March Collective Collaborative Blog: BLOOM Playlist

The T&E collective welcomes in the spring season with their "Bloom Playlist", a collection of songs about flowers, rebirth and rejuvenation.

T&E contributor Brian Denton on his pick "First Flower" - Molly Burch: When it comes to choosing music for springtime, when my brain is already alight with the dew and greenery and smells of fresh leaves, there’s nothing quite like the indie pop genre. Within it are seemingly endless amounts of songs about new love and flowers and everything else that’s dreamy. Last spring I discovered First Flower, the second album from indie pop artist Molly Burch, and it changed my entire year. Each song has a breezy beachy feel with a little hint of smoky jazz club, and Burch’s low vocals are so intoxicatingly pleasant. The titular song of the album is especially spring-themed for me, where Burch paints a picture of a new love and compares it to the first bloom of springtime: “Just like the first flower that blooms in spring / To me you are, you are my everything.” We can all relate to the feeling of almost being drunk with happiness, and the bliss of discovery; everything is new and fresh and exciting. Burch really captures the joy of new love, and the song truly feels like I’m dancing among the first flowers of spring.

T&E contributor Parisa Eshrati on her pick “Vesna” - DakhaBrakha: This song represents the full cycle of spring, and although I don’t understand the lyrics from this Ukranian chaos-folk band, it never ceases to give me chills and swoon with profound emotion. It starts slowly, with little chirping sounds and sporadic instrumentation, and picks up with sweeping cello lines that melt the ice and introduce the new season. I remember seeing this song live, and by the end as the song peaks in a full flush of vibrant and energetic energy, the entire crowd rose from their seats and started jumping. I always equate that memory with the ecstatic joy of spring, and the rebirth one feels when exposed to the exuberance of life and movement. The song fades out, like the shedding of the final leaves of the spring flowers, and leaves on a bittersweet note of the start of another new season. I recommend watching this song performed live in the KEXP Studios to really experience this song to its fullest potential.
​

Playlists curated by Kurt B. Reighley, Parisa Eshrati, Joanna Swaap, Brian Denton and Alex Lopez.