I knew I had to pick something from Sufjan for this playlist so I figured what better than this track from Planetarium, his collaborative effort with The National's Bryce Dessner and James McAlister as well as contemporary/classical composer Nico Muhly.
This song, being of the lesser electronic infused tracks of the album, features melodic vocals from Sufjan throughout the song and leans heavily on Muhly on the piano. The lyrics speak directly around the planet Mercury as well as the roman messenger god it was named after, making references to the "weightlessness" of the gravity on the planet and to the "running off" that the messenger god would do. The references are not so direct though that they can only be related to planets and gods. They're written so perfectly indirect that they can be interpreted for humans to relate their own thoughts and experiences with.
This song fits so well into this playlist it's almost as if it was made for it. It literally speaks about space and is composed to fit the lyrics and feeling so perfectly. This is definitely one of those songs you would like to play while you lay in bed and stare at glowing stars on the ceiling and walls and let yourself slowly drift to sleep.
You can learn more about Planetarium here:
About the curator - Hayden Schutz
Hayden Schutz is student from Saskatchewan, Canada. Currently studying at the University of Regina. When he’s not browsing reddit for new music, he’s usually attempting to study, training for track & field or indulging in whatever tv show he’s into that week. As of lately he’s been experimenting with video and photography but nothing that he would consider “professional quality”. Hayden’s been playing guitar since the beginning of high school and singing since he was old enough to understand the words on the radio in mom’s car.
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