Deep Cuts - The Blue Nile, "From a Late Night Train"

 

Has a song ever sounded this lonely?

I recently watched Chungking Express for the first time, Wong Kar-Wai's 1994 classic. Ostensibly, the film tells two loosely-connected stories of people falling in love in the aftermath of heartbreak. However, I think this description misses the mark a bit. My takeaway from Chungking Express was not that its four protagonists found deep love connections; rather, I saw it as extremely lonely people choosing to be lonely together. (That may sound paradoxical but hey! It's the emotion the movie left me with.) 

Upon finishing the film, I was compelled to throw on The Blue Nile's seminal 1989 album Hats. I can't quite explain the connection my brain made between the film and this record: perhaps it was the rain slickened concrete streets of Hong Kong on which the film takes place; perhaps it was the lingering mood of the darkly-dreamy score; perhaps it was simply that the title Chungking Express resembles the name of a train and reminded me of the track which this post centers around. I suspect those familiar with both Chungking Express and Hats will be able to draw the same subliminal connection between them as I did.

Hats has had somewhat of a resurgence as of late, becoming a cornerstone example amongst internet music nerd circles of a "sophisti-pop" record should sound like, alongside the ever-beloved Sade. Perhaps more wide-reaching, though, was when Taylor Swift referenced lead single "The Downtown Lights" on her 2024 album The Tortured Poets Department. A co-sign from the world's biggest pop-star was sure to garner extra attention towards what was already the album's most well-known hit.

With Hats, however, I've always had a different favorite track: "From a Late Night Train." The shortest song on the album at four minutes, "From a Late Night Train" strips away much of the lushness found elsewhere on Hats and leaves singer Paul Buchanan nearly alone as a dejected narrator. The song title itself is evocative, conjuring up images of a mostly-empty, slow moving train, with Buchanan sitting solitary in a dim corner, probably half-drunk, talking to nobody in particular. He sings of a relationship fallen by the wayside, accompanied only by looming synth ambience and a few stray instruments. Wilted horns are the city commiserating with Buchanan as he rolls on by; a piano barely manages to stagger through the song. Buchanan's delivery is of a broken man, as he barely mumbles out the song's refrain, "It's over now / I know it's over." He's not up on a pedestal, declaring his heartbreak with big notes and loud emotions. He mostly just seems so fucking tired.

I can see why "The Downtown Lights" is the flagship song off Hats. It's shimmering, it's illustratory, and it's got a magical chorus. It's also where Buchanan's vocals are more audibly expressive, with the way he's almost screaming by the end of the song. And don't get me wrong, I think it's an absolutely phenomenal piece of pop music. But for me, "From a Late Night Train" has the edge. It's one of those songs that delivers profound emotion by being so quiet; the lonely malaise found here may be more subtle, but in many ways I find it more powerful.

In Chungking Express, several songs appear multiple times, famously including "California Dreams" by The Mamas & the Papas and film star Faye Wong's own cover of The Cranberries' smash "Dreams." In the first of the film's two segments, there's a lesser-known reggae song that recurs - Dennis Brown's "Things In Life." The song's chorus seems to be encouraging the film's recently-dumped characters to get over their lovelorn ways: "It's not everyday we're gonna be the same way / There must be a change somehow / There are bad times, and good times too / So have a little faith in what you do." Though of course not included in the film, "From a Late Night Train" seems to include the response of both male protagonists: "But I can't let go." Perhaps that was the latent connection my brain was making after all.

Top 10 Fontaines D.C. Songs

 

Tomorrow is St. Patrick's Day, and probably the biggest music act to come out of Ireland in the past decade is Dublin post-punk outfit Fontaines D.C. Known for brooding soundscapes and literary lyrics, Fontaines are four albums deep into their careers and haven't had a miss yet. They've adapted their sound by incorporating elements of everything from Britpop to post-industrial without straying to far from their home base. Picking just ten favorites was a tall order, but I've managed to whittle down my list to ten tracks that encompass all of what I think makes Fontaines D.C. so great.

