The Softies: Tracks and Tunnels
[Purchase]
This is one of my favorite songs by a band I love. The Softies consist of songwriters Rose Melberg and Jen Sbragia, harmonizing and playing simple melodies on two electric guitars with no accompaniment and very little production. They make sweet songs about love and friendship, and are probably one of the best examples of what the "twee" sound is that I could name. The gentle nature of their sound always makes me feel calm, and the sweet nature of their lyrical content always makes me smile.
I enjoy this song in particular because of the rhythmic cords they use as a beat instead of what most bands might use percussion for. They're simple, but there's something sweet and melodic about it that really gives character to the song. It mimics the slow rhythmic movement of a train over the tracks and works effectively to make you feel the sleepy nature of such a ride. It's a song about moving on after an argument. The rhythm of the song, and those simple cords allow us to feel like we're on that slow moving train in the snow and the process of getting to where we want to be, physically and emotionally, is both melancholy and longer than we'd like.