I have no idea what TSOL means, or if Shad is just trying to get us talking by keeping things a little ambiguous. All I know is that I can’t stop listening to it. It’s one of those rare albums that immediately grabbed me from the moment I got it and I keep reaching for it (well as much as finding it on my iPod and pressing play can be called “reaching for it”), even when I’ve already listened to it five times that day.

Though I enjoyed Shad’s previous album, The Old Prince, and especially the track Compromise, TSOL feels like a step up for this Vancouver based rapper. What attracts me the most to the album, and to all of Shad’s work, is his way with words and the subject matter that he plays with. At times I find hip hop lyrics less than interesting or relatable, but Shad just seems to have fun, and comes up with some great lines. There’s one line from the album’s self-referential first single, Yaa I Get It, that I have not been able to get out of my head for weeks where Shad playfully states – “I hope I’m not boring y’all rappin ’bout rap, but the only thing I love more than rappin’ is nappin’ and I know nobody wanna hear me rappin’ ’bout that”. With the way that he manages to play with rhymes and make words flow together seemingly without effort, I think he could rap about whatever he wanted and I’d be all ears! I’m constantly amazed by the creative and hilarious ways he transitions from one subject to another, which is something of a Shad hallmark in my mind.

Of course it’s not all fun and games, as Lucky 1′s waxes on problems in Africa and beyond, and Keep Shining discusses race and gender politics. It warms my heart to hear him urge women to make themselves heard, lamenting that we need “more women in rap… there’s no girls rappin’ so we’re only hearing half the truth”.  On A Good Name he enlightens us on his family history and implores us to “say what [we] like, just spell [his] name right”. I think this could be the new theme song for my uniquely named boyfriend… he and Mr. Kabango could commiserate on the joys and frustrations of being asked “what???” every time they introduce themselves, I’m sure.

TSOL shines from start to finish, from the amazing samples and wordplay on my favorite track, Rose Garden, to the more subdued slow jams of At The Same Time. Many people have pegged this album to take the Polaris Prize on September 20th, and I would be neither surprised nor dismayed if these predictions came true.

Dirty, 60s love-in inspired folky rock. Soo excited to check them out at Sasquatch.

Favorite Tracks: Janglin’, Home

- Four Tet – There Is Love In You

Synthy space agey instrumentals perfect for chilling with a glass of wine on a cold winter’s night (ok maybe we’re at the wrong time of year for that, but the weather right now tells me otherwise!).  Just close your eyes and listen to the whole album.

- Yukon Blonde – Yukon Blonde

Summer soaked pop harmonies made for road tripping with the windows down and holding hands in the park.

Favorite Tracks: Wind Blows, 1000 Years, Loyal Man

- Never writing in this blog – Apparently I suck at posting anything in here. Oops!

Two of those albums aren’t Canadian. How strange for me these days! Going to Sasquatch is prompting me to try to push a little bit further to discover some new stuff that we’ll be hearing down there. Can’t wait!

So without further ado, here are my favourite albums of the year gone by. As usual, these are in no particular order.

Patrick Watson – Wooden Arms

Although I said that these would be in no particular order, when I think of my favourite albums from the past year, this is the first one that jumps to my mind. And this album would, without question, make my list of my favourite albums of all time as well. Around Polaris time I couldn’t believe how little buzz I heard about this album, even though it was nominated for the shortlist, and, in my opinion, the best album of them all. I love that the first line on Patrick’s Watson’s CBC radio 3 profile is “Patrick Watson is a musical mad scientist”, because I think that’s the perfect way to describe the way he has melded sounds together on Wooden Arms in a way that I just haven’t heard anywhere else. I can’t even begin to count how many times I’ve listened to this album from start to finish this year. It’s genius!

Listen to Beijing.

The Weepies – Hideaway

Ok, so, I have to admit, I’m kind of cheating with this one. Actually, I’m really cheating, because this album was released in April of 2008. However, I’m disregarding that and putting this album on the list anyways, because it was probably my most listened to album of 2009. I was first introduced to the Weepies by my lovely sister (who can play a mean rendition of some of their songs on the guitar!) and I owe her a big thank you for that, because I haven’t stopped listening to them since. Between this album and their previous one (Say I Am You), the Weepies comprise 13 of the top 25 most played songs on my iTunes. And I only discovered them this year! I keep expecting to get sick of this album, but the male/female harmonies and beyond gorgeous melodies  just refuse to get old.

