from Snow Patrol to Ryan Adams and back to Lucinda

After receiving a brief email last week, the new Snow Patrol album is coming my way for review. The problem is, I wouldn't consider myself a big Snow Patrol fan. I mean, they're alright for soft edged pop. They're kind of like Coldplay's little brother aren't they? But I suppose I should save my reservations until I actually get the CD and hear it. Who knows, maybe I'll love it. It's much easier to write with love or hate. It's dreary if your feelings are grey or lukewarm. In writing, nothing could be more boring than indifference. In any case, my starting point before receiving the CD is research and I've found a few tricks for comprehending a band and an album. This morning my iTunes Store was my first stop. There's a few songs on it which might be palpable. But I was immediately uninterested and moved on to the new Ryan Adams and The Cardinals - now that's more my speed. I could sink my teeth into that one. 

iTunes beguiles you in with one purchase and then thoughtfully recommends other artists and albums with their subtle "Listeners Also Bought" tool. Which naturally lead me to the newest Lucinda Williams' CD, "Little Honey". Steve said that Lucinda Williams was having a relationship with the wee Ryan Adams. I don't know about a romantic relationship. He's 34 and she's past 50. That would be rather Oedipus Rex-ish. I don't doubt they've observed in one another a strong sense of symmetry as artists.

The iTunes review of "Little Honey" was stirringly perfect; clearly the writer understands what it means to hear Lucinda Williams. The final paragraph of the review was irresistible, surmising

"the cover of AC/DC's "It's a Long Way To The Top" is at once bizarre and absolutely perfect, a blues lament coming from the mouth of a woman who has spent decades trying to get her point across." 

Yes, that's exactly her.

It seems that most people are fairly flagrant with their music tastes and sadly, again, indifferent towards it. Hawksley Workman asserts "The poets let a generation down and modern music could be a healing sound" in his "We Will Still Need A Song". It's true, modern songwriters - real singer-songwriters - are vessels of poetry today; dispensing their stories and truths and harnessing them to harmonies; a double feat.

I guess my point is, I personally can't waste my precious time trying to assimilate monochromatic, common pop music. I know; pretty elitist.