Talk Is Cheap by Chet Faker

Valentine's Day is approaching. I'm in the camp that doesn't mind the holiday, despite how many single ones I've had. Two years ago, I was newly broken up with that dude who I moved across the country for, and spent the time hanging out in the (surprisingly packed) gym. Last year, I had major butterflies and magic feelings for a guy who I had started quasi-seeing only a few days before. We weren't even dating yet and he loathed the holiday. I was still giddy over the prospect. This year, I am seeing an amazing guy who is actually making the effort. This is new territory and a new relationship for me and I'm pretty excited to see what comes to fruition. 

When thinking about budding romances this holiday, if I were to make a mix, it would open with this sexy, but wise, new track from Chet Faker, Talk Is Cheap. Between the saxophone so smooth that I'd let it take me home from the bar and the sultry lyrics, my brain lights up when I hear this song start to play.

However, there are some important lessons to learn here, especially as I build upon new relationships."Talk is cheap my darling, when you feel right at home". How true is this? Whenever I am comfortable with my feelings, it's always easier to make promises than it is to deliver on them. Since there's trust or history built in already, a slipped promise doesn't seem as big of a deal. 

"I want to make you move with confidence. I want to be with you alone", is another sentiment worth drawing attention to. More so than anything, I believe one of the biggest foundations for success is the ability to inspire confidence in a partner and in yourself. Creating a comfortable and safe emotional environment (a home), while possibly encouraging those slipped promises above, allows room for inevitable mistakes and human flaws. 

Honestly, I wasn't expecting this latest release to make me pause and think these things over. That's the beauty of music.

Listen to Talk Is Cheap below. Join me in anticipating the debut LP, Built On Glass, available April 11th. Hopefully, Faker's wisdom will be present throughout the album. 

A Marriage In The Dark by Night Beds

I can't help but to follow Bree Ryback of Capitol Romance on her blog and on Twitter. As an alternative wedding coordinator for DC area couples, she posts the most adorable weddings, ideas and engagement sessions! While I am no where near to being engaged or married, it's always a little bit of sunshine reading about local area couples in love who made it to the end of the aisle but to the beginning of a life together.

One of my favorite parts of Capitol Romance is Bree's series: Wedding Music That Doesn't Suck. Let's face it, I have a spotify playlist that is constantly updated, titled: "secret wedding playlist". Oh yes. I am already curating that perfect list of songs that will carry me through one of the biggest days of my life. While some girls have their wedding pinterest boards, I have this and I'm not even (that) ashamed.

Bree already has a few of my favorite contenders covered: Ends of the Earth by Lord Huron, 5 Years Time by Noah and the Whale, Thunder Clatter by Wild Cub, San Francisco by the Mowgli's, It's Nice to Be Alive by Ball Park Music, and so many more. She, obviously, has an amazing taste in music and I'm sold. While I'm in this sappy mood (currently, a few glasses of wine in at Busboys & Poets), I want to share the newest addition to my "secret wedding playlist".

A Marriage In The Dark by Night Beds is a track off of Night Beds EP, a harder to find release from Winston Yellen, who posted the link to download the EP on his Twitter a few weeks ago. I must say, the six tracks on this EP are some of my favorite work from Yellen and from the folk genre in general.

After a scratchy, old-fashioned, dramatic opening, A Marriage In The Dark is a stunningly beautiful song that stands just as grand without music, as a poem or a reading. With alternating rhyming schemes that switch up as the song progresses, this song will not escape my thoughts and wistful daydreams.

In your wedding gown
Is how he sees you now
A life to be found
In your wedding gown

Keep your picture in my shoe
Stomp my feet just to feel you
Come look at what we've found
Our hearts lying on the ground

Come on lets get married
We are more than ready
Come on lets get married
Tell me when you're ready 

What I find most fascinating about this song is how Yellen was able to evoke such honest, good-natured, loving emotions among "basements, a lot of alcohol, a lot of irreverent tuning but not that much need for talk" during the earlier stages of Night Beds. Catharsis the song may be, but I can't help but believe (hope) the story he is singing has a happy ending for him.