silentdescant | Undertow [mix] (Reply)

Undertow

[index] - [1a] - [1b] - [2a] - [2b] - [art] - [mix]

somethinguncool
The individual songs can be found here.

1. Play Crack the Sky - Brand New
2. Into the Ocean - Blue October
3. Drown - Smashing Pumpkins
4. Sleep - Dandy Warhols
5. This Weather - Patrick Wolf
6. Untitled - Interpol
7. No Cars Go (Arcade Fire Cover Instrumental) - Maxence Cyrin
8. Bend and Not Break - Dashboard Confessional
9. The Story - Brandi Carlile
10. Sonata - Arcade Fire
11. Dont' Go Away - Oasis
12. Tripping - Perma
13. Sweet Disposition - Temper Trap

Spoilery notes from

somethinguncool:

Play Crack the Sky:
This was the first song that came to mind when I read this story. I've always found this song so sad and it fits so well. The imagery, how unpredictable the sea is - how you can lose everything almost instantly, and the line "they say that the captain stays staff with the ship...the water's still cold" really sold me on this song.

Into the Ocean:
This would be Frank coming into and out of consciousness while drifting in the water. He's lost everything, and I feel like survival was consuming most his thoughts, the notion that he's lost (emotionally, mentally, literally) and lost everything is definitely there, unconsciously.

Drown:
This is about his crew, but mostly Cortez. Frank has a bad case of survivor's guilt, and thoughts of what happened haunt him. It's also about never forgetting his friend.

Sleep:
This is also about Cortez, even though the pronouns don't match. This is more about the depression Frank is feeling. When I hear this song, I get this listless vibe and I feel like it fits Frank's emotions. He's pretty much helpless, lonely, but sleeping doesn't quite help, because he has nightmares about the shipwreck.

This Weather:
This reflects Frank's fear of thunderstorms, his feeling homeless, but also this numb feeling he has. He builds his own home, pushes through and carries on.

Untitled:
So, Frank's lonely, and it seems like all his visits he makes to the rocks are vain, but little does he know, that's all about to change. "Surprise, surprise, will come around."

No Cars Go:
Personally, I ADORE this cover. I felt like it would be perfect for the time when Jamia's unconscious, because it's so beautiful and I feel it fits with Frank waiting for her to wake up and feeling somewhat attached to her already. There are lyrics in the song that are "between the click of the light and the start of the dream" and I feel like that's where Jamia or Frank is, depending on how you look at it.

Bend and Not Break:
Another waiting song. It's about the connection he feels with Jamia and all the other jumbled feelings he has while he waits for her to wake up.

The Story:
Even though Frank and Jamia have gone through very traumatizing, yet similar events, they have their own stories to tell. This is a song for Frank, because even though Jamia's there, he still has this underlying lonely feeling. They slowly get to know each other and the feeling starts to go away.

Sonata:
It's almost inevitable that Frank would fall in love with Jamia (why wouldn't he, she's great!) but, when he tells her how he feels, he doesn't get the response he hoped for.

"He is the one who wants to love
She is the one who touched his heart"

and

"He mails her a letter he should have burned"

Don't Go Away:
In the back of his mind, Frank knows that as soon as she's better, Jamia could leave. There's nothing keeping her on the island and she has no one to go back to. She could go anywhere she wants at anytime. Frank wants her to stay.

Tripping:
Love song! While they lost everything, they gained each other.
"god bless the ones who burned my feet
that I should trip and fall for you
believe I am your lover"

Sweet Disposition:
I always listen to this when I need something uplifting. I feel like the end of the fic is so hopeful and it captures such a tender moment. I chose this song, because it highlights those small, seemingly insignificant moments and points out their importance.

Thank you so much,

somethinguncool. The mix cover took my breath away before I even started listening to the songs, and then when I played the full mix for the first time, it was like you plucked the songs directly from my brain. Even the ones I'd never heard before. It's exactly the tone I imagined when I was writing, and listening to the mix helped me so much while I was writing and editing. I'm really glad you weren't scared off by the number of scenes that hadn't been finished in the draft I sent. The songs you included for those scenes fit in perfectly with how the fic came out. I think my current favorite song is Into the Ocean, but really, they're all so perfect. I can't even say how much I love this mix. ♥