The first song by the Weepies that grabbed me is How You Survived The War, and it continues to be one of my favorites.

Passion Pit – Manners

Whenever I feel in the mood for a dance party, this is the album that gets played. Passion Pit has given us some of the catchiest electro-pop I’ve ever heard, and listening to Manners never fails to put a smile on my face.

Warning: Listening to Folds In Your Hands may make it impossible for you to stay in your chair. Little Secrets and Sleepyhead are two of my other favorites.

Said The Whale – Islands Disappear

Vancouverites Said The Whale put a little bit of everything into this album, from bouncy, infectious pop sounds, to amazing harmonies, to ultra simple acoustic beauty, along with memorable and intelligent lyrics filled with stories from across Canada. While their first album showed lots of promise, Islands Disappear is a much more cohesive effort that will be the jumping-off point to LOTS of success in the near future (I just know it!).

Did you ever read the book Goodnight Moon as a kid? Well here’s a hommage to it (plus the most dancy ending to a song EVER! Ok, I should stop using superlatives. But seriously. Please find me someone who can resist dancing to the end of this song.).

Phoenix – Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix

For the second installment of my dance pop favorites, I present Phoenix’s Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix. Whenever I’m still in the mood for a dance party after I’ve listened to Manners and STW’s Goodnight Moon, I put this album on. These Frenchmen know how to write a good pop hook, and this album is filled to bursting with them.

I’ve already heard 1901 and Lisztomania featured in commercials… no surprise considering their catchy-ness!

Joel Plaskett – Three

I wonder if the Joel Plaskett fan club is still accepting members. I know I’m a little late to the party, but Three was my first real introduction to Mr, Plaskett, and, if the calibre of this album is any indication, it will be a long and happy relationship. 27 songs in one (three part) album is a big undertaking, and Joel manages to carry his concept through from beginning to end, while making each mini album a little story of its own. Credit must be given to Rose Cousins and Ana Egge for adding so much beauty with their harmonies – the album just wouldn’t be the same without them!

Listen to Our Place In The Sun from Three, volume three.

Dan Mangan – Nice, Nice, Very Nice

Just as I think Islands Disappear is going to be a big jumping off point for Said The Whale, Nice, Nice Very Nice will, and already has started to, propel Dan Mangan to new heights of fame. This album takes me on an emotional rollercoaster, from with the bitterness of Road Regrets, to the quirky fun of Robots, to the toe-tapping happiness of Sold, to feelings of resignation in Tina’s Glorious Comeback, back up to more smile inducing grooves in Some People, and all the way down to utter depression in Basket. I don’t think I’ve ever come across a song that touches me more, for better or for worse, than Basket does, and I warn you now to be prepared to feel a little down after listening to it. Dan Mangan puts so much feeling into this album that you’d almost have to be a robot not to be touched by one or more of the songs (but, you know, Robots need love too!).

P.S. If you ever get the chance to go to see Dan Mangan live, jump at it!  I saw him in October and he had the crowd spellbound (in a venue where the crowd is often many levels below spellbound). He’ll be here again next month, and I can’t wait!

The Pink Mountaintops – Outside Love

This is a bit of a strange pick for me since I just got this album a couple of weeks ago (if that) but it’s one of those that I loved from the first note of the first song. I had already heard a few of the songs from the album on Radio 3, but I didn’t understand the full extent of the genius Stephen McBean and crew until I took a listen to the whole of Outside Love. The best way I can think to describe this album is folky progressive rock with a whole lot of epicness and amazing harmonies.  The harmonies were actually a bit of a surprise for me – I wasn’t expecting such a strong female presence on the album, but it’s there and it’s beautiful!

Listen to Vampire.

Honorable Mention: Rose Cousins – The Send Off, The Wooden Sky – If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone, Metric – Fantasies, Dirty Projectors – Bitte Orca, Spiral Beach – The Only Really Thing, Ingrid Michaelson – Everybody

While the above comments are just ridiculous and petty, what really gets to me are comments like “..the U.S. store gives you well known artists… As usual, a Canadian website lags behind it’s U.S. counterpart.”. Well, my friend, I must disagree and assure you that iTunes Canada has got it exactly right. The beauty of the free single of the week is that it exposes the average person browsing the iTunes store to music that they will probably never hear on mainstream radio. All (or at least the majority) of the singles are by amazing Canadian artists, many of which are underappreciated and underplayed even within their own country. I’ve gotten some great free songs from the iTunes store this way, including the amazing Lucious Life by Patrick Watson and, more recently, The Wooden Sky’s When We Were Young (as an aside, if you don’t have The Wooden Sky’s album If I Don’t Come Home You’ll Know I’m Gone you should get it immediately. It’s absolutely beautiful.). There was also a Said The Whale track available a couple of weeks ago that I would have snapped up in an instant if I wasn’t already planning to buy the whole album. This type of exposure can vault an artist from obscurity into the direction of greater reknown, and even if few people end up buying their album after hearing the free song, the value of getting their name out there just a little bit more can’t be underestimated.

