FAWM: "Recommend me a book"

Recommend me a book

3 weeks ago by @ndavies

Recommend me a book

ndavies

00:00

Liner Notes

#powerpop #guitar #fuzz

This was in response to a recent story going around about using AI to make book recommendations, and thinking about how Spotify steers listeners towards music that's samey and inoffensive

Ingredients
EZDrummer
Bass + overdrive
Guitar + overdrive
Guitar + fuzz
Vocals

Lyrics

I’ve often bought books on the basis of a blurb
but I just hating being burned
by this praise so undeserved
I’m a sucker for a well designed cover
Superficial much? but
I can always find another
I’ve lost trust in the books that win awards
they’re always gravitating towards
the same names that won before

Recommend me a book
I don’t want to be the one who decides
I miss the days of assigned reading
Hey recommend me a book
The one on the top of your mind
That’s the one I wouldn’t mind reading
You can just lend me a book
and I’ll go in blind
because I’m not a mind reader

The algorithm gets me wrong
It plays it too safe
caters to my taste
cuz that’s its win condition
Take a shot make it long
I’ll risk the hate read
at least I’ll feel something
but this indecision

Recommend me a book
I don’t want to be the one who decides
I miss the days of assigned reading
Hey recommend me a book
Off the top of your dome
The one you just got done reading
Just send me any book
It’ll sit on my pile
taunting me at eye level

And eventually I’ll find the time
It’ll reach the top of this queue of mine
Maybe over a long holiday
Oh my god I feel so behind

Recommend me a book
I don’t want to be the one who decides
what it is that I’m reading
Hey recommend me a book
Anything will be fine
I miss the days of assigned reading
Off the top of your dome
Because I want to know
What resonates with your thoughts
and learn what I ought
Another life another world
and things that have never occurred
to me before I opened this tome

Recommend me a book
but not that one please
recommend me a book
can it be a thin one at least
recommend me a book
I’m drowning I’m in too deep
but recommend me
go on and recommend me a book

Comments

@davidtaro 5d

Love how this started with the algorithm prompt thing (and does touch on it) but is mainly about the tyranny of the unread book pile by your bed, which is soooo damn relatable. Great Ben Folds Five vibes on the music, and for that matter the quirky tongue in cheek lyrics. Nice one!

@williamjames 1w

Very good chorus! Very good lyrics. I like the thoughts on how the success often breeds success on the expense of the up and coming. Kind of had me worried...

@frozenlonesome 1w

Nice power pop tune. The harmonies add a lot to the song and your instrumentation is spot on. Reminds me of my neglected goal of reading more this year as I’ve fallen out of the habit.

@nadine 2w

Yay some jangly fuzz rock. I like how the lead contributes to the vocal melody. Good arrangement and interesting bridge

@joshalmond 2w

Great tune, listened to it twice! And I love the topic as I've been reading more and more books in recent years.

@ccsfrogpond 2w

I feel like this captures the feeling of analysis paralysis so well. Too many great choices that I can’t choose any of them lol. I find the idea for this song really creative and relatable, catchy! 🐸

@coolparadisoMod 2w

Same as Stephen heard the songs the other way round. This could so easily have been radio played! Those guitars at the back are all class and build an unbreakable wall. Good song

@stephenwordsmith 2w

Unusually, I heard the TC Elliott response song to this one first. This one is rather more polite.

The lyrics have such an excellent assonant flow; tumbling like a waterfall of words. And they articulate a set of thoughts that are as complex as they are relatable, bearing many repeated listens to appreciate all the nods and nuances.

The feather-light vocal layering is a gorgeous foil to the increasingly insistent guitarwork.

@guatecoop 2w

What a great premise for a song!! I love it. Your writing, arrangement, and instrumentation is really effective in a compelling and memorable style. Very well done!

@jinx 3w

Oh I feel this HARD. Great topic for a song, and you turned it into a total banger!

(Also I'm going to take this lyric way too literally and recommend you a book. Feel free to ignore this bit, haha. If you prefer fiction: "The Dispossessed" by Ursula K. Le Guin. If you prefer nonfiction: "Cobalt Red" by Siddharth Kara.)

@writeandwrong 3w

Wow, this is so relatable... to movies, too! Those great reviews and rewards... I don't usually agree with them LOL Same with books! I love the energy and flow of your quest! Unique and real! Great one!!

@jorh 3w

Great use of rhyme here - liked the mix between the internal and end of line rhymes. I love that first verse too especially - you had me hooked with the first few lines, which felt uniquely you. Yes to the crunchy guitar too!

@tcelliott 3w

This is an awesome slice of power pop tastiness. Loving the guitars, arrangement and production. Your melody is enticing, too. This is a damn good one.

@emplate 3w

Cool guitar tones, very fitting for the style. I'm not that familiar with this kind of music, but I'm also getting slight pop punk vibes from the riffing as well? Arranging is very nice, it explodes in a proper way for the chorus and quiets down for the verses.

@coolparadisoMod 3w

Ain’t that so, we are always being driven by their whims, Really good song, very catchy. Love the layer of guitars. Full of nice flourishes.

@oddbod 3w

Nice cool indie song. It's a little reminiscent of Fountains of Wayne or that style of guitar power pop. I like the literary theme too. I think some reverb of the vocals would enhance the production.