Column: A Postcard Life #5
I've been starting off all of my correspondence recently with a few rambling lines of apologies, excuses, and explanations for my silence over the past few weeks, and I shall do the same here. Life caught up, as it often does when attempting 20 credits at university and slipping into poor sleeping habits. Luckily the holidays are upon us here in the United States, and I found a wonderful night's sleep last evening, have helped clear out a barn so far today, rattled off some record reviews and other tardy pieces of writing, and am now sitting looking out into firework shocks of red leaves gracing an incline here in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains on a 21° C (70° F) day in November, drinking coffee, finally ready to attempt the much belated 'A Postcard Life' installment number 5.
Ever since hearing Anna Järvinen's exceptional debut solo record a few weeks back, I've found myself slipping fondly back into Granada's catalog. A young woman by the name of Linda played me "Once long ago" in the very early stretch of 2004, when Sweden was still very much lost in its dark, cold days. I remember the wonder I felt then, and still experience in weakening echoes, every time I hear those first few piano notes. A few days after Linda exposed me to Granada, I picked up "Takes a lot of walking" and the self-titled album, probably from one of the myriad records stores in St. Eriksplan. Every few months since then, I find myself 'rediscovering' the band and their material.
While it is escaping me how to say this without seeming dismissive, Granada are one of those bands that I occasionally forget that I was ever introduced to - which happens to plenty of musicians in my iTunes library as I typically do about 5 new record reviews a week - and then jubilantly remember, after seeing their name just before Grand National as I skip along through the artists on my computer or for other reasons. I set about reintroducing their compositions into my day-to-day life as soon as possible, regardless of season (though I do find myself much more susceptible to their emotional currents in the latter, darker half of the year), hearing little intricacies for the first time, marveling at how I let such a talented group slip out of the focus of my life... and then let them slip out of focus yet again. At least now I'll have Järvinen's album to 'rediscover' alongside her previous efforts.
Found out today that Tiger Lou are back in the studio working on their third album. I quickly played through "The loyal" to get myself excited for another effort from Rasmus Kellerman and company. From what I can tell from his blog that Avi linked me up to today, the album probably won't be released until 2008, which is probably for the best. It would break my heart to have to reorganize my Top 10 of 2007 list (which I would almost certainly have to do for Tiger Lou), which has been already been disposed to constant shuffling as this year has proved one of the most fruitful in recent memory. It's A Trap! will be having a Top 10 feature soon, so be sure to keep checking back for that, if only to solidify your Christmas Wish List.
And on that festive note, I shall sign off.
Happy Thanksgiving for all of us Americans preparing to celebrate one of the last acts of kindness between the Native Americans and the European settlers before we stole their land, and a sincere hope that all of you Europeans are keeping your sanity as winter's grip becomes tighter. For the rest of you foreigners, I hope you are well, and that you are keeping your wits about you. It's a strange world out there, and one that is growing weirder…
Until next time,
I remain,
Hopeful (for the first time in a while) and well rested,
/Lars Garvey Laing-Peterson