10. Too Real

"Too Real" was the first Fontaines D.C. song that really grabbed my attention in 2019, and for good reason. It starts off with an anxious hi-hat and bass line before different layers of sound swell in, like an engine slowly revving up. Once "Too Real" is going, though, there's no slowing down. Discordant, panning guitars accompany Grian Chatten as he barks out marching orders. The chorus is a simple repetition: "Is it too real for ya?" The middle verse adopts a more conventional Cure-like posture before the walls are kicked back in. As the lead single off of their debut album Dogrel, "Too Real" does a fantastic job of introducing what Fontaines are all about.

9. I Don't Belong

Jumping over to the band's second album, 2020's A Hero's Death, we have album opener "I Don't Belong." A Hero's Death is more dour and world-weary than its predecessor - making its mid-pandemic release fortuitous - and "I Don't Belong" showcases the shift right away. The instrumental plods along like a worker making the long commute home, and Chatten's vocal fits the theme. I know that may not sound appealing, but this one hits a certain frustration and exhaustion that's hard to pin down; when it hits you, it really hits you.

8. Nabokov

Proceeding right along, we now move to the third Fontaines studio album, Skinty Fia! Specifically, "Nabokov," the uproarious closing track. If you liked the swirling guitars on "Too Real," "Nabokov" brings those back tenfold. The entire song is a blurry blitz, equal parts Bauhaus and Swervedriver. "I did you a favor," Chatten cries. "I bled myself dry!" What always stands out to me here is just how thunderous the drums sound; every snare hits like a hand grenade. It's probably Fontaines' most chaotic song, and almost certainly their loudest.

7. Jackie Down the Line

Also off Skinty Fia, "Jackie Down the Line" sees Fontaines D.C. show off their melodic chops. It's a strummy number that recalls the 90's Britpop boom; indeed, there are moments here where Grian sounds like a third Gallagher brother. Given the song's anti-colonist message specifically aimed at Britain, the co-opting of that sound is cheekily clever. "You've got away with murder / maybe one time, maybe two," Chatten sings in the opening verse. The song rides a driving tempo courtesy of bassist Connor Deegan and drumer Tom Coll. It's also got one of the band's catchiest choruses that manages to still hammer home the political message of the song: "I don't think we'd rhyme / I will wear down in time / I will hurt you / I'll desert you / I am Jackie down the line."

6. Favourite

"Favourite" closes the band's grungy 2024 album Romance on its brightest note. A twinkling spring-time jaunt that clearly pulls The Smiths, it's a breezy rush with lyrics sweet as can be. "You've been my favourite for a long time," Chatten and Deegan both sing. The music video, which features home videos from each band member's childhood, is equally delightful. "Favourite" pushes Fontaines the closest they've ever been to pop - no wonder it hit #3 on the US Adult Alternative charts.

5. It's Amazing to Be Young

You know how I just mentioned that "Favourite" hit #3 on the Adult Alternative charts? Well, Romance bonus track "It's Amazing to Be Young" hit #2 last year. Nostalgic and simple, "It's Amazing to Be Young" argues that youth is exhilarating even in a broken society. Written for Deegan's daughter, you can hear how the song evolved from a lullaby into an 80's jangle pop jam. The surreal music video - which brings together the protagonists from the videos for "Here's the Thing" and "In the Modern World" - only adds to the charm with its story of forbidden young love.

4. Boys in the Better Land

Another one that explodes out of the gate, "Boys in the Better Land" is an early Fontaines single that quickly established the band as a force to be reckoned with. Whether you prefer the blistering version off Dogrel or the slightly more subdued Darklands version, "Boys in the Better Land" is a seam-ripping garage track that sprints to the finish. It's a song about hometown pride, with Chatten chastising the song's target for "always talking 'bout the 'boys in the better land.'" The dual guitar work from Conor Curley and Carlos O'Connell really shines here, acting almost as another arm of the rhythm section.

