Pop ballads from the early 2000s. Synthwave songs with just the right layers of haze and analog static. Ambient pieces that blend the choral and classical to a soul-stirring effect. Music means a lot to me, not just as a writer, but as a strongly emotive person. If the same goes for you, then I have a hunch that you’ll feel right at home here in my “Sounds of Summer” series 🙂

I’m awe-struck. How much can the right song help you unwind?

Apparently, quite a bit.

Last Sunday, I was perusing my usual favorite YouTube channel, “Ambient,” when I clicked on a new song in my usual spontaneous fashion. The second the soft piano chords hit my ears, I was carefree. Jazz, cool blues, ambient, and the most relaxed version of funk imaginable are all rolled into one. Just kick back and let the pure bliss wash over you.

 

“Back to You” is the second song on the album Continuum, which was composed by Shook. This was my first foray into Shook’s music, and let me tell you, I wasn’t disappointed in the slightest.

There’s something faintly noir about this song. I imagine hearing it just before the closing credits of a well-made detective movie, as the protagonist’s longstanding struggle is finally winding down. Maybe he or she has captured the killer and brought some sense of peace and justice to the family members of the victim. Or maybe the detective didn’t win, the bad guy got away, and now she’s left to her own sense of guilt and defeat.

If anything, this tune reminds me that my passion for justice will always be a part of me. It’s one of the most prevalent themes in my writing, and serves as a catalyst when I feel writer’s block starting to creep up on me. Growing up, I loved watching Batman take down criminals on my small T.V. after school, both while wearing his cape and while sharply dressed to blend in with his fellow elite. Part of my childhood also involved watching The Big O, a highly stylized anime with clear noir roots. Roger Smith was another hero whom I admired for his calm exterior, tenacity, and strong desire to maintain his just credo.

I still see a lot of myself in these classy and mysterious heroes. Sometimes all it takes to remind me of my own heroism is a simple song.

I hope you like “Back to You!” Who were some of your childhood heroes/heroines growing up? Do any of your favorite songs bring back some of your earliest memories of said idols?