Music and Wine: November 2019

Welcome to Delectable's column, Music and Wine! If you’re on the lookout for newly released music, grab your headphones. If you’re searching for a fresh bottle, grab your glass. And if you’re looking for the perfect wine to pair with that pop song you can't stop playing on repeat, then sit back, relax, and enjoy these Delectable tunes. Each month, we gather a playlist of newly released songs and pair them with wines that hit all the right notes. Listen on Spotify Now 1. Frail State of Mind – The 1975 With the release of the their fourth studio album scheduled for February 2020, The 1975 have been giving fans a taste of these 22 tracks by releasing a handful of singles. “Frail State of Mind” finds itself as the third and most recently released track. Made up of a steady drumbeat, synths, ethereal sounds, and honest lyrics, this song is reliably The 1975 with a hint of something brand new. Lead singer, Matty Healy shares what feels to be an open letter apologizing for his anxiety and frail state of mind. While calm and smooth at the beginning, the song slowly builds adding more sounds and higher vocals that add to the growing anxiety surrounding the lyrics. We recommend a champagne that builds in time with the song. Grab a glass of Taittinger Comtes de Champagne Brut Blanc de Blancs Champagne Chardonnay . 2. My Love Was Like The Rain – Låpsley In 2016, Låpsley dropped her debut studio album, Long Way Home, and then she disappeared into the ambient pop sounds she created. Three years later, the 23-year old, British singer resurfaces with “My Love Was Like The Rain” which sets the tone for her EP release in late November. Låpsley draws on the lyrics from this song, “So I embodied these elements” to appropriately name her new EP, These Elements. Contradicting lines such as, “Remember when you said / My love was like the sky / Not the big blue / But the unknown black” reflect the positive and negative qualities one person can possess and how those are revealed in a relationship. While contemplating these meaningful lyrics and welcoming Låpsley’s comeback, we think you should grab a bottle that is drinkable now or would be great to hold. Perhaps a glass of 2013 Marchesi Antinori Pian delle Vigne Brunello di Montalcino Sangiovese . 3. Nightmare – PVRIS A follow up to their 2017 album “All We Know of Heaven, All We Need of Hell” PVRIS steps back out onto the scene with their five track EP, Hallucinations. Various descriptors are used to pinpoint this band’s sound: electronica, alternative, rock, and pop. As different as these adjectives appear, they are all seamlessly meshed together to form the undeniable PVRIS sound that is enjoyably displayed throughout their new EP. “Nightmare” lands second on the track list and is arguably the most upbeat track of the five. If you’re looking for an electro-pop song that you’d have to fight not to dance to, then look no further than this jam. This upbeat song presents the destructive nature of a past relationship; however, “Nightmare” won’t make you sad; it will only have you screaming the lyrics at the top of your lungs and dancing wildly. Grab a bottle of 2016 Lewis Cellars Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon that packs a punch just like this song. 4. Orphans – Coldplay A band that needs no introduction, Coldplay is gearing up to release their eighth studio album. Whether you call yourself a diehard Coldplay fan or you find yourself trying to remember what that song about the color yellow sounds like, you’ve most definitely heard at least one of their songs over their 20 year career. Pain versus joy and hope versus regret are at the center of the story “Orphans” portrays. The lines, “I wanna know when I can go / Back and get drunk with my friends / I wanna know when I can go / Back and be young again” call on the longing to go back to a more innocent, free, and a less all-consuming time of life. We think you should grab a bottle of 1993 Château Pajzos Esszencia Tokaji that will remind you of sweeter times. Sip on this while trying to make sense of the world around you, similar to what Coldplay is trying to do with their new album. 5. Relationship – Anthony Ramos You talk constantly. You hangout all the time. You obviously have feelings for each other, yet you’re not in a relationship? This is the scenario former Hamilton star, Anthony Ramos muses over in his song fittingly titled “Relationship”; however, “Relationship?” might have been a more appropriate title given the confusing back and forth Ramos sings about. We challenge you to not bop around when listening to this song. While the song itself isn’t groundbreaking, it has a humorous storyline that is far too relatable to those putting themselves out there in the dating world, plus it has a fun beat. Send this song to the person you may or may not have a relationship with, grab a bottle of 1990 Château Lafleur Pomerol Red Bordeaux Blend and await their response. 6. Lights Up – Harry Styles Former One Direction member and arguably the most well-known member, Harry Styles released his latest, light and grooveable song into the world in early October. Styles’ last album brought fans emotional ballads and pop-rock sounding songs; however, “Lights Up” offers something a bit different. The most empowering lines of the song, “Shine, step into the light / Shine, so bright sometimes / Shine, I'm not ever going back” encourages listeners to embrace their true selves, step into the light, and never try to hide who they are. This is a song you can easily let waft through your house with the windows open, sun streaming in, and lightly swaying with a glass of 2018 Château de Pibarnon Bandol Rosé Blend in hand. 7. Be Your Man – Rhys Lewis Anyone out there in the mood for unrequited love? No? Probably not because while you can write an emotional song about it, that situation does not seem the most enjoyable. In his newest single “Be Your Man”, Rhys Lewis sings about the pain that comes with unrequited love and living in the shadow of someone’s ex-lover. The soft piano notes in the beginning sound lovely, but it’s the beat drop with the start of the guitar 15 seconds in that really grabs your attention. Labeled as a pop song about the unfortunate circumstances of love not working out in your favor, “Be Your Man” has an edge to it that makes it stand out from the rest of the heartbreak songs. We think you should pair this with a bottle of 2015 Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon . 8. Sophie – Arlo Parks Nineteen year-old, London-based poet and musician, Arlo Parks recently released her track “Sophie” ahead of her EP release of the same name. Internal conflict and self-acceptance can be found floating among the soft tunes of this song. Listening to the song makes you feel as if you’re reading a page from Parks’ diary. Introspection jumps off the page as Parks reflects on the anxieties faced day-to-day as a teenager and young adult. “I’m just a kid / I suffocate and slip I” highlights the reality of being young and slipping up, which can result in a sense of hopelessness; however, there is a sense of comfort in being a kid and being able to mess up, change course, and start again. Grab a seat and sip on a glass of a wine that makes you think and channel your inner introspective teenager. Maybe a 2017 Clos Canarelli Corse Figari Rosé Blend ? Listen to last month’s playlist here .