THG Formulations

Over the years, acoustic music has climbed in popularity – whether it be from rock bands coming out with acoustic versions of their songs, pop artists trying to get in touch with their raw selves, or new acoustic artists coming on to the scene. There are many reasons why this trend may be happening, but why have acoustic songs become such a big deal?

Some argue it’s the unique simplicity. For some hearing a simple piano or acoustic guitar and a vocalist is a great break from all of the distortion and synthesized mess that seems to come out some pop songs and heavy metal songs. Others argue it’s a culture thing. The mellow, independent culture has been enough to make the genre climb. Something many don’t think about is the actual content of the acoustic songs – the reason they are written.

But something that truly needs to be considered is what acoustic musicians write about. There seems to be a bit of a pattern that helps people relate to acoustic music more than other types of music. The way musicians can express their feelings or stories in good acoustic songs is truly amazing, and is not the traditional way musicians have done it in the past.

Good acoustic songs are often about expressions of love. If you ever want to really find the key to a woman’s heart, write a heart-felt song for her. Of course, its all about sincerity – never just write a song to write it. If you aren’t feeling it truly, then don’t try and squeeze something out, just for fun.

The song “Vegetable Car” by Joshua Radin is a great example of an acoustic song that is just telling a funny story. In the song, the writer sees a woman in a so called “vegetable car” who drives by everyday while he is outside. He notices her, her hair in a bun, her two door car, her glasses, etc. and talks of how he would just someday love to meet her. He even admits that him writing a song about her is a little strange considering the fact that he has never talked to her in his life. That woman is out there somewhere, and probably has no idea.

Of course, acoustic songs could never escape the popular subject of pitfalls of a breakup. Dashboard Confessional takes it to a whole new level though; truly expressing some of the feelings you can feel when you break up. One popular lyric is “…breathing is a foreign task, and thinking’s just too much to ask, and you’re measuring your minutes by a clock that’s blinking eights.” To any poor sap who just broke up with his girlfriend, all he may know is that “I’m really, really sad”, but Chris Carrabba goes into the exact detail and truly shows how it feels to breakup.

Another popular reason for writing acoustic songs refers to life realizations. Think of the ever popular “Good Riddance” by Greenday. It’s one thing to hear a motivational speech during a high school graduation, but it gets taken to a whole new level when the catchy riff along with the inspiring lyrics strike a chord with an audience. Realizing that this is the time of our life to take advantage of can have a deeper effect expressed in song rather than on paper.

No matter what the lyrical background, acoustic songs hold a special place in music listeners hearts. Some love acoustic music for the riffs, others for the lyrics, and still others for the simplicity. Whatever the reason, acoustic music is surely one of the most valued types of music out there.

Music has a huge impact, and listening to good acoustic songs will give you new perspective. For more information on the best acoustic songs ever written, check out our website.