Lake is a pleasant, meandering game, and its music (which plays on the radio while driving, or over the loudspeaker at the general store) matches this vibe perfectly. With a selection of folksy, mostly female-fronted singer-songwriter, it blends perfectly with the late-summer vibe of the fictional Providence Oaks, Oregon.
Even though this isn’t the sort of music I would listen to of my own volition, I still think it sets the right mood for Lake. My only complaint is that there’s such a small selection of songs that cycle endlessly, some seemingly more than others, which can lead to a real earworm scenario.
And since the radio in the mail truck seems to be on by default at the start of each shift, music starts playing before I’ve had the option to turn it off, further searing itself into the folds of my brain. It has gotten to the point where I hear these songs in my head throughout my day, and it’s starting to drive me mad.
To be clear, these are not bad songs; they’re not poorly written or performed. Under normal circumstances, they might at worst be best described as non-offensive background music. But after blasting through Lake’s story over the course of two weekends, these songs are now invading my real life. I feel like I’m all of a sudden in an Adam Shankman movie; I’m half waiting for Peter Coyote to object to me dating Mandy Moore or something.
I’ve linked a few of the tracks below to give you an idea of what I’m living with. Before you hit that play button, be forewarned that these are catchy little ditties. Don’t blame me if you find yourself in an It Follows type of scenario — just pass it along and hope the next unwitting bastard survives long enough to do the same.
I feel exactly the same, it’s lived with me ever since I played the game
Two years after this was published and I’m googling to see if anyone else had the same experience with these songs! So funny! I was humming the song Witchcraft while working yesterday.