3. Starburster

While Romance-era tracks "Favourite" and "It's Amazing to Be Young" show off Fontaines D.C. at their most commercially viable, lead single "Starburster" is certainly them at their weirdest. For one thing, the verses are rapped - which could have been a disaster in less capable hands, but Chatten handles himself well. The chorus features a recurring gasp after every time he repeats "I'm gon' hit your business if there's momentary blissness." The entire song was apparently inspired by a panic attack, and that sense of unease permeates. The music video pushes things further, complete with a gimp suit, a Final Fantasy buster sword, and a time loop-induced crossover with the music video for JADE's "Angel of My Dreams" (an absolutely phenomenal song in its own right). Nothing about this should work, but somehow it all comes together into a magnificently wild ride. How this song made it on the EA FC 25 soundtrack I'll never know, but I'll also never complain.

2. The Lotts

While "Too Real" piqued my interest, it was "The Lotts" that stood out to me on my first pass through Dogrel and solidified for me that this band was onto something special. Awash with reverb, "The Lotts" laments the economic troubles that have turned parts of Dublin towards poverty and drug abuse. "Death is falling down on your work routine / And it's falling even harder on your churches and your queens," Chatten spits. You can practically see the darkened rainy alleyways of which they sing. The downtrodden instrumental coda rides out for nearly two minutes, delivering true-to-roots post-punk that would make Siouxsie & the Banshees proud.

1. I Love You

Considering the "D.C." in the band's name stands for "Dublin City," it's obvious that their home country of Ireland would be a frequent subject of their music. "I Love You" is their crowning jewel, and attacks many of the bad actors who have sent Ireland into economic and social turmoil, from the "gall of Fine Gael" to the "fail of Fianna Fáil." There is so much rich imagery peppered throughout these lyrics, it really shows that Chatten is a student of poetry. Choice cuts include: "You only open the window / Never open up the door"; "But this island's run by sharks with children's bones stuck in their jaws"; and "I loved you like a penny loves the pocket of a priest." It's an extremely bitter song, but that bitterness is rooted in a love for Ireland, and a hatred for those who waste its potential and hurt its people. Musically, it's a steadily-swelling rocker with a memorable bass line and enveloping guitar textures. I particularly like the sped-up rendition they do live, as it adds just that extra bit of bite. The two bridges serve as the song's ultimate thesis statement and emotional climax, giving Fontaines D.C. their most powerful statement to date.

2026 Oscars - My Picks

Happy Oscars day! The ceremony rewarding some of the greatest films 2025 had to offer is in just a few hours; with little time to waste, I'm skipping the formalities and jumping right in to provide my picks in several key categories. (Please note these are how I would theoretically vote, and not predicitions of who will win.) (ALSO: Follow me on Letterboxd @oneillmi or by clicking here for more in-depth reviews of some of these movies!)

Best Picture - One Battle After Another

It was a good year for movies in my opinion; in other years, Sinners would be my clear favorite. Hamnet had strong elements, Marty Supreme revels in chaos, and Bugonia was 2025' second-most-tense film, behind my winner pick, One Battle After Another. OBAA spends its entire three hour runtime resting on a knife's edge, and exists squarely within the current political moment better than Paul Thomas Anderson could have even predicted at the start of production. It's jam-packed with truly show-stopping movie moments, a popcorn blockbuster that doesn't sacrifice any of its artistry or point of view.

Best Directing - Paul Thomas Anderson, One Battle After Another

For the reasons mentioned above, PTA gets his first Oscar for directing - and earns it. Again, Coogler/Sinners is an extremely worthy choice, but I think it barely gets edged out here.

Best Actor in a Leading Role - Timothée Chalamet, Marty Supreme

This was probably the closest category for me between Chalamet and Michael B. Jordan. Both deliver absolutely stellar performances (in Jordan's case, two!), but for me the deciding factor is that Sinners thrives with its ensemble, whereas Marty Supreme would completely fall apart without Chalamet at the helm of its titular character. He's lucky that his comments about live theatre only emerged just after the voting window shut.