So, to all of you naysayers out there, I staunchly support iTunes’ decision to spotlight lesser-known Canadian artists. I’ll willingly admit that I don’t love everything that they feature but at least downloading the free track lets me discover that rather than trying to figure it out through the 30 second snippets that iTunes normally provides. And to everyone who feels that iTunes should be catering to their specific tastes, get off your high horse, and realize that this is FREE MUSIC! If you don’t want it, don’t download it. It’s as simple as that. Music, like all art, is a matter of personal taste, and just because you or I or Joe Schmoe over there likes a certain song or artist doesn’t mean that that song or artist is the be all end all for everyone. That being said, I encourage everyone to listen to some of these singles for more than “1 second” (like our friend up there), and give them a chance to blow you away. Some of them will.

P.S. The title of this post comes from the song Just Listen by Two Hours Traffic.
Listen here!

7. Camilo (The Magician) – Said The Whale

The fact that “ca-ca-ca-ca-mi-lo” has been going through my head constantly for the past, oh, I don’t know, 2 weeks has basically forced me to talk about Camilo (The Magician) , a relatively newly released song by Vancouver-based band Said The Whale. Said The Whale is another R3 discovery; I had never heard of either them or Camilo pre-CBC3, but the catchy refrain and the genuine sense of fun that just oozes from both the vocals and the instrumentation in this song made me take serious notice. I’ve had this song on repeat ever since I bought it a few days ago, and whenever I listen to it I just want to get up and dance. I’m glad that I sit in a back corner at work, because I just can’t help bobbing my head and doing a little shoulder dance whenever I hear it. The story is very cute as well; the protagonist begs Camilo the master magician to show him how he does his tricks so that he can impress a girl. I see a lot of parallels in the lyrics with our non-magical lives, though; I, for one, know that I’ve often “got some questions about the world I know, and about the difference between real and show”. Do we really know what’s real and what’s not? What I DO know is that when I’m doing my shoulder dance and singing along to Camilo, those kinds of deep and difficult questions couldn’t be further from my mind.

Camilo the Magician

P.S. You should watch the video too! Watch it here.

8. Step Off The Map And Float – Library Voices

This is another song that’s just all around so much fun. This Regina band played with Two Hours Traffic/In Flight Safety/Spiral Beach and I’m so upset that I didn’t arrive on time to see them, as I heard that they were amazing! Oh well, I’m sure they’ll be back, and I’ll make sure to catch them then. ANYWAYS, back to the song. Lyrically, it rocks my world. I think this song would be great but wouldn’t be at the super awesome level that it’s at if it were not for the chorus – “Your existence is a pinprick on a paper continent/The patron saints all patronize me/So step off the map and float”. The randomness and somewhat nonesensical whimsy of those words grabbed me the first time I heard this song and still get me every time! This song put Library Voices on to my radar screen and, although I’m not as enthralled with the rest of the Hunting Ghosts EP, I feel like they’ll only float their way to a more prominent place on the Canadian indie map.

Step Off The Map And Float

9. Compromise – Shad

I’ve never really been much of a fan of rap or hip hop, but when I first heard this gem on CBC Radio 1 (yes yes, it all comes back to CBC) I was hooked. Shad is another artist whose lyrics really impress me. I’ve always had this idea that hip hop and rap lyrics are kind of shallow and not about things that I can relate to (my hip hop and rap loving boyfriend will probably scoff at me for saying that), but Compromise is full of utterly Canadian lyrics (“I’ll admit I’m like the Raptors – I got weak first drafts”) and just plain relateably fun wordplay (“I’m still trying to figure tax, stocks, and the loopholes/Like wheres the refund? We filed for ‘em/Deducted from gross/Shouldn’t that be taken off the net like child porn?”). The chorus (which is usually the part of a hip hop song that I really latch on to) is extremely catchy and easy to sing along to, and it’s the simple addictiveness of the chorus, coupled with the extremly intelligent lyrics in the verses that make this track one of my favorites.

