Week 3: Song Analysis - Blood on the Leaves

In this week's edition of song analyzing, let's take a look at "Blood on the Leaves" by Kanye West. I'm gonna try to do this a little better than last time. I'll try to organize this and maybe have some actual outline I'm following. Also let the record show that I made it 3 weeks without bringing up Ye.

In an attempt to be more better at song talking about, I'm gonna start by talking about the music part. Obviously the song samples Nina Simone's recording of "Strange Fruit". It's a pretty odd song to use as a sample, but I think it works with the mood of the song. It also sounds real good. The song opens with just the sample and a few piano chords that sound similar to the piano in Nina Simone's recording. Kanye's vocals come in, autotuned in the way he likes - obvious but not overpowering. Parts of the Nina sample are repeated like an instrument would. The piano at this point sounds like it too is being chopped up as a sample which is kind of a jarring unnatural sound - which fits in easily with Kanye's autotuned vocals (and the whole themes of the album Yeezus). About a minute into the song the piano turns into a low synth, and the drop happens, which brings in this high energy synthesized brass and heavy drums. Parts are added and dropped throughout the song, weaving low energy parts of the song into high energy parts. The two biggest pieces that contribute to the song, besides the sample, are the synth brass that sometimes carry the song on their own, and Kanye's vocals. The brass really amps up the energy of the song and makes me wanna jump around. The sound of Ye's vocals really bring an edge to the track, and his mumble singing sounds really good in this track.

I've talked about the sound of the vocals, but I also like the content of the vocals, the lyrics. Kanye initially brings a lot of emotion to this track, the first verse is melancholic and pleading. But at the end of the first verse, with the line "So, let's get on with it" Kanye brings in an attitude that I find infectious. The beginning of the second verse is pretty high energy but, once again, by the end of the second verse his attitude has kind of calmed down, not as mellow as verse one though. Kanye does some mumble singing and the song really quiets down. But he's not done, and he quickly goes into the third verse which consist mostly of some patented Kanye mumble/yell/regular singing. This all leads into one of my favorite Kanye verses, where Kanye drops the autotune and raps over that aggressive brass and drums. And just as quickly as the high energy fourth verse started, it ends. The song ends with more Kanye mumble singing, using his voice as another instrument. All the parts of the song come together one more time and slowly are taken out until it's just Kanye and the sample and the piano, and then just the sample and piano. The song ends like it began.

I really like this song. It's a moody song. But it's the type of mood where you're like, "I'm sad but also who cares I'ma wild out" and I just love that. The different energies jive really well together and all the parts of the song feel like they fit together well both with each other and with the album as a whole.

I don't know. I feel like this was a better analysis, but what do I know and why am I even talking about music.

Week 1: Song Analysis - Between the Saltmarsh and the Sea

Well I've already disappointed myself by putting off the two Practice activities and starting with the one that requires the least amount of effort. Go me. But this activity left me with a massive conundrum. I listen to a lot of music, so how am I gonna pick one song to analyze? Do I pick one from a favorite artist? Do I pick a personal one hit wonder? Do I pick a joke song like Wonderwall - or Temporary Secretary (although an analysis of Temporary Secretary sounds amazing). I also have no idea how to analyze music, which is good because there are 2 or 3 sections for it on the Roll List. So what did I end up picking?

Presented to the court, Between the Saltmarsh and the Sea by Stornoway off of their second album "Bonxie".

I first discovered this band in high school - classic - I listened to their first album "Beachcomber's Windowsill" every once in a while. But that album was a sleeper, I enjoyed it when I first listened to it, but over the years it really left an impression on me and became one of my favorites. The album became so important to me that it was all over my wedding playlist, and one of the songs, Long Distance Lullaby, was what our wedding party walked down the aisle to. All that said, I'm obviously not talking about that album, nor that song. No, I picked a song from an album I only recently started listening to. So, feel free to hit play and lets dive in.



The first thing I like about this song is it's opening, I like how the foghorn and bird noises lead naturally into that synthy thing (oh baby get ready for incorrect terminology). The drums combine with the synthy thing and drive the song right into the chorus. Those drum hits that lead into the chorus by the way are hott. The guitar arpeggios in the chorus are great, they're mixed perfectly - nestled safely between the drums and the vocals, like a lil blanket for those baby arpeggios. But then we lose our baby arpeggios and are left with the bass drum and little angel synths. This little interlude once again builds this great sort of driving tension that builds right back into the chorus again.

At this point you have to be thinking, "Well yeah that's how songs work, there's choruses and not choruses and usually they build to a choru-"

BUT HOLD UP BABY, CAUSE NOW WE'RE PAST THE SECOND CHORUS AND we're into the little bridge thingy by now! Those big drums go clap clap and you have that fat bassy synth pluckin away. Oh baby, and then the harmonies come in, hell yeah. This song just wants me to sing along. I gotta. I gotta sing. You gotta let me sing.

And then it ends.

Well, hope you're looking forward to the next installment "Matt just describes a song as he listens to it and calls it analysis"! I know I'm not!