Music to Atone To
relatable music that seeks to atone and lift the spirit with brent faulkner
featuring artists like
Brittany Howard, Declan McKenna, BROCKHAMPTON, Janelle Monáe, John Legend, Bruce Springsteen, Gary Clark, Jr.
Perhaps you’re like Alexander – you’ve experienced a “No good, very bad day.” Maybe, a difficult situation in life extends beyond a bad day. A break-up with your significant other has got you down. The loss of a family member has you feeling mighty low. You’ve lost your job, and now, you must rebuild and rebrand. Bummer! All of these unfortunate life experiences and more are captured by the songs featured on this playlist.
This playlist needs no genres; it’s a collection of relatable music that seeks to atone and lift the spirit. Some music reflects pain and misfortune that devastates, but ultimately, it’s therapeutic – a means to move forward.
Urban Mantra – Van Hope
22 July 2019
“Once you let fear go / You will be free again, flying.” Sebastian Hope, the frontman of Chilean rock band Van Hope, is speaking some serious truth. The aforementioned excerpted lyrics hail from “Urban Mantra,” the closing song from the band’s 2019 album, We Have Nothing, We Want it All.
God Control – Madonna
11 July 2019
“Every day they have a kind of victory / Blood of innocence, spread everywhere / They say that we need love / But we need more than this.” Madonna has had it with the failures of the United States on one key issue – gun control. Amen sister!..
Single Mother – Noble Gray
3 July 2019
“You dreamed of having a picture-perfect family / But the man, you chose for this, wasn’t for keeps…” Life is filled with a number of arduous, less than ideal situations that need to be fixed and totally atoned for. In many instances, musicians have penned songs able to assuage numerous unbearable or nearly-unbearable ails and various tribulations…
Satisfied – EMM
24 June 2019
You never look when I’m naked / Are you still loyal to me? /… You don’t appreciate me / Oh something has changed.” Clearly, the ‘unappreciation’ is real for the talented L.A. based singer-songwriter and producer EMM. In addition to wearing multiple musical hats, the classically trained musical prodigy is also a women’s advocate, something that she presents ‘loud and clear’ throughout the course of “Satisfied”…
American Skin (41 Shots) – Bruce Springsteen
18 June 2019
“41 shots / Cut through the night / Kneeling over his body in the vestibule / Praying for his life.” Man, what incredibly heavy, unsettling lyrics. They aren’t merely poetic but based upon an incredible American tragedy. 2019 marked 20 years since West African immigrant Amadou Diallo was fatally shot by the NYPD sparking outrage…
New Magic Wand – Tyler, The Creator
11 June 2019
“I need to get her out the picture / She’s really fuckin’ up my frame / She’s not developed like we are.” Hmm, those are some truly intriguing lyrics from Tyler, The Creator. Tyler has been the poster child of controversy many times throughout his career…
Sad Forever – Lauv
5 June 2019
“I just wish that I could wake up my mind…” Those are simple, yet powerful and relatable lyrics from pop musician Lauv (Ari Staprans Leff). The key word from the lyrical excerpt is ‘mind,’ as he addresses personal mental health issues on “Sad Forever.” Interestingly, Leff touched upon such issues on the preceding single, “Drugs & the Internet”, dealing with anxiety and depression…
Make America Great Again – Frank Turner
22 May 2019
“Let’s make American great again!” Sigh, ‘Make America Great Again’ was the campaign slogan touted by President Donald Trump. Philosophically, via MAGA, Trump painted the United States as a nation in danger – essentially ‘damned’ – yet entirely fixable thanks to his policies. Safe to say, MAGA fired-up supporters of the president, including members of the alt-right. Furthermore, it also strengthened the resistance movement opposing the policies of 45…
This Land – Gary Clark, Jr.
14 May 2019
“I see you looking out your window / Can’t wait to call the police on me.” Supremely talented, Grammy-winning blues, rock, and R&B singer and guitarist Gary Clark, Jr. has lots to say on “This Land,” the title track from his 2019 album. The things he addresses definitely aren’t sugarcoated or the least bit comfortable…
How Long? – Vampire Weekend
8 May 2019
“How long ‘til we sink to the bottom of the sea? / How long, how long?” After a six-year hiatus, Vampire Weekend returned with arguably the most ambitious album of their career, Father of the Bride…
Next Up Forever – AJR
30 April 2019
“I kinda wish I was still a virgin / ‘Time to finally see what sex is like!’” Yes, that’s quite an eye-popping line from alternative-pop brother trio AJR. The song at hand, “Next Up Forever,” from the collective’s 2019 album, Neotheater, isn’t about sex in the least. ..
Xanny – Billie Eilish
23 April 2019
“I don’t need a Xanny to feel better.” Ah, for the second time on the Music to Atone playlist, following “x ANA x” (Badflower), Xanax plays a key role in a song. In the case of the Badflower record, frontman Josh Katz needs Xanax for regulation purposes (“I need x, ANA, x / Help me bury my thoughts”). For alternative-pop teen artist Billie Eilish, she has a different perspective,…
Slightly eccentric with interests that seem to know no ends, restless ‘Renaissance Man’ is the best way to characterize Brent Faulkner, a native of Kentucky. A certified music educator, multi-instrumentalist, and composer known for his incredibly sharp ear, he lives and breathes music of a variety of styles. In addition to passion for educating, performing, and writing music, he’s equally passionate blogging and writing about it, managing his own site, The Musical Hype. When he’s not intensely analyzing music, you can find him reading or watching a movie, reality television or some sporting event