Youtuber-turned-singer Dodie Clark released her third EP Human on January 18th, and the first track, Arms Unfolding, is nothing less than a hot cup of tea after a walk in the snow.
It’s barely ninety seconds long, but the sole backing of a quiet hum over the lyrics is sparse yet beautiful – just like winter! Dodie’s echoing vulnerable voice sings of forgiveness, of rebuilding a lost relationship that once hurt her. It’s a song perfect to warm up chilly hearts, especially as we end the month of new beginnings and begin the month of love. “Old partner-in-crime,” she says, making a wholesome new year’s resolution that’ll send a shiver down your spine, “I’m going to try to fall in love with you again.”
-Rebecca Thorpe
Biffy Clyro- Machines
Biffy Clyro’s track “Machines” from their 2013 record Puzzle, isn’t a song that’s going to warm you up with the promise of a Pina Colada on a sandy beach in summertime. However, it is possibly the Scottish Indie outfit’s most uplifting song that will make you feel as cosy as a fluffy blanket.
As lyrically beautiful as it is sonically, Machines is an emotional ballad with lead singer Simon Neil singing “crazy as it sounds you won’t feel as low as you feel right now”. Machines is a song which is perfect for winter- which can often feel like a cold and soulless season- injecting some much-needed love and emotion to combat the cold. It stands out as one of Biffy’s most heartfelt songs in their discography and is particularly beautiful on their MTV Unplugged album, which delivers the song in a stunningly arranged acoustic setting accompanied by a string orchestra.
-Dominic Lee
John Mayer- Roll It On Home
I stumbled across this song lately when taking a trip down the John Mayer memory lane. While not one of his most popular hits, its calm rhythm and uplifting lyrics have been a source of comfort to me throughout this cold month of January.
While walking from the metro into uni on early cold winter mornings its good to have a soft backing track to ease you into the day. Sometimes I find its best to embrace the solitude and quietness of winter rather than forcing yourself to find sunshine in days that are, let's be honest, incredibly dire. While not a sad song, it's calming, optimistic and slightly subdued, a literal musical embodiment of how I often feel in the first few months of the beginning of a new year
-Louise Hall
Cubicolour- Got This Feeling (Lane 8 Remix)
Warm and easy house music fresh from an edgy year nine Spotify playlist is my guilty pleasure to play on a cold morning in Newcastle.
-Rory Ellis