10. Stars – Your Ex-Lover Is Dead

Well, I had to finish with a classic. I remember the exact moment I first heard this song – I was driving home through the rockies from a summer vacation with one of my best friends and this song came on in her car. I was instantly hooked, and proceeded to get hooked on Stars’ entire catalogue. The instrumentation really blows my mind; it’s not often that you hear a pop song that features a violin, a cello, some sort of brass instrument (trumpet? I’m not much of an expert in these sort of things), a piano, and maybe even an accordion alongside the usual guitar and drums. Those beautiful instruments compliment the spine chilling vocals of Canadian indie greats Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan, whose vocal partnership is one of my favourites ever. You’d be hard pressed to find a voice more beautiful than Amy’s, and Torq’s quirkiness gives Stars an edge that makes you want to come back for more (and more and more and more). And, of course, the lyrics in this one are very relatable – they express everything you want to feel after a breakup (“this scar is a fleck on my porcelain skin/you tried to reach deep but you couldn’t get in” “I chose to feel it and you couldn’t choose/I’ll write you a postcard, I’ll send you the news, from a house down the road, from real love” “I’m not sorry I met you/I’m not sorry it’s over/I’m not sorry there’s nothing to save“). They seem to convey a feeling of acceptance and peace towards the situation that most of us struggle to find. This song is epic, but has an honesty to it that tells you that it’s not trying too hard to be that way. Whenever I’m pressed into thinking about my favorite songs of all time, this one always makes the list.

Sooo, in the R3 vein, here are 10 of my favorite songs by some of my favorite Canadian indie artists, some of which I’ve loved for a long time, and others that I’ve discovered recently on Radio 3 and elsewhere…

I know that this post will end up being super long, so I’m going to post it in 3 parts. Here is part 2.

4. Gold Guns Girls – Metric

All of Fantasies , Metric’s newest album, is pretty rocking, so it’s hard to pick one song that’s a true standout. To be honest, there were at least 3 other songs from the album that could have been on this list, but… Gold Guns Girls won out in the end. I can always count on this track to give me a good pick-me-up and get me grooving (did I just say grooving? Yikes), or at least make me wish I was out dancing instead of sitting in my box at work (yes, I work in a box. It’s just big enough to fit my me, my computer and my giant mug of tea, and just small enough to make me feel slightly claustrophobic). Emily Haines’ breathy vocals give a great contrast to the driving beats; my favorite vocal section is what could be called the bridge I suppose (“I remember when we were gambling to win/everybody else said better luck next time…”) where her voice becomes really rich but at the same time make you feel like she’s telling you a secret. To me, Emily Haines always sounds like she’s smiling when she sings, and this gives Metric’s rockier songs an interesting twist as no matter how big the beat is, they still retain a sweeter side. The only thing this song is missing is my favorite Metric-ism – Succexy (I still think this is one of the greatest words ever), but it does have a great alliteration to keep the wordy types like me happy.

Other Recommendations: From Old World Underground, Where Are You Now – Succexy; From Fantasies – Gimme Sympathy, Stadium Love, Collect Call
Disclaimer: I kind of missed everything between Old World and Fantasies. I’m sure there’s lots of good stuff on their other albums… I just don’t know it!

5.Deny Deny Deny – Joel Plaskett

If I had only three words to describe this song they would be awesome, awesome, awesome. On his album Three, Joel Plaskett has achieved a feat that I would not have imagined possible – incorporating his triple word frenzy into 14 out of 27 songs while still managing to keep all of the songs unique and decidedly un-cheesy. I love a well executed concept album; I think gimmiky things like this are awesome if they’re well done, and this one most certainly is. Deny Deny Deny is my favorite of the three-pronged ballads (and also my favorite among the songs without triple names).

Joel Plaskett is such a quintessential east-coaster, and the fiddle that comes in early on in the song and reappears throughout reminds me of Sunday nights watching Road To Avonlea with my family… it’s such a typical maritime sound. The fiddle plays a huge part in making Deny Deny Deny memorable and unique, and it, along with the amazing male/female dialogue, the super catchy melody, and the singable lyrics, makes me want to put this song on constant repeat!

