From freaky to festive

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New music at the start of November

By Brontë H. Lacsamana, Reporter

A WELL-KNOWN meme among the chronically online around this time of year has two photos of Mariah Carey next to each other, one of her in a witch costume captioned “Me on Oct. 31” and another of her in a Santa outfit (a la “All I Want For Christmas Is You”) captioned “Me on Nov. 1.”

It’s an amusing sentiment, capturing today’s fast-paced pop culture zeitgeist, switching up the energy from freaky to festive right after Halloween ends and Christmas appears within reach.

The music releases on Nov. 1 also reflect it. Here are three examples to bite into as the holiday season approaches:

liminal space — mxmtoon

American lo-fi musician mxmtoon (real name: Maia) greeted the new month with a new album, titled liminal space, the term for odd transition places that are usually in between destinations, like hallways.

The title may make it seem like a release that would still suit spooky season, but the songs in it reflect Maia’s down-to-earth, earnest singer-songwriter style. The second track, “i hate texas,” is a great example of her confessional voice mixed with calm, soothing melodies, immediately followed by “rain” that is more melancholy in tone.

Fun tracks to check out are the upbeat “passenger side” and the dance tune “the situation,” made in collaboration with London-based pop trio Kero Kero Bonito. But it is Maia’s penultimate track on the album, “now’s not the time” featuring Korean-Canadian musician Luna Li, that leaves an impact, with both girls’ longing-filled voices soaring over gently plucked guitar strings.

HOSONO HOUSE COVERS — Various artists, Haruomi Hosono

Haruomi Hosono, nicknamed Harry Hosono, a Japanese pop icon whose music spanning the 1960s and 1970s shaped East Asian music trends for decades, recently got a bunch of musicians from all over to cover his songs.

The songs in question came from his 1973 album Hosono House, spawning the aptly titled HOSONO HOUSE COVERS a solid 51 years after they first came out. The result is a fun mishmash of sounds: French-American indie pop duo Pearl & The Oysters, for example, take on Mr. Hosono’s  “Koi wa Momoiro” (Love Is Pink) and give the ballad a flighty, jazzy spin.

Updates in genre are expected, of course, with Korean alternative rock band, SE SO NEON, giving the short musical doodle “Party” a simple acoustic treatment albeit in a happy tone. Meanwhile, Japanese tropical pop musician Yuma Abe injected his signature breezy and festive sound to “Fuyugoe” (Overcoming Winter).

An interesting track is “Boku wa Chotto,” covered by Los Angeles-based Canadian singer-songwriter Mac DeMarco, who pronounces the Japanese words very well and sings the heartfelt song with ease.

A Very Laufey Holiday — Laufey

The most explicitly Christmas-themed music release of the day is that of classically trained jazz pop sensation Laufey (pronounced lay-vay).

A Very Laufey Holiday is technically a new EP, though four of its five tracks were compiled from previous Christmas singles released by the artist over the years. The only new track, “Santa Baby,” is Laufey’s cover of the beloved holiday tune, touched with her usual elegant, honeyed voice.

“Winter Wonderland” is definitely the song that brings out her talents best, with the jazzy piano and saxophone in the background fitting her powerful vocals that tackle the familiar melody with ease. Laufey’s collaboration with British bedroom pop singer Dodie, “Love to Keep Me Warm,” is a comforting track to end with — it encapsulates the soft, playful magic of the winter weather, especially when their velvety voices sing in unison.