I know - two years, right?
Guess I chose my blogger's handle quite appropriately, because it's been almost that - to date - since I founded this blog. And nearly the same amount of time has passed since I actually blogged about anything. I'm not making any excuses. I just never picked up from those two opening posts, but I'm gonna try again. So let's start picking.
Because, you see, last week a topic came to mind. I guess at the same moment a spark ignited to rewake this beast of a blog. Sadly I forgot what the topic was by the next day. But the spark remained, so you could say the idea wasn't left to ruins. The founding purpose was to speak about my relationship to music and that is still the general idea. I might stray, but who likes talking about themselves all the time, eh? And who knows, maybe the initial topic'll come back to me.
Since last visiting the subject I've emigrated to another country and turned 30, and even though I might not be able to claim having as much interest to spare (or energy to spend) for the same kind of intensity as before, that's not to say I'm not as passionate when it comes to the power of music. It's just that a lot of the stuff I listen to only work their way as background music these days, compared to the situation of two, three years ago. I don't know whether to pin it on the general downtrend in today's music or just my declined rate to keep up with it.
I mean, even back then I'd still be on the lookout for new exciting stuff and get excited. It's what kept fresh the whole concept of listening. I'd hate being stuck to the same stuff for years on end. It would be like hearing that one song you really like, play over and over on the radio until you get sick of it. I admit, every now and then there are sudden spikes involving some beloved-but-forgotten blast from the past - I just went through a streak of some old school Oasis, for example - but in general it's been pretty quiet on the front and sure, laziness to keep one's ears open all the time is in part to blame.
That's not to say good music isn't produced anymore; to say so would be a blunder. 2014 gave birth to many great debut albums. My personal favourite has to be the self-titled release from Royal Blood. Twenty-fifteen is also off to a solid start, with new albums already out from Raised Fist and Danko Jones.
In the last couple of years there have also been some new acquaintances, pre-existing groups that have left a solid impression to my preferences. Bands that make me go what's wrong with me for not checking them out sooner? I'm just gonna mention The Heavy, Afghan Whigs and The Raconteurs right here. Seriously, look 'em up, if you have to.
Despite all the above-mentioned, and this is getting to the bottom of this post, you know what I still find a great and much welcomed phenomenon? Goose bumps.
Because by God they're still there and for me they're clear proof that the affection to music is still there, even if I walked away for a while and gave it a rest. An emotionally charged song in any context - may it work as a memory trigger or simply blow me away - will continue to send me shivers. Anything from Slash climbing that piano and hitting the first chords to the solo of November Rain, A Great Big World being sorry to James Blunt - well, whatever he does here.
It also closes the circle on the subject of my first post from 2013 quite nicely. Music really does work as a medium to express "feelings and emotions that mere words define". It'll never cease to stand the test of time. And as a side note I'm quite pleased to have come to that conclusion again by just typing out random thoughts after another. Very therapeutic.
I said I won't make any excuses but it partly ended sounding a little like it. I'm not though. Honest. I would've written earlier, but an old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my computer. There was an earthquake. A terrible flood. Locusts!*
And now that I've stretched some brain muscles, I'll keep in touch. In the meantime, check out my top 100 songs from 2014 as Spotify kept track of them.
See? It's all good.
*Anyone getting the reference without resorting to the asterisk is fine by me.
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