Other Recommendations (from Three): Every Time You Leave, Through & Through & Through, Rewindx3, Preciousx3, One Look

6. Left and Leaving – The Weakerthans

This one’s an oldie but a goodie. Left and Leaving will always be one of those songs that brings back memories for me. I love those songs, the ones that can transport you back to a different time and make you feel like you’re reliving past moments all over again. Nostalgia makes me happy, and this one really does it for me.

But even if this song holds no emotional ties for you, there are plenty more reasons why it will blow your mind. First and foremost, the Weakerthans are lyrical geniuses. I have yet to encounter a band that even comes close to them in their ability to create musical poetry. One of my favorites line in the song is the last one: “I wait in four four time/count yellow highway lines/that you’re relying on to lead you home”. What a beautiful piece of poetry. The metaphors and analogies that they use are so creative and interesting, and incredibly quotable while still being beautiful. Nowhere have I encountered so much good material for crypic facebook statuses, creative MSN names… um… yeah… before I really reveal my identity as an internet addict, let’s just say that the Weakerthans may be my favorite Canadian band of all time, and this song is a classic that will always hold a little piece of my heart.

Stay tuned for part three!

If you’re anything like me (who knows if you are, but just humour me for a second), you have music ADD and you’re always looking for new sources to discover awesome new artists. R3 is a great place to do that. Not only do they play all Canadian indie, all the time, they also have interviews with a wide variety of different artists, super entertaining hosts, and, one of my favorite features, artist pages where you can listen to full tracks by bands you want to test out before you commit to actually getting their album. Totally beats iTunes where you only get a 30 second snippet of the songs.

Sooo, in the R3 vein, here are 10 of my favorite songs by some of my favorite Canadian indie artists, some of which I’ve loved for a long time, and others that I’ve discovered recently on Radio 3 and elsewhere…

I know that this post will end up being super long, so I’m going to post it in 3 parts. Here is part 1.

1. Stem – Hayden

I’m Hayden fanatic. I especially go gaga over his older stuff. Hayden is one of the best storytellers that I know of; his albums are filled with tales of everything from a runaway cat, to a lazy day playing hooky from work, to a tragic story of a lover’s dead body lost, to a Hollywood mixup, and, even in this very short story, the emotion he creates is always real and very affective. This was one of the first songs of his that I heard, and I instantly fell in love. The irony of the whole situation was that when I was introduced to Hayden I was told that I would hate him… not so much. The simplicity of the melody, the beautiful melancholy of Hayden’s voice, and the innocent tragedy of these lyrics get me every time. This is not only my favorite Canadian indie songs, it’s my favorite song of all time, and anyone who knows how indecisive I am will be shocked by that bold statement!

Other Recommendations: From Everything I Long For – I’m To Blame, We Don’t Mind, In September, Skates, My Parent’s House; From The Closer I Get – Between Us To Hold; From Skyscraper National Park – Streetcar, Dynamite Walls (sooo epic), Bass Song; From Elk Lake Serenade – Wide Eyes, Hollywood Ending, Killbear; From In Field and Town – Damn This Feeling, The Van Song, Lonely Security Guard

2. O My Heart – Mother Mother

Mother Mother is a fairly new discovery for me, but I’ve quickly fallen in love with their newest LP, and especially the title track, O My Heart . The dynamic drum beats and bass line as the song beings draw me in, but it’s when the female vocals join frontman Ryan Guldemond that I’m really blown away. Their harmonies are right on the money, a trend that continues through the entire album, and, while their lyrics are a bit of a mystery, I can’t stop listening to their infectious offerings.

Other recommendations: Try to Change, Wisdom, Hay Loft, Wrecking Ball (ok…. I pretty much love the entire album.

3. Big Bird in a Small Cage – Patrick Watson

I’d heard and heard of 2007 Polaris Prize winner/2009 nominee Patrick Watson, and was in love with the song Luscious Life from his earlier album Close To Paradise (check out the crazy cool video for that song too!) but I wasn’t all that familiar with much of his other material. I first heard this song on R3, and was totally enchanted by it right from the start. I love Patrick Watson’s understated voice… it reminds me of how I sound when I first wake up on a lazy Sunday morning – a little groggy and not quite all there, but lethargic in a happy kind of way. Come to think of it, this would be the perfect song to wake up to; it starts off very low key and quiet and gradually builds up, but never gets past my too-obnoxiously-loud-for-first-thing-in-the-morning threshold. The only danger is that when it dies down at the end I might just fall back to sleep!

