A Meaningful Exchange

Original Publication 09/12/20

I'm a creature of habit at heart. I've always argued for a certain comfort in moving back and forth between the same 10 or 15 albums at a time. The familiarity is reassuring, but every time feels a little different. It allows me to delve into a world that excites me, but with a more assured emotional response.

Something’s changed these last few months, though. I'm yearning for something a little different from the musical norm. Something unique and distinct. I'd argue it's the absence of live music and concerts for most of this year, that's surely felt surreal and alien enough, and I've certainly missed the feelings of gratitude and majesty that come hand in hand with the experience. But, it's more than that. I've lacked direction in which to go next, and I've found myself at a musical crossroads.

Of course, there's something to be said for the influence of our current state of affairs. The little nuggets of topical opinion and musical influence you get from general word of mouth. Their absence hasn't gone unnoticed, and it stands to reason we might feel less creative and less driven to discover and share new music. There's less of a sense of reward for some, a result of a socially stagnated climate because half the joy we find in music comes from sharing its value and meaning.

So I've turned to my partner (my audience and my fan numero uno) with this meaningful and intimate exchange, partly in the hope that it may spark some new sense of intuition on my part and send us on a musical journey of sorts, but also because she understands its genuine, rewarding and effortless nature.

But, what started as a quest for a new musical direction, developed into something far more special. She told me recently of how grateful she is for this exchange we've shared, and of the comfort and elation she's found in the music I've shared with her. What I found was an intense appreciation of the simple fact that someone I care for, deeply, discovered emotions and a listening experience akin to my own. To relate to someone on that level is a curious and profound thing. Grateful doesn't even begin to describe it.

I wish to share them now with you, curious reader, a short compilation of albums that have defined our personal exchange, and have calmed and influenced us over the course of this tumultuous year. Listen and share them on, as we have done.

Ready Coat (Mo Lowda and the Humble 2020)

Music like this makes you remember the beauty in the world. Tranquil and atmospheric it, rather ironically, humbles you, at a time when, perhaps, you needed a bit of perspective.

Christian (Allan Rayman 2020)

View this album as more of a work of expressive art, or, an alternative, dramatic performance. Unique in its passionate style and gritty sound, it's a dynamic, chaotic world you can lose yourself in.

Prisoner (Ryan Adams 2017)

An album that's pure soul and emotion, it achieves that wondrous quality of pulling you in and forming a deep connection. What's explored here are real, relatable topics, and they aren't afraid to let you feel.

Thought-Provoking Cinema: A Rediscussion

My Father and the Music