Quiet Mood: Melpo Mene, Sparrow House, & Sally Shapiro

Ever get in one of those really quiet, contemplative moods on a Saturday or Sunday morning? You know, the ones that get you feeling comfortable yet nostalgic at the same time? I’m in one right now, and went searching for the perfect soundtrack to compliment my feelings. Mission accomplished.

First up is Melpo Mene’s “I Adore You”, which you might recognize from the new Volvo XC90 commercial. The song is very soft and innocent, yet features excellent instrumentation and a beautiful melody, in the vein of Mene’s Scandanavian brethren Seabear and Pelle Carlberg. I find it difficult to not smile or daydream when I listen to this track.

MP3: Melpo Mene – “I Adore You”

Next is Sparrow House’s “Heart Flood”, featured on Voxtrot-member Jarod Van Fleet’s 2006 EP, Falls. “Heart Flood” starts with an ever-building guitar riff, slowly adding ambient noise and slightly muted vocals, which gain steam then finally give way to a warm bass synth and the repetitive lyrics “give up, give up”. Clocking in at a modest 2:21, Van Fleet somehow finds a way to pack an album’s worth of emotions into one, bite-sized morsel of a song, which leaves listeners (like myself) begging for more, which is perfect, since”Heart Flood” introduces listeners to the rest of Falls, an almost flawless 19:26 of music.

MP3: Sparrow House – “Heart Flood”

The last song is Sally Shapiro’s “He Keeps Me Alive”, a song that even I am surprised to enjoy so much. Another Swede (see: Melpo Mene) drops this synth-and-vocal-driven beauty, which has an indescribably nostalgic feel. The first time I ever heard this song, I felt like I had heard it a million times, but in a good way. “He Keeps Me Alive” is equal parts comforting, familiar, and refreshingly new.

MP3: Sally Shapiro – “He Keeps Me Alive”

Love,

Zack