Spring is upon us, birds are singing outside my window and it should be too late to write an annual review, but I really want to share my thoughts on last year.
2008 gave me a lot of time for reflection and I got to know myself better. An intense but rewarding autumn lead me through the final transition between youth and adult life. I believe my life became more stable during the year. Ironically, I was close to giving up several things thad had been the lights in my existence in recent years. I almost lost my life interest in football, stopped going to concerts and abandoned my blog in the autumn. This summer's European Championship helped me get back my passion for football. I have, predictably, followed Arsenal's 2008-09 season from the kick off of the first game. My concert interest could not be saved that easily though. I had several chances to see good bands live, but I did not go to Malmö even once for various reasons. In the end I only went to one show in the autumn, and I do not regret I missed any gig. Nowadays there are only a few minutes of happiness at concerts except for less frequent special occasions. A concert where only one really good song is played can not be compared to the special feeling a favourite album gives me when the end of each song makes me think about the next song.
The music year 2008 gave me two memorable albums. The Indelicates, the duo of Julia Clark Lowes and Simon Clayton, delivered a debut album which increasingly sounds like this decade's generation record. Julia's piano and Simon's guitar build up stories so naturally told that it is not strange a track starts as a ballad to turn into an upbeat protest song. Julia and Simon are angry. American Demo discusses the search for identity, idolization, the false solidarity in subcultures, hypocrisy, lies and betrayed ideals before all is brought to a head in We Hate the Kids which attacks the ignorance that permeates generation after generation. American Demo and its intelligently formulated social criticism is pop music with a willingness to change. It is hard to imagine that Julia once formed The Pipettes and she clearly made the right choice to move on to The Indelicates instead.
Celestial's second album Crystal Heights is my favourite record of 2008. Guest singers Ulrika Nymark and Malin Dahlberg take Andreas Hagman's beautifully composed songs to a new level. Crystal Heights begins almost epically with jangle guitars and amazing vocals by Ulrika on the introducing track Preston Park. The next three songs are nice fillers. Crystal Heights take off again when Malin takes over the microphone on the record's title track. The four final songs How Does It Feel, Lonely Boulevard, Try to Understand and Hope You Know are up there with the most beautiful pop music ever recorded, among the records This Night and the Next (Laurel Muisc), Songs About You (Language of Flowers) and Your Simple Beauty (The Arrogants). Especially Try to Understand and Lonely Boulevard.
The boundaries between the years fade away. Last year I discovered Minipop and Monsters Are Waiting, two California-based bands that both released debut albums in 2007. I have listened a lot to the records and 2008 has now become 2009. I stand once again at Mejeriet to see Hello Saferide live. To my great joy, Annika Norlin has her friend Andrea Kellerman at her side. Annika is a great storyteller, but I do not listen so attentively this time. Three years has passed since I last saw Hello Saferide and I do not appreciate concerts as much now as before. I have had the privilege to see almost all my favourite bands live and new experiences are inevitably compared with shows I already have attended. The loss of incentive to go to concert is not followed by disappointment though. I rather feel immense gratitude to have experienced several of the world's best bands both live and on record. The records stand in my collection and I carry the finest concerts in memory forever.
The days turn into years, and I think back on all the nice things. When I walk home the leaves on the trees shift in red and yellow, Homesick by Aberdeen is played in my mp3 player while the sun sets in the horizon, and I get a tear in my eye. Two very good friends of mine have a daughter and I spend a weekend at their house to be with them and get to see when she learns to walk on her own. The April sun shines, I wear short sleeves and of course get cold. Again. It is the first day of summer and the cool breeze touches my hair. I look at her. I am happy and she smiles back with her eyes.
It often strikes me that life is so beautiful. I hope that feeling will last forever.
