Tunesday 4th March, 2014: This is Why - Late Night Alumni

No video to go with the tune for you this week I’m afraid (or at least, not one with moving images), but the song itself should more than make up for that. After all, who really loves a tune solely because of its video anyway?

Now, I’ll be honest with you: this isn’t the most cheerful song, but it’s poignant and beautiful all the same. It’s also one that was probably best suited to the cold, cosy nights of January (this is a subjective opinion I’m sure, but perhaps you’ll see why in a moment), although it would be a shame not to appreciate it just because we’re a month or two on from those.

Late Night Alumni are a four piece US house group best known for the soft, trance-like vocals of lead singer Becky Jean Williams, of which this track is a fine example. If you recognise the sound from anything, it may be the film Crazy, Stupid, Love; two of their songs – Uncharted and You Can Be the One – featured on its soundtrack.

This is Why, a track from the group’s third studio album Haunted, is a slightly more interesting choice for me to highlight. It is a song about not crying, hiding yourself behind a wall to protect others from the sight of it. You could say it is a song about trying to hide depression from those around you. You could say it is instead descriptive of a type of depression itself. Or, you may take something else from it. That is part of the joy of individual experience. Either way, I think you'll like those vocals and the unique atmosphere they bring to the song.

EGS