My Fave Five Songs for February

Another month and another five fave songs.  I got lucky this month as I earned one extra day with these five songs.  Unwittingly the them of the songs this month are of being ghosted or mention a ghost.  Funny how that works out some days.

Come Out: Aysanabee & Raye Zaragoza

‘Come Out’ was released on Ishkode Records, a label focused on indigenous voices co-founded by Ottawa folk singer/songwriter Amanda Rheaume.  Aysanabee is a fast-rising Indigenous artist and along with fellow Indigenous artist Raye Zaragoza bring us a song of love searching to be found once again.  

Aysanabee commented on ‘Come Out’ “often times you write a song with another person and it’s for one artist ort another.  This one had deep connection to us both”  The two share song-writing credits with Belinda Huang and Evan Pang.

From a slow build at the start ‘Come Out’ echoes the feelings of a couple taking slow steps in recognizing the meaning their love has for each other.  ‘Come Out ‘starts out as a tentative request to the other and ends as an urgent need to be in each other’s arms.  

As my first experience listening to Aysanabee and Zaragoza, I can’t wait to explore from these artists.

Turn the Lights Back On: Billy Joel

There is something to be said for familiarity and how that brings joy.  That’s how I feel about this new Billy Joel song. I can’t tell you how it feels to hear this man’s voice with new material again.  It was debuted with a live performance at this year’s Grammy awards.  

Songwriter Freddy Wexler brought this song to Joel to finish and record.  The release of ‘Turn the Lights Back On’ was a two-year journey.  In an interview, Joel says the result was a recording he liked the sound of his voice, something he’s struggled with for a while.

The result is a new Billy Joel in the vein of his many classics.  At the time of this writing the song cracked the Top 10 AC charts and was working up the Hot 100.  This month I couldn’t get enough of this song.   It’s my hope that we’ll hear this song all over the radio and in a year’s time Joel will be accepting a Grammy for ‘Turn the Lights Back On’.

Cigarettes & Wine: Del Water Gap (feat. Holly Humblestone)

I normally do not know who the artist is for a song when browsing for new music.  That was the case for Cigarettes & Wine.  Hearing this for the first time there was a familiarity to it.  

This is a great song both in with performance and the song writing, it never lets you down; it is heaven in your ears.  You’ve seen my write about Humblestone before, but Del Water Gap is a ‘solo project of musician Samuel Holden Jaffe and yes that does sound very confusing.

The disappointment I have with Cigarettes & Wine is that while Humblestone is a featured artist (and songwriter), she takes the song over.  I am not sure what happened, but the final mix of this song leaves Del Water Gap  sounding more like the featured singer with Humblestone talking over as the lead.  It was unfortunate because his vocals initially led me to this song, and I would’ve liked to hear more of Del Water Gap in the final mix.

That being said It is a good song and that’s why it’s one of the fave five’s. 

Conversation: Busby Marou

Busby is an Australian Duo formed by Thomas Barou and Jeremy Marou.  ‘Conversation’ is a single from their 2023 Lp “Blood Red”.  Whistling and hand claps, you can’t resist that.   Busby Marou is a multi-nominated and multi winner of Australian music awards and are known for their country/roots/indigenous music.  There’s indication that they’ve every toured outside of Australia, New Zealand which is unfortunate.

‘Conversation’ is a head nodding (not head banging) song that’s easy to wrap your ears around.  Not unlike Ed Sheeran, this duo sounds like band you’ll bring a blanket and listen to on a beach as the sun goes down.  The vocals are complementary to each other and there’s as easy sway to how this sounds, it lingers after the last of the 3:15 has ended.

Texas Hold ‘Em: Beyonce

There was an inkling this was coming when Beyonce came to this year’s Grammy’s sporting a white cowboy hat. Now Beyonce has a county hit that has spawned a TikTok dance sensation with people of all ages line dancing to ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’. 

You can’t deny the hook that catches you here, even non-Beyonce fans can’t fight the  embrace ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ puts themselves in.  I found Texas Hold ‘Em’ lyrically fascinating and throws down lines like “And I'll be damned if I can’t slow dance with you

Come pour some sugar on me, honey, too.  It's a real-life boogie and a real-life hoedown, Don't be a bitch, come take it to the floor now” like a Nashville pro.

I think this song has legs and like Miley Cyrus’ ‘Flowers’, Beyonce with ‘Texas Hold ‘Em’ will be one of THE songs for we’ll be hearing this a lot this year.  I am so excited get this song on the turntables and on the dance floor. 

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There they are, my Fave Five for February, I’m sharing my Spotify play for these five songs playlist.  Here is the link to my Spotify Fave Five for January Playlist, I hope you enjoy listening to these as much as I have, https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4pJGYpuzqhrrnmGLWl9YSB?si=afbf534ef667...

Did you have any favourites from February?  Please share them with me and the readers of #RedHeartBlueSign.