"The Wilhelm Scream," by James Blake

"The Wilhelm Scream" by James Blake is a song about a man on the brinks of giving up his life. It's as if he is trapped in his own nightmarish dream, but he can't escape. The song starts out with a slow minimal drum beat, with an ambient electric rift in the background. Then the beat overlays with his voice, which is a slow, peaceful tremor. Every so often, it's as if the song comes to a halt, and it becomes swallowed by this massive dark hole. This song conjures up an image of a man falling down a hole. It's as if he's unable to move his body, so he's forever trapped in this vicious cycle of depression.

Lyrically, the song follows a repetitive pattern, where each stanza practically follows the same layout. He ends each stanza by saying that he's falling in.  The repetitiveness shows how he's trapped, and unable to escape from "fallin in." Also, the last line in the last sentence says, "I might as well fall in." This shows how he's unable to deal with the situation he's in, so he'll give in just to end his pain. I think he wrote this, because it elaborates on the idea of how this man is trapped in this endless cycle. In turn, he offers a solution by giving in to giving up. While a depressing ending, it shows how some people cope with their issues. In this case, he decides that this man copes by giving in. 

This song isn't about happy endings. Instead of saying that everything is all right, it's more about the real struggles of how people deal with their problems. It shows how everything in the world isn't perfect, because the world isn't that simple. In this scenario, it's difficult for the man in this situation to cope with his problems, In turn, it's creating this harmful circle that is trapping him from facing the truth. When the song comes to an end, there's no light at the end of the tunnel. Instead, there's this eerie, abrupt stop, that leaves me wondering whether the man in this song overcomes his problems, or lets it consume him.  

Bon Iver- "Skinny Love"

"Skinny Love," by Bon Iver is about love, loss, and all things beautiful. One can't even fathom the utter beauty of this song- from the echoing lo-fy guitar melody, to the almost weeping and passionate voice of Justin Vernon. I can feel his pain; his loss. Every word sung gives me goosebumps, and spiritual empowerment- like non that I've ever experienced before. It's almost magical.

The lyrics speak of someone who is hurt; someone who is suffering. This is clearly expressed when he sings, "Pour a little salt, we were never here." It's as if someone is pouring salt on an open wound-that wound being his broken heart. It's as if he says the pain of you leaving is not enough, so you have to make it worse by torturing me for loving you. He also says, "Cut out all the ropes and let me fall." Listening to his voice, I can just sense his fear and desperation. While he still loves you, it's trying him mad. It's like he doesn't want to be committed to you, so you just have to let him go. Every time I listen to this song, I can connect and relate to these lyrics. I just want to curl up in a ball next to the fire, while listening to his voice on a cold winter day. 

This song is no average breakup song. You'll never here this grace and beauty coming out of the Biebs. When I hear Justin Vernon (Frontman) utter the lyrics, there's substance beneath these lyrics. When I hear Bieber singing songs similar to this (if that's what you can even call it) there's no substance, and no depth. Justin Vernon broke up with his girlfriend, broke up with his band, and moved to this wilderness. That gave him inspiration to write his song, and many others on his LP. This song is one of my favorites. The voice of Vernon is powerful, and the lyrics are just perfect.

Link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssdgFoHLwnk