It's enough to make you vomit isn't it?
Right everyone, Valentine’s Day is here. Otherwise known as the stupid waste of money that comes around once a year, the 14th February can leave you feeling a bit cold and pretty broke if your other half is demanding/romantic or just depressed if you can’t get that person of your dreams into your creaky college single. So in the spirit of the week, the top ten tracks this week contain a plethora of great love songs to either set the mood or to provide that clichéd mixtape for the one you love. Get out the flowers and chocolates for this one…..
Coles Corner – Richard Hawley Strings, beautiful vocals and generally beautiful lyrics turn this delightful waltz into an extravagantly grandiose, yet still understated, love song. Sumptuous.
For Emma, Forever Ago – Bon Iver From the hauntingly excellent album of the same name, this exercise in minimalism is lifted to extraordinary heights by spine tingling vocals. If you’re lucky someone is called Emma, this is a must.
Switching off – Elbow Yes we all know “One Day like This” is a marvellous song, but Guy Garvey’s Mancunian troupe will probably never better the quietly exploding heights of “Switching Off” a song tinged with regret, hope and downright goose pimple textures. Literally, one of the best songs ever written.
You Make it Easy – Air Moon Safari remains probably the greatest make out album ever made and this number certainly encompasses all the key reasons behind that. Sultry, sexy Beth Hirsch lyrics mixed to cute French guitars and a chilled out beat will certainly help build a good mood in your love nest.
The Fox in the Snow – Belle and Sebastian Not a love song admittedly, but is tinted with the typical ingredients that make Stuart Murdoch such a respected writer: a brilliant ballad with carefully weighted harmonies between Murdoch and Campbell, a perfectly judged piano riff and one of the loveliest solos ever. Superb.
Just for a Moment – Aqualung In comparison to “Strange and Beautiful”, this is probably Aqualung’s next finest moment and a better love song. Simple and restrained, the piano threatens to blow out before remaining content to stay cooly unassuming. Absolutely lovely.
The Last of the Melting Snow – The Leisure Society An Ivor Novello nominated number; it echoes a series of lovely influences such from Paul McCartney’s, the best moments to the Shins mixed in with the best of the balladeers such as Hawley, Willy Mason and Elbow. It’s a wonderfully beautiful song.
Sister Renee – Ed Harcourt Soulful mourning brought out in absolute style, the song is a fantastically textured ballad with the Harcourt’s ability to perfectly judge a song resulting in one of the most devastatingly heartbreaking chorus ever.
We’re Here – Guillemots When Fyfe Dangerfield writes what he is capable of doing, he is a phenomenal songwriter. This is one of his finest moments, with the careful build up blowing out into total joy with the soaring chorus that strikes into the heart perfectly.
Cobwebs (8 track demo) – The Coral The album version is a lovely acoustic driven pop ballad but this demo from their singles collection is sweet, heartfelt and seemingly designed for Romcoms. It’s a genuinely enjoyable listen and gives you the advantage of looking knowledgeable about music (darling, the album version is not as good as this!)
The Tab's Top Ten Romantic Tracks
Good shouts all round – Though if we're picking an Elbow track I'd be tempted to go for Mirrorball, Guy's vocals hide a deceptively dark edge to the song.
Would have liked to have seen a nof to the Maccabees for Toothpaste Kisses as well – rates above the Coral track easily
Bon Iver, Hawley, Ed, Belle and Sebastian, Leisure Society – What a beautiful list. You should get a job at the Guardian and teach them one or two things about music.
I disagree with Simon, Switching Off is one of the, if not the best love song ever written. The lyrics outweigh those of Mirrorball, though it comes a close second.
Why was 'true love waits' by radiohead not on this list? Or 'wish you were here' by pink floyd for that matter?
[...] you want a happy medium between folk and punk then put on George Osborn’s brilliantly chosen Valentine’s Playlist, it’s bound to seal the [...]