Julee Cruise’s ‘Falling,’ known for its status as the soundtrack to David Lynch’s 1990 supernatural mystery ‘Twin Peaks,’ transports listeners through a hauntingly atmospheric macabre. With Cruise’s sultry yet chilling reverb, layered over Angelo Badalamenti’s mournful instrumentals, ‘Falling’ inhabits a space between life and death, a ghost town that has been left behind and the memories that linger throughout. These memories linger throughout Badalamenti's dream-like crescendo of organ and bass that dominate the song with its woeful passing. ‘Falling,’ driven by its unsettling nature, pursues a genre of chilling dream-pop that is sure to get you into a spooky mood.
The spooky season has made its way back into our hearts, I'm here to discuss songs you should be putting on your playlist for your Halloween pub crawl, pre-drinks or Halloween bash. My personal favourite is ‘Super Freak’ by Rick James, this spicy and mysterious song is a must have on any playlist. The jingle bells of Halloween, ‘Monster Mash’ by Bobby Pickett and the Crypt Kickers is funky, fun and fabulous. Another song to add would be the world-renowned song ‘Thriller’ by the legend Michael Jackson, with bonus points if you have learned the iconic dance. Finally, I would recommend my favourite Halloween song from the movie ‘Hocus Pocus’- ‘I Put a Spell on You’. This song is truly fantastical and dramatic, making you feel like you’re truly in the season of the witch.
As a proud resident hater of Halloween, it can be hard for me to muster up any enthusiasm for so-called 'scary music' apart from obvious bangers such as Thriller and Ghostbusters. However, if I do fancy a blast of autumnal/wintry spookiness then one of my go-to mood setters is Radiohead's 'Burn The Witch,' the fantastic and chilling opener to their 2016 album 'A Moon Shaped Pool.' The song constantly builds up layers of plucked strings and drum machines to reach a brilliantly tense climax, as Thom Yorke's lyrics warn against authoritarianism. Some of my favourite lines here include, "Red crosses on wooden doors / If you float, you burn," and the hauntingly-sung, "We know where you live." Worth mentioning also is the truly creepy animated video, a homage to children's shows from the 1970s and the classic folk horror The Wicker Man. A haunting track like this, plus a horror movie on a rainy night, is the closest thing you're getting to a Halloween celebration from me.