this is a standout example.

I sometimes go to bed and listen to music this way. Not trying to fall asleep but actively listening to every single element of a song. I'll listen to a song 10 times over and focus on a different part every single time. This makes you appreciate the complexity of a song and how all the sounds work together. I started by saying how much I love the simplicity of the song but when you start breaking them down to their components, it's incredible how it can well so many parts can seem so simple.

This #SOTD is to highlight how you may take for granted how amazing a seemingly simple song is.