I don’t know much about this song/artist, but it gets me every time, in the beginning. Then it starts to lose it, but the first few seconds are a killer, with a slightly muted piano and straight vocals. Yowza.
From the Rounders soundtrack there’s a short piece by Christopher Young called Fold, with a gentle piano and a lovely string background. This piece of music perfectly captures a combindation of regret and anticipation, very cool.
Toad the Wet Sprocket - Windmills Also gets me every time.
Sertao Blues - Slovo
Funny Time of Year - Beth Gibbons and Rustin Man
Lost My Driving Wheel - The Cowboy Junkies
And We’ll Dance - Thea Gilmore
Moonbeam Monkey - Tanya Donelly
Stars - Janis Ian
Great songs and great artists, one and all. Enjoy.
Oh, I feel the same way. But I always liked Crowing more.
I think you might like Mazzy Star. Listen to Rhymes of an Hour or Five String Serenade and if you don’t like ‘em, well, sorry for wasting your time. I also second Portishead’s Dummy. Cowboy Junkies’ Sweet Jane is lovely. These are all kind of the same genre, either you love them or you blame them for inducing a coma.
And on a more personal note, that song Vide Cor Meum, which I found from the soundtrack to Hannibal, just makes me cry. So does Jeff Buckley’s rendition of Hallelujah. Those may not be anywhere near what you asked for, but as long as they induce shivers, they’re game.
I doubt it’s what the OP is looking for, but Curve’s “Cuckoo” (the song, not the album) always makes the hair on the back of my neck stand at attention during the chorus parts. It’s like the power of the music (mainly electric guitar and drums) is too stong for the equipment recording it so that you are given a washoud-out sound, emanating in a tidal wave over the listener. And as loud as I might play it, it’s never loud enough.
And as for music making you shiver, try Biosphere’s Substrata. Makes you feel like you’re all alone on a Scandavian tundra. Brrr! That counts as a shiver, right?
On ** Al Stewart’s ** “Past, Present and Future” album, at the end of “Roads to Moscow,” the lyrics end “…and the steely Russian skies go on forever.” behind that, a high, pure violin note sustains into the beginning of “Terminal Eyes.” It’s a shivering moment for sure.
And, on behalf of us old Boomer, a similar classic high note. This one from the ** Righteous Brothers’ ** “Unchained Melody” (you know the one – from the pottery scene in “Ghost”), at the point where Bobby Hatfield reaches for the sky on “I ne-ee-ed your love.” Oh my. Does it every time.
For longer pieces, it’s the instrumental break in ** Gerry Rafferty’s** “Baker Street” with that incredible saxaphone followed by a super clean guitar break. And the giant-wave-collapsing guitar break in ** Cream’s ** “Badge.”
I was going to recommend Pink Floyd’s Mother for the exact same reason that LifeonWry. It’s a beautiful, powerful song.
I can also recommend The Pogues Fairytale in New York. Love that song, and think Kirsty Maccoll was an amazing person. The lyrics are soul stirring, especially the bit about “the boys of the NYPD choir were still singing Galway Bay…”
They were most famous for doing covers of 60s and 70s hits, but there is one song that I just have to close my eyes and let the shivers run up and down my spine. It’s called The Stars Are Ours.
Most of their material is very very well done - but that’s my favorite.
I saw your post after I’d posted my suggestions, and it kind of made my suggestions redundant. Very nice tunes there!
The Roads from Roseland is the one I was thinking of - I love that album. Disappointed to hear the bad news about Beth Gibbon’s solo album - this is the second time that I’ve heard that it’s disappointing. Shame that.
There are some complete albums that I consider to simply perfect music. Kid A is one of them. I put it on at work and forget about customers and everything. Blisssss… Bjork’s Vespetine is also very good. That’s shivery.