Best Actress in a Leading Role - Emma Stone, Bugonia

Perhaps controversially, I found moments of frontrunner Jessie Buckley's performance in Hamnet to be a little bit overwrought. Instead, I preferred Emma Stone's deliberate, restrained Michelle Fuller. (It's also frankly ridiculous to me that Jesse Plemons isn't also nominated.)

Best Actor in a Supporting Role - Sean Penn, One Battle After Another

Col. Steven J. Lockjaw is a wicked mix of evil and pathetic, a deeply insecure racist who seeks power through condescension while groveling at the feet of those deemed higher than him. He's a ridiculous yet complex villain, and Sean Penn navigates those complexities brilliantly.

Best Actress in a Supporting Role - Wunmi Mosaku, Sinners

Another very strong category. Teyana Taylor drives the first hour of One Battle After Another, and Amy Madigan gave us one of the most iconic horror characters in years. But Annie is the heart of Sinners, and Wunmi Mosaku stands out with her layered character even with a half-dozen other stars around her.

Best Music (Original Song) - Raphael Saadiq and Ludwig Göransson, "I Lied to You" from Sinners

Sorry, KPop fans - as great as "Golden" is, "I Lied to You" and the scene in which its contained may be the great film moment of the decade so far. It's absolutely magical - metaphorically and literally - and celebrates the extensive history of Black-made music. The easiest choice I made this award season.

OK, other quick hits - no blurbs, just picks!

Best Music (Original Score) - Sinners, Ludwig Göransson (Hamnet came close!)

Best Adapted Screenplay - One Battle After Another

Best Original Screenplay - Marty Supreme

Best Casting - Sinners

Best International Feature - The Secret Agent

Best Animated Feature - KPop Demon Hunters

Best Cinematography - One Battle After Another

Best Editing - Marty Supreme

Best Costume Design - Sinners

Best Makeup and Hair - Frankenstein

Best Production Design - Hamnet

Best Visual Effects - Avatar: Fire and Ash

Best Sound - One Battle After Another (the clock ticks!!!)

I didn't see the short films or documentaries in time, sorry! Also,Sorry, Baby was robbed of nominations in several categories!!

Deep Cuts - Tamia, "Rain on Me"

Welcome to Deep Cuts! This is a new series where I spotlight a great song from a well-known artist that, in my opinion, has never quite gotten its due. To define what makes something a titular "deep cut," I am using two main criteria:

1) General popularity: the song may not be in the top three most-streamed songs from its album on Spotify at the time of publishing.

2) Critical acclaim/popular esteem: the song may not be in the top three highest-rated songs from its on album on RateYourMusic at the time of publishing.

There will also be several special cases that would also disqualify a song from being a "deep cut" that I will use at my discretion, such as being an album's lead single, having a more prominent remix version, or being known for appearing in a specific piece of media or meme. I will also not be including well-known songs that technically fit the criteria by virtue of being on an extremely popular album; for example, Adele's "Rumour Has It" would theoretically qualify as it is 5th in both streams and RYM rating on 21, but nobody could reasonably argue that it's a "deep cut." (They sang it on Glee for Pete's sake!)

Now, with all that out of the way, I'd like to bring forward the song that inspired the column in the first place:

Tamia - "Rain On Me"

I am a sucker for several things: 90's R&B jams, stunning vocals, and rain effects in a moody ballad. "Rain On Me," off Canadian singer Tamia's self-titled 1998 debut record, has all three wrapped up in a lush little bow. Lyrically, it's a fairly standard lovelorn lament; the opening line of "I've been drowning in my tears" jumps straight into the rich melodrama that dominates the track. What sets it apart, though, is Tamia's thoroughly convincing and riveting vocal delivery. She hits big notes with aplomb, but also retreats inside herself for more tender moments too. I especially love the way she sings "You're the only one who really knows" in the second verse with a slight urgency at the start, before pulling back. Those subtle moments make the pay-off of the climactic bridge work so well.