If you know me, you know that I’m a sucker for some quality male/female harmonies and this song has got that and then some, with the mystery female actually dominating much of the vocal collaboration. The percussion is simple and so is the instrumentation, which lets the beautiful vocals shine.

Wooden Arms is one of those albums that took me a couple of listens to get into, but now I’m in love. It’ll be stiff competition, but he might just win the Polaris Prize again!

Other Recommendations: Luscious Life, Great Escape, Tracy’s Waters, Beijing, Hommage (heartbreakingly gorgeous string instrumental – HIGHLY recommended!)

Stay tuned for parts 2 and 3…

Arcade Fire – My Body Is A Cage + Western Movie

Again found via twitter, this time through a friend who shares my music obsession. We have very similar tastes and she’s alway alerting me to awesome new stuff.

I love Arcade Fire (another great Canadian band, woo hoo… I need to dig them out from the depths of my iPod and listen to them again!) and if they come to Calgary again I will be there in a heartbeat, that’s for sure. This isn’t actually the band’s official video (as you can probably tell since they don’t make an appearance), it’s clips from the movie “Once Upon A Time In The West” edited to fit in with the music. The result is pretty incredible. Further snooping on jthelms’ YouTube channel revealed that he’s also mixed Grizzly Bear with an old French movie that I’ve never heard of (very cute, though) as well as Radiohead’s All I Need with another movie I’ve never heard of (3 songs I love + 3 movies I’ve never heard of, sounds about right!). Pretty great way of taking the feelings and mental images you get from a song and finding the visuals to match, I’d say!

The songs that stick with me are the ones that get me deep down from the beginning. This is one of them. Sorry Kanye, Mr. Fitzsimmons just showed you how it’s done.

Everything comes and goes
Marked by lovers and styles of clothes
Things that you held high
And told yourself were true
Lost or changing as the days come down to you
Down to you
Constant stranger
Youre a kind person
Youre a cold person too
Its down to you
It all comes down to you.
You go down to the pick up station
Craving warmth and beauty
You settle for less than fascination
A few drinks later youre not so choosy
When the closing lights strip off the shadows
On this strange new flesh youve found
Clutching the night to you like a fig leaf
You hurry
To the blackness
And the blankets
To lay down an impression
And your loneliness

In the morning there are lovers in the street
They look so high
You brush against a stranger
And you both apologize
Old friends seem indifferent
You must have brought that on
Old bonds have broken down
Love is gone
Ooh, love is gone
Written on your spirit this sad song
Love is gone

Everything comes and goes
Pleasure moves on too early
And trouble leaves too slow
Just when youre thinking
Youve finally got it made
Bad news comes knocking
At your garden gate
Knocking for you
Constant stranger
Youre a brute-youre an angel
You can crawl-you can fly too
Its down to you
It all comes down to you

Why I love this song:   Well, obviously Joni Mitchell is amazing. Pretty much anything by her is genius in my eyes. This song is one of my favorites by her.

Growing up, my Dad always had music on (probably the source of my love for music), some of which I could take or leave, but a lot of that music is stuff that I’m (finally) willing to admit that I really enjoy listening to, and not just for the nostalgia factor. Joni Mitchell is probably my favorite out of the “what my dad listened to” collection.   Joni’s voice has a very “real” quality about it – I can hear heartbreak and hurt and life experience and vulnerability and genuine emotion that is pure and unaffected, which I love. I adore the moments when she goes into the high register; those high notes that could be cringeworthy are actually so interesting.

The instrumentation and rhythm in this song are very creative.  There is no driving beat, in fact there is no percussion at all, which allows the melody to flow freely and mould itself around the poem that she is reciting. She runs the gambit in terms of instruments; although piano is heavily featured (I’m a sucker for a good piano-driven ballad), she uses woodwinds, horns, chimes, guitars, I think there’s even a harp in there somewhere.  Her voice is still the star, but hiring half the symphony certainly doesn’t hurt.

The beauty of this instrumental melange (wow, word points?) creates a feeling of longing that backs up the melancholy story that Joni is telling. I’m not sure why beauty makes me feel sad and nostalgic, but it often has that effect, maybe because it makes me recall all of the wonderful things that I’ve done and makes me think of all the things I’d rather be doing than sitting in this cubicle day after day. Sigh… Anyways. Just listen.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwMIkG0oY6s