“Honey Jars” – Bryan John Appleby
This song follows a day in the life of an old man who has lost the love of his life and reluctantly carries on without her. “Now your honey jars are frozen, in the window, your books have browned, and there”s too much room inside our bed, I think I”ll join you in the ground.” Morbid? Maybe on first glance. But combined with gorgeous acoustics, this song takes the cake for beautifully mournful.
“Your Kisses” – Daughter
Some love stories are sad because they end. Others are sad because they shouldn”t go on and yet they do, despite the pain and disappoint one party or the other may suffer. The singer, in this case, continues to love her guy regardless of his seeming indifference toward her emotional needs. “Your kisses may be a beautiful art,” her haunting voice sings. “But all I ever wanted was your heart.” It”s soft, it”s sad, and unfortunately widely relatable.
Lyndsie Kiebert
“Don”t Wait For Me” – Josh Garrels
Sometimes all it takes is a good song about the cruel realities of life to bring a person back to earth, and this song does just that. Garrels” unique voice combines with his acoustic guitar and some mild string music seamlessly. “Oh life, it crushed my soul, with its cruel demands and fool”s gold,” he sings. “Please don”t wait for me, I”ve lost my way again.” He could be singing this to anyone – a lover, maybe his younger brother – and it hurts just as bad either way.
“The Bad Days” – David Ramirez
Anyone who”s been in a long distance relationship can relate to David Ramirez”s ballad to the woman he loves back home while he”s on the road as a musician. “There are gonna be days when the love is so thin,” Ramirez sings, his voice full of longing. “There”s gonna be days when you hate me, but don”t let go, cause you”re still my girl in the bad days.” The echoing guitar emits sorrow, but the lyrics are equal parts passionate and desperate.
“Big Black Car” – Gregory Alan Isakov
Love and heartbreak are obviously the common themes of most “so-sad-they”re-pretty” songs, and for good reason. Artists like Isakov have perfected the art of lyrical metaphor, making such themes agonizing in refreshing ways. “Hope was a letter I never could send, love was a country we couldn”t defend.” Is lonesome banjo/violin music a thing? Because Isakov makes it a thing. A beautiful, wonderful thing.
“Bow and Arrow” – Reuben and The Dark
This one is probably more beautiful than sad. It builds from a low point to a sort of euphoria, complete with choral voices and strategically placed cymbal work. It belongs in a documentary about mountaineering, or maybe a slow-motion Red Bull commercial. If played at the right time with the right people on the right stretch of highway, your chest might swell and little, and there may be tears. No one will judge.
Lyndsie Kiebert can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @lyndsie_kiebert