Fresh French Fries & Root Beer Floats
Valley Girl by The Burkharts - Newer Music Tuesday
I used to only think of one thing when I heard the words valley girl. Like, oh my god, all I could think of was that totally bitchin’ song by Frank Zappa, fer sure! While I do have a lot of love for Moon Zappa’s sassy and talkative valley girl, I love the fact that The Burkharts totally changed my perception of what a girl like that could be with their brand new single called none other than “Valley Girl”.
I’m sure the band has heard the Beach Boys comparison a thousand times. But, I will take a moment to note that when I put this song on, I literally had a double-take. While of course the vocal style is incredibly reminiscent of Brian Wilson, the instruments themselves also sound like they were directly ripped from the Pet Sounds sessions in the best way possible.
I happened to be awake around midnight when this song came out, and I think the way I listened to it is was the perfect way to hear it for the first time. I have this starlight projector on the ceiling of my dorm room, and so it added this beautiful ambience to match a song that already creates a beautiful ambience on it’s own!
“Valley Girl” represents a lot of my favorite traits in music, so I was on board from the beginning. In case you can’t tell by now, I’m obsessed with this musical “candy” — little shiny notes that are buried deep in the mix, ones that enhance a song so much but aren’t always noticeable. The shiny doubling of “i’ve got my little valley girl” on this toy piano just adds a whole ‘nother level! I was already very happy with the song from the get-go, but that harmony on “so tell me all your sweet goodbyes” was one of those moments that is so good, I have an audible reaction usually in the vein of “are you kidding me???” and then rewind that specific part about ten times. It’s so simple, yet I look forward to it every time I hear it!!
Time for my classic scene-setting — this song brings to my mind a fifties-style diner, like Arnold’s from Happy Days. It’s after dark, and they’re open late because of the big game. Absolutely packed to the brim, everyone is pairing off into couples, the place is alive with laughter and joy. The scent of fresh french fries and root beer floats are in the air, and in this moment, nothing can go wrong.
With “Valley Girl”, the Burkharts have created a song that perfectly fits so many different occasions. Maybe you need a pick-me-up on a cloudy day. Maybe you need some of those sweet, sweet harmonies to make your day more colorful. Perhaps you’re frolicking in a field full of flowers, and want a song to match that energy. “Valley Girl” can be played during an early wakeup, exhausting afternoon, or restless evening. It’s a song that fits any mood, any place, and in my opinion, has something within it that can appeal to every person on this earth. And yes, that includes you, so get to listening!
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i love everything about this post
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