“Living How You Wanna Live” by Slow Funeral is an organic display of emotion through relatable lyrics, brilliantly crafted chord changes, and a dynamic song form. Slow Funeral is probably pictured in the dictionary next to the definition for “slow burn” because there has never been a more gratifying climax to a song.
Beginning with an acoustic guitar, piano, and a soft duet between two vocalists, the song offers a slew of poetic lyrics. “Is your body just another thing to take care of?” the singer croons softly. It’s quite a telling phrase despite its brevity. It implies defeat and exhaustion but also leaves out enough information that the listener wants to know more. A minute in, drums and electric guitar pour in, filling out the sound. Everything remains pretty twinkly though–nothing heavy or dramatic yet. After about another minute, everything drops down to a classic build, with a barrage of overdriven power chords and a repeating, anticipatory guitar riff. “I can’t make you change, but are you living how you want to live?” the two singers chime in unison. Distorted feedback and a brief drum fill crack the song wide open, spilling a crash-laden drum groove, wildly crunchy chords, and a cloud of harmonies. The lyric repeats, which intensifies the meaning with each iteration. We’re left with this gut-wrenching, open-ended question, and a cliffhanger of a last chord as the song fades.
There are not enough words to describe how fantastic this track is. If you’re looking for music that’ll make you feel something, “Living How You Wanna Live” should be next on your list.
Written by Alyce Lindberg
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