After a a long holiday break, we are finally back with another edition of our contributors’ songs of the month! Let’s see what JoyfulPlatypus and Futures had to say about their favorite tunes from January!

JoyfulPlatypus’ SOTM: Grey Guitar by Joyce Manor

“Joyce Manor’s latest album, I Used To Go To This Bar, is a very early contender for album of the year. One of the LP’s biggest highlights is its masterpiece of a closer, “Grey Guitar”. As is the case with pretty much every other Joyce Manor track, it’s short, sweet, and to the point. I’m not often someone who delves into lyrics and tries to seek their meaning, but this is a song whose lyrical content stood out to be from the very beginning. The song’s lyrics, much like other songs, are of course open to interpretation, but they appear to tell the story of a man who’s either struggling with mental health issues or longing for a long-lost friend/lover – pondering whether they’re even alive anymore. Even aside from the captivating lyrics, the track is an absolute earworm, with a chorus that has remained stuck in my head on-and-off ever since I first heard it. Of course I wish it were longer, but as it stands, it’s about as memorable and touching as songs can get, and is far-and-away the best song to release in January.”

Futures’ SOTM: The Last Note by Megadeth

“Although his guitar wizardry may lead you to believe otherwise, Dave Mustaine is but a mortal man. In 2019, his throat cancer diagnosis surely felt like the end of Megadeth for a man approaching 60 years old. You kind of need your throat to sing, after all. Alas, Mustaine battled through and continued on as if nothing had ever happened. He released an album and was back on the road for countless tour dates. You can say many things about him, but you can’t deny the amount of love he has for his fans.

It seemed like nothing could stop Mustaine from doing what he loved, which is why it sort of caught me off guard when Megadeth announced that their next album, aptly self-titled, would be their last. Years of health issues from playing such physically demanding, technical music have added up: spinal stenosis from headbanging, bulging discs in his back, a broken lumbar bone, severe arthritis, the aforementioned cancer, and most notably Dupuytren’s contracture—a condition that locks up the hands and makes guitar playing nearly impossible. It’s a miracle the man is still standing, much less playing songs like “Holy Wars” live to perfection at 64, but the time has come.

Megadeth is far from Mustaine’s best effort, but considering the circumstances, you can’t help but be impressed it exists at all. There are legit speedy, crunchy thrash riffs from their early days, flashy guitar solos from newcomer Teemu Mäntysaari, and even though his vocals have degraded, Mustaine certainly hasn’t lost any character or personality. His signature snarl and bite remain, but they’re mostly relegated to a lower-range, talky delivery and he just simply doesn’t have much of a singing voice anymore. I understand if some may find it tough to listen to, but the man is a pure warrior for fighting through everything and finding the strength to give fans just a bit more while he is still able. This is the old gunslinger’s final duel.

“The Last Note” may not be the best song on the album, but as a farewell it’s wonderfully bittersweet. Mustaine sounds like a weathered, battle-scarred veteran who has seen everything there is to see, which makes the content infinitely more meaningful and resonant. He has always been a direct and blunt lyricist, and this is no different. The man is clearly grappling with his own mortality and the end of what he has dedicated his entire life to. There’s a nice, catchy mid-paced riff straight off Countdown to Extinction, a rare and tasteful acoustic guitar solo, another guitar solo (of course), and a hook you can’t help but get stuck in your head, with Mustaine’s strained growl still packing a punch.

The song ends with Mustaine speaking directly to you: “I came, I ruled, now I disappear,” as he gently fades out for the last time. It’s emotionally powerful to see larger-than-life legends age so visibly, and so honestly. It hurts, but it’s also touchingly and hauntingly beautiful.

It always seemed like Mustaine would be the type to pass out on stage and die before quitting what he loved. That’s why saying goodbye is so hard. It’s not a perfect way to go out, but it’s perfectly Dave Mustaine, that is to say a bit corny but 100% genuine and from the heart. I’m glad he went out on his own terms, is seemingly at peace with that decision and finally scored his elusive Billboard #1, a monumental achievement in today’s modern music landscape. If this is really it, thanks for everything, Dave.”