It's February, which means we're at the mid-winter point here in the Northern Hemisphere. Mid-winter equals some of the most sluggish, gloomy, and (one might even say) hopeless months of the year. My solution to this is to listen to some languid yet warm songs.
Francesca (Loeber) is a Brooklyn-based up-and-coming R&B singer-songwriter from New Jersey. There isn't much else out there on her, as far as I can tell, but I'll definitely be keeping an ear out. You can listen to her debut EP "Sanity" here.
Camera Obscura, "This Is Love (Feels Alright)"
Classic '70s-tinged warm-afternoon-sunshine kind of song. But you know it's cold, cold, cold out there.
I feel like it's kind of taboo to speak of Robin Thicke's musical career like it is to speak of Chris Brown's, but there's no doubt both men are talented. This song's not exactly uplifting, but it suits that February feeling so well.
FURNS, "Keeper" FURNS is a Danish duo which combines the best of '70s music with hints of other decades to create dreamy, danceable, and undeniably European pop music -- perfect for dreary February. The duo released their debut album in 2014 and released a new song "Don't Tell Me No" earlier this month. You can stream all their tunes on Spotify or on SoundCloud.
Usher, "My Baby Just Cares For Me"
Usher's 21st Century take on this Nina Simone song brings an interesting perspective to the song's lyrics. Though this song was released just last year as part of a Nina Simone tribute compilation, it brings me right back to the sound of the late '90s-early '00s R&B-pop sound.