Musically, there's a lot going on in "Rain On Me," but it never feels cluttered. Much like the instrumentation on the album's smash hit "So Into You," here everything sounds luxurious and meticulous. Keyboards and acoustic piano blend together delicately, backed by a gentle but active drum pattern. Producer and co-writer Mario Winans mixes everything in such a way that layers of vocals and instruments run parallel to each other, creating an overall warmth without sacrificing space.

By the time "Rain On Me" is finished and the song fades out, the thunderstorm from the beginning is still raging. What took place in between is four minutes of borderline angelic vocals over a deeply smooth R&B ballad, and a song that should have been another major hit for Tamia.

International Women's Day - Underrated Women in Music

Today (March 8th) is International Women's Day! As a quick little post today to celebrate, I wanted to highlight several women in music past and present whom I think deserve to be on everybody's radar.

Jade

Followers of my Instagram will know I am a massive fan of Little Mix singer Jade Thirlwall's debut solo album, but that's not who we're talking about today. Jade are one of the more overlooked acts of the 90's female R&B boom, which is among my favorite eras of popular music ever. A trio combining smooth R&B sounds with some funk elements, Jade dropped two records to decent commercial success, with 1992's Jade to the Max going platinum and 1994's Mind, Body & Song reaching gold status. Still, neither album cracked the top 50 in the US, and they were somewhat overshadowed by three-initialed contemporaries like SWV and TLC. Their big single, "Don't Walk Away," remains their most popular by far on streaming, but today I want to specifically highlight the brilliant "5-4-3-2 (Yo! Time Is Up)." The beat is addictive, the harmonies are perfect, and I promise you'll be singing that refrain all day. (Shoutout to the person in my Music League who submitted this and brought it into my rotation!)

Slowwves

Jumping all the way to the present day, we have Slowwves, a shoegaze band out of Bangkok whose 2025 debut album Perfect Evasion rocked my world last year. Slowwves lean into the heavier, moodier side of shoegaze, following in the footsteps of genre titans like Catherine Wheel and Nothing. Unlike a lot of other newer shoegaze bands, however, they don't use the weight of their music as a crutch, with the songwriting strong and diverse. Perfect Evasion captures this well, from the rollicking "Labyrinth" to the methodical and massive "Evangeline," embedded above. Mononymous singer Jill guides us like a beaming light through fog, further helping Slowwves stand out as perhaps the best band to emerge from the shoegaze scene in Southeast Asia.

Them Are Us Too

Sticking in the shoegaze/dream pop realm, we have Them Are Us Too. Them Are Us Too were a powerful duo whose trajectory was cut tragically short, as guitarist Cash Askew sadly passed away in the Ghost Ship warehouse fire in 2016. The band's combination of washed-out synths and searing guitar lines is best highlighted on "Eudaemonia." Singer Kennedy Ashlyn has a remarkably powerful voice that reads as a more legible Elizabeth Fraser. After Askew's passing, Ashlyn finished up the posthumous Amends in 2018, with highlights including the pulsating "Floor" and the mournful "Grey Water." While Them Are Us Too were sadly limited to only two albums, within that time they achieved a fully-realized sound that deserves more recognition. Thankfully, Ashlyn has continued as a solo artist under the name SRSQ, and I recommend checking her two albums under that name as well.

Sylvia St. James

Another throwback, next we have Sylvia St. James. I found her music while crate-digging at a record shop and noticed the striking portrait-style album cover of her 1981 album Echoes and Images (see above). It's an excellent album that fits into that classic 80s R&B/soul sound and stands toe-to-toe with some of the genre's greats like Chaka Khan and Patti LaBelle. My favorite is "Grace," in which St. James really flashes her impressive vocal chops. Echoes and Images was her second and final album as a solo artist, and despite a successful career in the gospel music world and big-name collaborators like Stevie Wonder, Harry Connick Jr, Carol Channing, and Barbra Streisand, her music has almost zero traction on streaming. I love discovering a good retro hidden gem, and Sylvia St. James is one of my favorites.

Caroline Kingsbury

Finishing up today's list is Caroline Kingsbury, an up-and-coming artist out of LA whom I expect to have a massive breakout in the near future. Kingsbury fuses 80's new wave with a more modern alt-pop sensibility, and her songs feel instantly anthemic. "Kissing Somebody Else" might as well be the soundtrack to a John Hughes prom scene, while the punchy "Shock Treatment" is equal parts Duran Duran and Hot Chip. My personal favorite is "Somebody Take My Phone Away," a groovy jam with a big chorus that perfectly captures the struggles of dating in the modern age. Keep an eye on Kingsbury, as I'm willing to bet her next album is one everybody's gonna be listening to.

Lorde - "David"

 (Yes I am a year late here, but I heard this song today for the first time in a while and it really hit me sideways.)

Lorde's seminal classic Melodrama details the collapse of one's first major relationship and all the youthful malaise that comes with it. The album's penultimate track, "Supercut," is one of its most optimistic, as Lorde imagines a highlight reel of the best moments from the relationship gone by. At the same time, she recognizes that this is an idealized, illusory memory.

"David," the climactic final track of last year's Virgin, is that song's unofficial sequel. In it, we see the supercut unravel, the reel spliced as represented by the song's now-famous choppy, oscillating instrumental. The music dances from one ear to the other and grows more distorted as Lorde's positive memories of her ex love disintegrate and she remembers the painful moments in equal measure. "I made you God 'cause it was all that I knew how to do," she mourns, chastising herself. As assured as Lorde is that moving on was the right call, there's still uncertainty in her future, with the song ending on the repeated question, "Am I ever gonna love again?" 

What makes "David" so spectacular is its reflection of theme; as Lorde's image of her ex falls apart, so does the song. Closing Virgin on this note is a breathtaking choice and underscores the best of Lorde's artistry.

Girl In a Coma - "Smart"

 

Back in the heyday of the MP3, I used to relish every time I found a free song download of merit. As a law-abiding teenager (and with a mom who worked in the music industry), LimeWire was out of the question, so I used to collect the artist-sanctioned free downloads via MTV.com, Stereogum's monthly mixes, and more to help fill up my iPod. I don't remember exactly where I found Girl In a Coma's "Smart," but I do know that it was easily one of my greatest finds.

Girl In a Coma formed in San Antonio and is made up of sisters Nina (vocals/guitar) and Phanie Diaz (drums) along with bassist Jenn Alva. "Smart," released on 2011's Exile & All The Rest, is beautifully lush and driving track that showcases the band at their jangle-pop best. 2011 was pretty much the peak of indie's reverb era, and "Smart" makes great use of the technique; the echoing production allows the song to burst wide open. There is some clear Johnny Marr worship going on with the guitars - expected given the band's name comes from a Smiths song - with interweaving riffs dancing around each other like flower petals in the breeze. The final piece of magic comes from Nina Diaz's voice; breathy and assured, she delivers each line with the delicacy of a whisper without sacrificing any of her volume or power. "Don't you ever start to wonder what it's like to be alone?" she asks in the chorus. Harmonies jump in and out to add yet another layer to an already rich track.

"Smart" is certainly a song of its time, but that does not detract from its playful brilliance. For anyone looking for an unfairly overlooked gem from when indie was at its most optimistic, this is a great landing spot. Girl In a Coma actually reunited recently, and a follow up to Exile & All The Rest is potentially on the horizon. When they tour the American South and West Coast this spring, I'm willing to bet "Smart" is on the setlist.

Follow Girl In a Coma on Instagram here and check out tour dates here.